Gregor Townsend dismisses talk of stepping down after Scotland’s defeat to Italy

Under-fire head coach Gregor Townsend dismissed any notion that he would step down after Scotland suffered a disastrous Guinness Six Nations start by losing 18-15 to Italy in rain-lashed Rome.

This setback in the Eternal City, which all but ends the Scots’ hopes of contending for the championship after matchday one, sparked renewed calls for the long-serving 52-year-old to quit or be sacked.

Townsend’s position was already under intense scrutiny after a poor autumn campaign and following his contentious decision to take on a part-time consultancy role with Red Bull, which led to a report emerging in recent days that he had agreed to join Newcastle upon expiry of his Scotland contract following the World Cup next year.

However, he said at his post-match press conference in Stadio Olimpico that his focus was on preparing the team for next Saturday’s Calcutta Cup showdown with England at Murrayfield.

Asked if he still had the appetite to soldier on, Townsend said: “Absolutely, we’ve got a game in seven days’ time.

“We’ve got a game to review, a selection to be put together and how we improve today is all we’re thinking about as a coaching group.

“It’s very tough when you lose but when you’ve got a game around the corner, your focus has to be on that.

George Horne slides over the line for @Scotlandteam