No Van der Merwe in Scotland's line-up for Italian job
TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Head coach Gregor Townsend has named his squad to face Italy in Rome this Saturday as Scotland begin their 2026 Six Nations championship.
Sione Tuipulotu, who will captain during this year’s competition, is joined by Huw Jones in a familiar centre partnership, in what will be the 18th Test match that the pair have joined forces.
The big talking point is the absence of Duhan van der Merwe in the squad.
The speedster is not the only big gun missing from the line-up, Scotland’s other top two try-scorer of all time Darcy Graham and British and Irish Lions fullback Blair Kinghorn have all been left out by Townsend for his side’s Six Nations opener
Jamie Dobie earns a first Six Nations start after being named on the left wing, with Kyle Steyn on the right and Tom Jordan selected at full-back. Scrum-half Ben White and Finn Russell once more reprise their halfback combination, with the stand-off also listed as one of two vice-captains at Stadio Olimpico.
In the forwards, Zander Fagerson packs down at tighthead prop with Pierre Schoeman at loosehead and Ewan Ashman, who last year became Scotland’s all-time leading male try-scoring forward, is named at hooker.
Scotland scrumhalf credits French club for improvementhttps://t.co/3dJuafoEFA
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Scott Cummings, who missed last year’s championship through injury, returns to Six Nations action alongside Grant Gilchrist in the second row. Rory Darge, another of Tuipulotu’s vice-captains, starts at openside flanker, with Matt Fagerson at blindside and Jack Dempsey, who is named at number 8, completing a back row who have featured as a trio on numerous occasions for club and country.
On the bench, hooker George Turner, who won a 50th cap against Tonga in November, is named alongside props Nathan McBeth and Elliot Millar Mills, with Max Williamson covering the second row and the versatile Gregor Brown completing the forward replacements. Scotland’s matchday 23 is rounded off with backs replacements George Horne (scrumhalf), Adam Hastings (stand-off) and Darcy Graham (wing).
Scotland: 15 Tom Jordan, 14 Kyle Steyn, 13 Huw Jones, 12 Sione Tuipulotu, 11 Jamie Dobie, 10 Finn Russell, 9 Ben White, 8 Jack Dempsey, 7 Rory Darge, 6 Matt Fagerson, 5 Grant Gilchrist, 4 Scott Cummings, 3 Zander Fagerson, 2 Ewan Ashman, 1 Pierre Schoeman.
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.
Date: Saturday, February 7
Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Kick-off: 15.10 (14.10 GMT; 14.10 UK Time)
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand)
Assistant Referees: James Doleman (New Zealand) & Katsuki Furuse (Japan)
TMO: Richard Kelly (New Zealand)
