Italy stun Scotland to kickstart Six Nations campaign

Pressure mounted on Gregor Townsend as Scotland suffered a disastrous Guinness Six Nations start by losing 18-15 to Italy in rain-lashed Rome as the hosts picked up steam before their trip to Dublin next weekend. The fired-up Azzurri raced into a 12-point lead within 14 minutes and the Scots – with back-three big-hitters Blair Kinghorn, Darcy Graham and Duhan van der Merwe all dropped amid question marks over their form – were unable to get their attack firing in response, while their set-piece continually malfunctioned.

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Hollie Davidson to become first woman to referee men’s Six Nations tie

Scotland’s Hollie Davidson will become the first woman to referee a men’s Six Nations match when Ireland host Italy on 14 February. The 33-year-old is no stranger to landmark achievements, having become Scottish Rugby’s first full-time female referee in 2017 and the first woman to referee a New Zealand Test in November, when they beat Wales 52-26 in Cardiff.

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Juventus appoint Luciano Spalletti as new manager

Juventus have appointed former Italy head coach Luciano Spalletti as their manager until the end of the season. The 66-year-old replaces Igor Tudor, who was sacked after the Serie A side’s defeat by Lazio on Sunday. Tudor had joined the club in March as Thiago Motta’s replacement but left after seven months at the end of an eight-match winless run.

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Juventus sack manager Igor Tudor

Juventus have sacked their head coach, Igor Tudor, after failing to win their last eight matches in all competitions, the Serie A club said on Monday. Tudor’s last game in charge was a 1-0 loss away to Lazio that leaves them eight in the Serie A standings. Massimo Brambilla, head coach of the reserve team, will temporarily take over as the first team manager with his first game coming at home to Udinese on Wednesday.

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Leading nations issue international ban on R360 players

Rugby’s leading nations have united to announce a blanket ban on playing international matches for recruits to the proposed breakaway R360 league. England, New Zealand, Ireland and France are among those who currently either favour or exclusively pick players from their domestic competitions. That meant signing up to the globe-trotting R360 itinerary was always set to put their players’ Test careers on hold.

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