Scots lean on Horne at No.10
Glasgow's Peter Horne has been drafted in to replace suspended flyhalf Finn Russell for Scotland's Six Nations clash with Italy on Saturday.
Russell lost an appeal earlier this week against a two-match ban for a dangerous tackle on Wales's Dan Biggar and Horne has been given the nod to replace him over Edinburgh's Greig Tonks.
Horne will win his seventh cap at Murrayfield and is one of four changes to the team beaten 26-23 by Wales a fortnight ago.
"We're very wary of Italy and feel that they have improved," coach Vern Cotter said.
"They are a team that will be targeting this game, so we must be prepared to roll our sleeves up and work very hard to get a result.
"They are a big, physical team – bigger than us – so we will have to be technically strong and well connected as a group to withstand what will be a strong assault on our defensive line.
"We're very focused on what we do and what we want to achieve, which is to apply pressure that yields points, create line breaks and tackle breaks and develop our speed in this game."
Horne's Glasgow club-mates Tommy Seymour and Tim Swinson also come into the side, with Seymour taking over from Tim Visser on the wing and Swinson replacing injured lock Richie Gray.
Prop Euan Murray, who missed the Wales game due to religious reasons, returns in place of Geoff Cross.
Scotland also lost their opening game, to France, and the match against Italy is being billed as a last-place decider.
"We have youth and experience in this group of players and when we look at our performances, we've improved from one week to the next, so that's positive," Cotter added.
"We've stayed focused on the process. The players have been very honest, but we're enjoying what we're doing and that's important."
Cotter has made four changes to the replacements' bench, with props Ryan Grant and Cross replacing Gordon Reid (knee) and Jon Welsh (hand), who were injured against Wales.
On the bench, promising young Edinburgh Rugby duo Ben Toolis (22) and Hamish Watson (23) are poised to make their senior international debuts having taken the places of injured lock Jim Hamilton (groin) and back-row Alasdair Strokosch.
Replacement scrumhalf Sam Hidalgo-Clyne completed his graduated return to play protocol to retain his place in the squad, having shown signs of delayed concussion after the match against Wales.
Scotland: 15 Stuart Hogg, 14 Tommy Seymour, 13 Mark Bennett, 12 Alex Dunbar, 11 Sean Lamont, 10 Peter Horne, 9 Greig Laidlaw (captain), 8 Johnnie Beattie, 7 Blair Cowan, 6 Rob Harley, 5 Jonny Gray, 4 Tim Swinson, 3 Euan Murray, 2 Ross Ford, 1 Alasdair Dickinson.
Replacements: 16 Fraser Brown, 17 Ryan Grant, 18 Geoff Cross, 19 Ben Toolis, 20 Hamish Watson, 21 Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, 22 Greig Tonks, 23 Matt Scott.
Date: Saturday, February 28
Venue: Murrayfield, Edinburgh
Kick-off: 14.30 (14.30 GMT, 15.30 Italian time)
Referee: George Clancy (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Romain Poite (France), Leighton Hodges (Wales)
TMO: Graham Hughes (England)
