Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend has made three changes to the starting line-up and four to the bench for this Saturday’s Guinness Six Nations clash with Italy in Rome.
One of the changes to the run-on XV that began the game against England two weeks ago is enforced with Jonny Gray’s hand injury making space for Ben Toolis to step up after two bench appearances in the championship so far. His Edinburgh clubmate Grant Gilchrist takes his place among the replacements.
The two other changes are tactical, with Chris Harris returning to the centre in place of Huw Jones, who drops out of the matchday 23 altogether. The Gloucester man last started in the Rugby World Cup against Japan.
In the front row, Stuart McInally, captain of the squad in Japan, returns at hooker for Fraser Brown. It will be the Edinburgh hooker’s first start since the opening game of the Rugby World Cup against Ireland.
On the bench, WP Nel is preferred to Simon Berghan as back-up to Zander Fagerson. The prop’s younger brother Matt, who missed the first two games of the championship with a rib injury, is also among the replacements, with Byron McGuigan taking Harris’ place.
Only Matt Fagerson of the three players called up at the beginning of the week makes the matchday 23, with Sam Skinner and Darcy Graham left out for now.
Team: Stuart Hogg (Exeter, capt); Sean Maitland (Saracens), Chris Harris (Gloucester), Sam Johnson (Glasgow Warriors), Blair Kinghorn (Edinbirgh); Adam Hastings (Glasgow Warriors), Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors); Rory Sutherland (Edinburgh), Stuart McInally (Edinburgh), Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors); Ben Toolis (Edinburgh), Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors); Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh), Hamish Watson (Edinburgh), Magnus Bradbury (Edinburgh).
Replacements: Fraser Brown (Glasgow Warriors), Allan Dell (London Irish), WP Nel (Edinburgh), Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh), Matt Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors), George Horne (Glasgow Warriors), Rory Hutchinson (Northampton), Byron McGuigan (Sale Sharks).
