Duhan van der Merwe and Darcy Graham – two of Scotland’s all-time leading scorers – and British and Irish Lions Test defender Blair Kinghorn have both been ruled out of the Six Nations opener against Italy.
Head coach Gregor Townsend has selected Bristol’s Tom Jordan at full-back for Saturday’s game in Rome, flanked by Glasgow Warriors wingers Keir Steyn and Jamie Dobie.
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Graham was one of the substitutes, but Van der Merwe and King Horn didn’t even appear in the 23rd round, with Adam Hastings and rusher George Horn replaced by other defenders.
Apart from the shocking absence of three 2025 Lions visitors, Townsend’s selection for the first game of the Scottish Championship was predictable.
Grant Gilchrist, 35, beat off challenges from younger Gregor Brown and Max Williamson to join Scott Cummings in the second row.
Matt Fagerson, Rory Dutch and Jack Dempsey rounded out the back row, with versatile Glasgow forward Brown also involved in the breakthrough.
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Ewan Ashman gets the hooker nod ahead of George Turner and will be flanked by Lions props Pierre Schoeman and Zander Fagerson.
Ben White partners vice-captain Finn Russell at centre-back despite strong demands from the in-form Horne, while the midfield pairing is with familiar pairings Huw Jones and Sione Tuipulotu, who will captain the side.
Scotland vs. Italy
Jordan; Steyn, Jones, Tuipulotu (c), Dobie; Russell, White; Scoman, Ashman, Z. Fagerson, Cummings, Gilchrist; M. Fagerson, Dutch, Dempsey.
Substitutes: Turner, McBeth, Miller-Mills, Williamson, Brown, Horn, Hastings, Graham.
