In a surprising move ahead of the Six Nations Championship, Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend has made significant changes to his matchday squad for the opening fixture against Italy this Saturday. British and Irish Lion Blair Kinghorn has been dropped entirely, with Tom Jordan taking his place at full-back in a bold selection call.
Major Omissions Shock Scottish Rugby Fans
The exclusion of both Kinghorn and Duhan van der Merwe from the 23-man squad represents a dramatic shake-up in Scotland's backline selection. Van der Merwe, Scotland's leading try-scorer, has been struggling for form since his involvement with the British and Irish Lions last summer and was also dropped during the autumn internationals.
New Faces and Tactical Adjustments
Jamie Dobie has been handed his first Six Nations start and will line up on the wing opposite Kyle Steyn, with the Glasgow Warriors pair preferred to Edinburgh's Darcy Graham and Van der Merwe. Graham has been named among the replacements, but there is no place in the matchday 23 for the prolific Van der Merwe.
Tom Jordan's promotion to the starting full-back position comes after consistent performances, while the midfield partnership of Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones remains intact. There was some concern over the fitness of Jack Dempsey after he suffered a foot injury, but the powerful number eight has been selected to start against the Italians.
Building on Last Year's Campaign
Scotland will open their Six Nations campaign with a return to Rome for the first time since their disappointing defeat there in March 2024. The team will be looking for a strong start to build on their fourth-placed finish last year, with Townsend clearly opting for form over reputation in his selection decisions.
Complete Scotland Line-Up for Rome Clash
The Scotland team to face Italy in Rome on Saturday 7th February (2.10pm GMT kick-off) shows several notable changes from recent selections:
Starting XV: 1 Pierre Schoeman, 2 Ewan Ashman, 3 Zander Fagerson; 4 Scott Cummings, 5 Grant Gilchrist; 6 Matt Fagerson, 7 Rory Darge, 8 Jack Dempsey; 9 Ben White, 10 Finn Russell; 11 Jamie Dobie, 12 Sione Tuipulotu, 13 Huw Jones, 14 Kyle Steyn; 15 Tom Jordan.
Replacements: 16 George Turner, 17 Nathan McBeth, 18 Elliot Millar Mills, 19 Max Williamson, 20 Gregor Brown; 21 George Horne, 22 Adam Hastings, 23 Darcy Graham.
The selection represents a significant vote of confidence in Glasgow Warriors players, with Dobie and Steyn preferred on the wings and Jordan taking the full-back position. Townsend's decisions will be scrutinised closely as Scotland seek to begin their Six Nations campaign with a victory in Rome.
