Cotter changes 11 for Turin trip
The Scots will head to Turin's Stadio Olimpico for the second of their four World Cup warm-up matches.
The match is the first of a double-header against the Italians, with the return leg at Murrayfield the following Saturday (August 29).
In all there are 11 new faces taking the field, with the seven inbound forwards making up an almost entirely new pack, four new backs, and three starting debuts for John Hardie (back row), Rory Hughes (wing) and Stuart McInally (hooker).
McInally will rubber stamp his positional switch to hooker when he surpasses his unused replacement appearance as a flank against South Africa (2012), with a vindicating first cap for his country in the front row.
He will pack down between props Gordon Reid and Mike Cusack – the latter set for his first start after his debut as a replacement against Ireland last week.
British & Irish Lions lock Richie Gray comes in to partner captain Grant Gilchrist – the only returning forward – in the second row.
An all-new back row completes the forwards as debutant Hardie starts at open side with Alasdair Strokosch and Adam Ashe at blind side and No.8 respectively.
In the backs Glasgow Warriors' 22-year-old wing Rory Hughes is set to make his first outing for his country in place of Tim Visser, with the returning Sean Lamont (wing) and the versatile Greig Tonks – who started the Ireland Test at flyhalf – making up the back three at fullback
A new halfback pairing sees scrumhalf Sam Hidalgo-Clyne make his first start for his country alongside flyhalf Duncan Weir; the hero of Scotland's last trip to Italy when he slotted the match-winning drop-goal in 2014.
The backs are completed by the final change, which sees centre Matt Scott start at inside centre alongside the returning Richie Vernon
On the bench, Edinburgh's uncapped pair Willem Nel (prop) and Damien Hoyland (wing) are poised for an international debut as a replacement, while their club-mates Alasdair Dickinson (prop) and Hamish Watson (back row) could make their first appearance of the warm-up matches.
"The Irish game was an open, fairly fluid affair for the most part but I think the Italy game will be a tighter battle so we'll be looking, perhaps, to play a bit differently," Cotter said.
"A lot of players put their hands up last week and we're expecting the same of this group."
Scotland's last outing against the Italians was the last-minute loss in February at Murrayfield, where a converted penalty try sealed the win for the visitors.
However, despite this being fresh in the mind going into the game, Cotter said that Saturday's Test is far from being a revenge mission.
"We know that they put pressure on our tight five, so that unit will be aware that a lot of heat will come their way from scrum and driven line-outs," he said.
"Our whole focus this summer has been on improving. We're trying to build and construct our rugby and that isn't based on any emotions other than our desire to move forward."
Scotland: 15 Greig Tonks, 14 Sean Lamont, 13 Richie Vernon, 12 Matt Scott, 11 Rory Hughes, 10 Duncan Weir, 9 Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, 8 Adam Ashe, 7 John Hardie, 6 Alasdair Strokosch, 5 Grant Gilchrist (captain), 4 Richie Gray, 3 Mike Cusack, 2 Stuart McInally, 1 Gordon Reid.
Replacements: 16 Ross Ford, 17 Alasdair Dickinson, 18 Willem Nel, 19 Jim Hamilton, 20 Hamish Watson, 21 Henry Pyrgos, 22 Peter Horne, 23 Damien Hoyland.
Date: Saturday, August 22
Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Turin
Kick-off: 20.00 (19.00 BST, 18.00 GMT)
Referee: JP Doyle (England)
Assistant referees: Nigel Owens (Wales), Luke Pearce (England)
TMO: Graham Hughes (England)
