It was a familiar tale in Rome on Saturday.

One line break more than the opposition was achieved, almost twice as many passes were completed, more than twice as many off-loads were made and yet the team doing all that failed to punish the opposition properly.

The difference this time was that it was Italy achieving all the statistical "wins", just as Scotland had boasted of having done in their first three matches in this season's RBS 6 Nations Championship. One crucial difference, however, was that, for all that they made desperately hard work of it, Italy also managed to win the game.

It was a performance that put the lie to all the overblown claims of Scottish progress in the course of the championship.

As noted in his Sunday Herald column by Craig Chalmers, ever pragmatically competitive as against the style over substance of Gregor Townsend, his rival from Melrose/Gala and Scotland playing days: "What is attack? It's how many tries you scored and we've not scored enough."

Italy won that line-break count, as registered on the official statistics, by achieving precisely one – that which produced their try – to Scotland's zero.

What was most sobering for Scots was that watching Italy was like watching Scotland with a smidgeon of extra self-belief. The way the Italians dominated so much of the game without managing to drive their advantage home was a further reminder that sport is not about the sort of statistics that Scotland's management have drawn such solace from, but about what appears on the scoreboard.

Scotland have won so many of these statistical battles precisely because opposing sides are so much more effective in attack, requiring far fewer phases and passes before scoring. It has been this way throughout the professional era, with one rule-proving exception of a season in 1999 when John Leslie proved capable of anticipating most mistakes before they happened, Gary Armstrong mopped up those he did not and Alan Tait showed the way to the try line.

Little wonder, then, that Scottish Rugby have felt the need to bring in outside know-how to try to resolve their problems, with an English chairman, chief executive and head coach in situ, as well as putting a previously unknown New Zealander in charge of elite performance with the capacity to hire and fire.

Their impact so far could perhaps, then, be attributed to what Scotland's bard was referring in his poem To a Louse, when pleading: "O would some power the giftie gie us to see ourselves as others see us."

The reason these men who have not grown up within Scottish rugby, harking back to glory days of the last century when the national team were capable of winning two grand slams in six years, have been shocked by the public response to their mistakes may simply be down to their perception of the game hereabouts.

To the wider rugby world, Scottish rugby has been something of a basket case in the professional era, so for any incomer it is surely natural to take the view that scrabbling about at the bottom of the Six Nations table should not be that shocking.

The same mentality could also be applied to the under-resourced professional teams that have struggled perennially, to the extent that they might think no-one would care if they were to be used for wild experimentation in a desperate bid to find a cut-price route to success.

Not that Townsend has ever knowingly been a cheap option. He has, in various guises, drawn plenty of money from the Murrayfield coffers during the professional era, and Glasgow Warriors supporters may be interested to know of their new head coach's one notable contribution to the weekend in Rome.

At the end of a day when the word "attack" should only have appeared in the same sentence as the word Scotland if it was preceded by the word "under", they might have expected that players and coaches would have felt sufficiently chastened that they would have kept a very low profile.

Far from it. They apparently played a full part in the sing-song at the post-match dinner and the on-going popularity with some of the players of the man whose attack failed to produce tries against Georgia, Argentina, England twice and Italy this season was demonstrated when they called for him to give them a song.

Never one to turn down a chance to take centre stage, Townsend duly obliged, apparently. It should be recorded that some of the west-coast contingent were astonished by his choice of song which, in keeping with the apparent attempt to ingratiate himself with a new audience, was perhaps the definition of the word gallus.

It has been suggested, all the same, that the rendition he gave of I Belong to Glasgow was far from flawless.

Whether or not that is the case, it did bring to mind – for by no means the first time in the context of Scottish rugby – the great line, delivered in a sports movie when Susan Sarandon said of the oafish pitcher played by Tim Robbins in the movie Bull Durham: "The world is made for those not cursed with self-awareness".

For a variety of reasons, it seems that many of those involved in key roles in Scottish rugby right now, and moving forward, do not realise just how much damage has been done this season.

LEADING footballing figures have offered their condolences to Kilmarnock midfielder Liam Kelly following the death of his father after Sunday's League Cup final.

Jack Kelly, 59, suffered a suspected heart attack within moments of the final whistle and received emergency treatment from paramedics next to the Kilmarnock dugout.

As the Ayrshire side celebrated beating Celtic to win the trophy for the first time in the club's history, the 22-year-old player went up the tunnel in a state of distress.

His father later died at the Victoria Infirmary in Glasgow.

Kilmarnock manager Kenny Shiels, who spoke to the midfielder yesterday, described him as "distraught".

Mr Shiels said: "We are all feeling for Liam and his family. It is very sad. I spoke to him and he is distraught, of course he is.

"It is going to be hard for him, he's only a young boy and we shouldn't forget that.

"Apart from feeling for Liam and his family, we wanted to enjoy the achievement and we did that with the trip around the town last night, but it was tinged with sadness.

"Liam is one of the Kilmarnock family and the compassion shown towards him and his family by the players and staff has been tremendous.

"The most important thing is the Kelly family and we will do everything we can to provide pastoral care.

"He and his family have got to deal with what has happened and we must respect that."

Celtic manager Neil Lennon also expressed his shock.

He said: "All of the management team, players and backroom staff wish to offer our thoughts and prayers to Liam Kelly's family.

"Myself and the entire team are shocked and saddened with this news and our heartfelt condolences go to Liam."

Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell said: "Everyone at Celtic is devastated by this terrible news. All at the football club are thinking about Liam and the entire Kelly family at this very sad time."

Rangers stars Sone Aluko and Ross Perry also sent messages of sympathy.

On Twitter, Aluko wrote: "Thoughts are with Liam Kelly and his family today after hearing the sad news about his father on what should've been a proud day. RIP."

Perry added: "Horrible news. Devastated for you Liam."

Scotland international Charlie Adam wrote: "Thoughts go out to Killie player Liam Kelly tonight after what happened at league cup final."

Sky Sports star Chris Kamara added: "Sorry to hear Kilmarnock's Liam Kelly's dad suffered a heart attack and died after seeing his son lift the Scottish Cup against Celtic."

Kelly's teammates also rallied round to show their support.

Defender Rory McKeown said: "Absolutely devastated for Liam, didn't deserve this. Great player and a great pro. RIP Mr Kelly."

Captain Manuel Pascali, who was injured for the game, added: "Feeling absolutely devastated for Liam. All my thoughts are for him and his family. I'm sure wherever you are now you are proud of your son. All my respect goes also to all the fans who are showing great affection to Liam. We are football fans yes but in these moments we are all together."