Huw Jones Overwhelmed by Italy's Defence in Rome
Huw Jones struggles to recall the number of times he touched the ball during the rainy match in Rome last Saturday, but he is certain it was very few. He remembers having a few touches in the final minutes during the 29 phases that ultimately yielded no results, but otherwise, the game largely passed him by.
The Scotland backline, designed for attacking play, failed to register a single line break against Italy—the only team to do so during the opening weekend. This was the first time in many years that Scotland's attack was so ineffective.
Zero line breaks is an extraordinary rarity. Even during the Calcutta Cup match in the heavy rain of Edinburgh in 2020, Scotland managed three line breaks. Although weather conditions were a significant factor in Rome, Italy still managed six line breaks, demonstrating their ability to find opportunities. Jones acknowledges this without evasion.
The Calcutta Cup: A Chance for Redemption
Jones describes the upcoming Calcutta Cup as the "perfect game" for Scotland. He warns to be cautious with such hopes but conveys the significance of the occasion: a packed Murrayfield stadium, Scotland under pressure, England on a strong winning streak, and an opportunity for Scotland to redeem themselves. This scenario is familiar to fans.
Jones has participated in seven Calcutta Cup matches, winning four and losing three, while scoring six tries. Despite this respectable record, he admits that the England team arriving in Edinburgh this weekend might be the strongest he has faced, even stronger than the side that defeated Scotland decisively at Twickenham in 2017. In that match, Jones scored two tries, but England won 60-21.
"After a loss when everyone's hurting and when we didn't really get to play, we all have that pent-up frustration and energy," says Jones.
"Even if we'd won I would have come away knowing I didn't get to do anything. I'm really angry about that and this week adds to the fuel of just wanting to go out and show what we can do. It's the perfect one for us to come back to."
Reflecting on the Rome Defeat
Jones was assigned media duties on Tuesday, which meant facing more questions about the Rome match. Just as he thought he was moving past it, the topic resurfaced. He described the changing room atmosphere as one of the toughest he has experienced, attempting to articulate the collective distress.
"We've all experienced losses but everyone was really dejected after that," he said.
He outlined the emotional stages following the defeat—tiredness, confusion, frustration, and anger.
"The anger probably comes on the Sunday," he explains. "Then you do the review and you have to be very clinical about your review. You try not to let emotions get in the way of that process.
"No-one's hiding. It's horrible and what's tough for the public is that you don't get to be in those conversations, so you're seeing the loss and stewing over it for the whole week but not getting answers because you're not in our meetings.
"Part of being a professional rugby player is you have to get back to work immediately and you have to park those emotions - but you use that as fuel."
Jones suggests that although the loss has been analyzed, it has not yet been fully overcome.
Impact of the Rome Defeat on Scotland's Six Nations Prospects
The defeat in Rome severely damaged Scotland's chances of competing for the Six Nations title after just one game.
Execution Issues and Missed Opportunities
Jones discusses the team's efforts to advance downfield and secure good field position. He recalls instances when a penalty opportunity for Scotland was reversed due to poor discipline, forcing the team back to their starting point. This happened twice amid other difficulties.
"Those are really difficult to take. You've got to get up and go again. I felt that we kept doing that - wrestling that momentum to get downfield but we kept letting ourselves down when we got there.
"I don't think that's a psychological thing, I think that's execution. Once you get down there we just have to be better. The first 20 minutes was where the game was lost.
"They got two chances off launches and scored within three phases. We also got down their end early on and did nothing with it," added Jones, referring to the two attacking lineouts lost inside Italy's 22.
Preparing for England and Managing Negativity
This week, the team aims to block out the negativity surrounding them. Jones acknowledges that England has suffered defeats to Scotland in recent years and will likely use that history to their advantage.
He emphasizes that Scotland does not hold a monopoly on intensity simply because they are seeking to rectify the Rome loss.
"They're on a big run of victories at the moment and they've got a great squad," Jones said.
"They've developed almost an all-court game where they've got their big pack expecting to be dominant in most games but they've also got brilliant athletes and good ball-players as well. It's a tough prospect."
For Jones and his teammates, this match represents a moment to prepare and fight back. Playing in front of their home crowd, they aim to deliver a powerful performance on Saturday.
