Sione Tuipulotu says Scotland need to show they’ve learned to handle the pressure ahead of their Six Nations opener against Italy in Rome.
Gregor Townsend’s side buckled in the white-hot atmosphere of the Olimpico Stadium two years ago as they threw away a 12-point lead to go down 31-29.
A sold-out 75,000 crowd is expected on Saturday afternoon as Italy look to put down an early marker in this year’s tournament.
And Tuipulotu knows Scotland need to demonstrate they have the mental fortitude to deal with both the atmosphere and Gonzalo Quesada’s fired-up team.
The Scotland captain said: ‘Italy are here in front of their people so I’m not expecting them to be short of any motivation. They’ve shown amazing growth over the last couple of years in this competition and they’re a team that’s really respected, especially at home.
Scotland skipper Sione Tuipulotu knows what to expect against Italy in Rome
‘When you get out there and the crowd starts getting on top of you, which I’m sure there’ll be points of that, we’ve got to show where we’ve grown in those particular parts.
‘They’re the challenges. When you come away from home, you’re probably battling more than just what’s happening on the field. There’s the stadium around you and a lot of passionate home support. We’ve prepared really well for the last two weeks and we’re looking forward to getting that out there.’
