Six Nations

Scotland coaching box door shattered after defeat

ESPN Staff

Vern Cotter had overseen improvement in each game of his reign before the Italy Test © Getty Images Enlarge

The frustrations of coaching are never more apparent than after your team slips to a close defeat, and those frustrations were never more evident than after Scotland slumped to a last-minute defeat by Italy at Murrayfield on Saturday.

Scotland conceded a late penalty try to lose 22-19 as Italy claimed their fist Six Nations victory since March 2013, when they defeated Ireland in Rome, and the frustrations were seemingly manifested in a broken door to the coaching box that had been occupied by Vern Cotter and his team. The perpetrator has not been named but a Scotland team spokesman did not deny to a reporter that a member of the coaching team had caused the damage.

I can understand why member of Scotland coaching team kicked glass door of box in frustration after Italy defeat. pic.twitter.com/j49xZw6Mrv — Rob Robertson (@SDM_Robertson) February 28, 2015

Cotter has overseen victories against the United States, Canada, Argentina and Tonga since assuming the Scotland reins, and his team pushed New Zealand in November before stretching France and Wales in their opening two tests of the 2015 Six Nations. But they have now won only four Six Nations Tests since 2010 - three against Italy - and Cotter was left to lament ill-discipline when he spoke after the match.

"I'm responsible for the defeat so I will be having a good look at myself and how we can move forward. I'm obviously not getting the message across," Cotter said. "[Discipline is] one of those things that has been spoken about and it needs to be taken on board. I still think there is a lot of growth in this side. Things have gone forward. We just need to address a couple of simple things which will help us change and control outcomes better."

Scotland finish the championship this years with Tests against England and Ireland.

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