‘Townsend on the ropes after romp in swamp’

When Scotland splished and splashed through the phases at the end of a dour but compelling battle in Rome their moment of truth had arrived – the time to deliver on their spoken words about ruthlessness was upon them.

They worked it downfield, through the puddles, through and around the demonic Italian players, over halfway and into the enemy 22.

This was it? A romp in the swamp or failure in the foulness of a Rome afternoon?

Gregor Townsend gave something of a party political broadcast on behalf of the positivity party in the aftermath, a promise of jam tomorrow after gruel today. Hard to stomach, that.

“It didn’t happen,” said Townsend. “We’re going to make sure it happens next week.”

We’ve heard those words before, more than once. Promises from the Scotland coach are a weakening currency.

Fighting talk from his players about the introspection sessions they have put themselves through since the implosions of the autumn were words that were not acted upon when the first test of their mettle arrived.

Those last minutes were their opportunity to overcome the elements, defeat a team that deserved their lead and steal a game that would have tasted sweet. But they couldn’t.

They didn’t warrant a win. Italy opened up a lead in biblical conditions and did just about enough to keep it.

Their celebrations were joyous, befitting a team that showed incredible heart for the fight.

For Townsend’s team, in far too many games, there’s uncertainty about when the damage will be done – the start or the end – but there is a near certainty that at some point it will indeed be done. It’s the rhythm of life under Townsend.

In Rome, it was at the start. There was talk from within the Scotland camp that they needed to execute better when entering an opponent’s 22. There were good reasons for that chat.

In last season’s Six Nations they ranked second of six in terms of visits to a rival’s 22 and yet sixth of six in terms of points gained from those visits. Profligacy, as well as mental fragility, was a work-on, as they say.

A few minutes into the game, Scotland had an attacking lineout in Italy’s 22. A time for deeds now, not words. Clinical rugby, remember. Lessons learned. Progress.

Their ball was stolen at the front and Italy escaped. It was the beginning of an utter calamity out of touch for Ewan Ashman, in particular, and his successor, George Turner.

The conditions? Yes, abject, but Scotland’s error count across the board was higher than Italy’s.

At times, when throws were pilfered or just launched over the back with no jumper and seemingly no communication, it was an unholy mess.

You wouldn’t have predicted a Scotland defeat that early, but you get to understand the triggers in this team and the omens weren’t encouraging.

Especially so within a few minutes because Italy scored. Winning the air, as they so often did, they showed the kind of precision that Scotland only talked about. Ignacio Brex grubbered for Louis Lynagh and Italy had landed the first blow.

Becoming hard to score against was another of those non-negotiables that the Scotland boys mentioned. Up in smoke already.

Scotland had another attacking lineout inside Italy’s 22 soon after. Stolen again. A dozen minutes had been played and now, truly, you were hearing the music from Jaws ringing in the ears.

For a time, the conditions looked like they were impacting just one team out there. Italy went to the air once more, Lynagh got the better of the targeted Jamie Dobie and the score was on.

Michele Lamaro, the totem of the back-row, skipped a pass out to Tommaso Menoncello and a five-point lead became 12. A dozen points in that weather is worth a whole lot more.

Chasing in the rain makes you panic, makes you force things, eats into what is left of your belief.

To Scotland’s credit – and there’s very little to go around – they scored through Jack Dempsey and again, later on, through the effervescent George Horne.

Paolo Garbisi’s boot and the incredibly strong will of his team kept the Scots at bay.

Townsend went 5-3 on his bench but in the rain, in hindsight, he needed to go 6-2.

Get another beast in there instead of Adam Hastings who sat it all out. What was the point of picking him if you were not going to trust him? One question among many.

The lineout and the scrum went south. Ashman’s foul play saw a Scotland penalty become an Italy penalty – and another three points. Finn Russell kicked out on the full. Turner saw yellow for a daft offence at the side of a ruck.

Scotland killed their own momentum. It was not the kind of ruthlessness they meant when talking about what they hoped to do in Rome.

Hope arrived with Horne and that piece of brilliance when finishing in the corner.

The scrum-half had not long come on to the pitch, winding up his team-mates as he did so. Somebody needed to fire them up because they looked flat, the body language betraying a team that was going under.

There was a glimmer of optimism but it petered out; death by phases in the end, 29 of them that went somewhere and then nowhere, a bit like Townsend’s regime, you might say.

The players failed dismally but the reaction will be an evisceration of the coach. The buck stops there, of course.

Scotland didn’t just start treading water when they ran out into Stadio Olimpico on Saturday, they’ve been doing it for too long now.

Townsend has a contract until 2027 with, it seems, the promise of a gig with Newcastle once the World Cup is over. Maybe there’s logic in expediting that.

The justifications for allowing Townsend remaining in place for another Six Nations and a World Cup after that have become pitifully small.

Unless miracles start falling out of the sky the need to end this after this Six Nations is becoming greater and greater.

Townsend is now playing a miserable game of catch-up, a grim pursuit of a few wins to take the dirty look off their campaign.

England next at Murrayfield on Saturday. Good luck with that. Wales afterwards in Cardiff. A likely win, but you wouldn’t bet a bob on it. Then, France, lethal, and Ireland, who will have some of their missing players, restored.

One win from five is the vista here. It’s untenable if it pans out that way.