Italy player ratings: ‘Prop idols’ excel for Azzurri as Scotland star’s Lions hopes ‘harmed’

Italy against Scotland in 2025 Six Nations and Juan Ignacio Brex celebrating.
Following a 31-19 defeat to Scotland in the Six Nations clash at Murrayfield Stadium on Saturday, here are the player ratings for Italy.
15 Tommaso Allan: Kicked well and was solid at the back, playing a key role in their revival after a slow start. 7
14 Ange Capuozzo: Has played well for Toulouse on the wing but his best position is certainly at full-back. Struggled to influence the game out wide and was shut down. 5
Beastly centres
13 Juan Ignacio Brex: One of the most underrated players in world rugby. Reads the game superbly in defence and challenges the opposition rearguard on the gain line – a fine display. 8
12 Tommaso Menoncello: A battering ram of a centre with some silky skills, he is starting to form a fine partnership with Brex at this level. Constantly broke tackles and caused Scotland issues. 8
11 Monty Ioane: Like Capuozzo, he didn’t get the space to cause havoc. Look threatening on occasions but it was ultimately a quiet afternoon for the wing. 5
10 Paolo Garbisi: A mixed bag from the fly-half in this Six Nations clash, who struggled early on before showing some nice touches in the second period. 6
9 Martin Page-Relo: Like his half-back partner, he struggled to control the early stages of the match with his kicking game failing to put the hosts under pressure. Better after that but Page-Relo needs to improve. 5
8 Lorenzo Cannone: Good skills at the base and some big carries through the middle on the field. Did plenty of hard graft throughout. 7
7 Michele Lamaro (c): Defended stoutly but didn’t quite influence the game as he can. Outshone by his back-row partners. 6
Remarkable work rate
6 Sebastian Negri: Huge work rate on both sides of the ball as his performance helped give Italy hope going into the latter stages. A serious shift. 7
5 Federico Ruzza: Lineout went poorly for the Azzurri early on and that cost them with Scotland managing to race into an early lead. 5
4 Dino Lamb: Similar to Ruzza. Lamb has established himself as a top-quality operator over the past couple of years, but it wasn’t his best day at the office. 5
3 Simone Ferrari: One of two prop idols for Italy, Ferrari was magnificent in both the scrum and the loose. Defensively, he put in a number of shots. 8
2 Giacomo Nicotera: Didn’t quite connect with his locks in what was a frustrating opening half for the hooker. Improved after that but that start cost the visitors. 5
1 Danilo Fischetti: Two huge turnovers gave Italy hope while he was exceptional in the set-piece, putting Zander Fagerson under serious heat, harming his Lions chances. 8
Replacements: They were all willing, with Manuel Zuliani the standout, but some errors, particularly from Simone Gesi, cost them as they failed to get the bonus-point their efforts deserved. 5