New captain Lisa Thomson came close to a Scotland try

Michela Sillari scored a hat-trick of tries as Scotland Women fell to a heavy defeat by Italy without a reply.

Sillari, Giordana Duca, Valentina Ruzza and Elisa Giordano all crossed the line within the opening half hour in the autumn Test in Calvisano.

Two more tries from outside centre Sillari followed after the break at Pata Stadium.

Scotland head coach Shade Munro said: "We never quite got into it, but it was our first game of the season."

Scotland's best chances came from new captain Lisa Thomson with a charge down the wing, while wing Lauren Harris came up just short.

"I don't want to get too downhearted," Munro said. "It was a chance for some players to show us what they can do and some of them did."

Italy are ranked seventh in the world, with Scotland in 11th, and Munro's side next take on Canada, the fourth best side in the world, on 27 November at Scotstoun in preparation for next year's Six Nations Championship.

"We are going to have to improve going into the Canada match," Munro said. "They are in the top four of the world, so we all know we will have to be much better than what we showed in today's match."

Scotland captain Lisa Thomson insisted "there were positives" in the way her side continued to battle to the final whistle.

"We know what we now need to work on," she said. "The next match is a few weeks away and we all need to turn up the intensity and push each other on and get excited ahead of Canada."