27 - 10

Four changes to the Scotland team, with one new cap on their bench

16 Mar 2023

(Photo by Andrew Milligan/PA Images via Getty Images)

Gregor Townsend has announced a Scotland team to host Italy on Saturday that contains four changes from last Sunday’s home loss to Ireland. The Scots were beaten 22-7 to extinguish their title challenge and having since lost Stuart Hogg and Finn Russell to injury, there were always going to be alterations to their Guinness Six Nations round five side.

Ollie Smith is included at full-back for Hogg with Blair Kinghorn at out-half for Russell. In the pack, Sam Skinner is chosen instead of Richie Gray with Hamish Watson promoted from the replacements in place of the benched Matt Fagerson.

On the bench this Saturday, new names after last weekend are Ewan Ashman for Fraser Brown, Rory Sutherland for Jamie Bhatti, WP Nel for Simon Berghan, the uncapped Ben Healy for the promoted Kinghorn and Cameron Redpath for Chris Harris.

Scotland team (vs Italy, Saturday – 12:30)
15. Ollie Smith (Glasgow Warriors) 2 caps
14. Kyle Steyn (Glasgow Warriors) 9 caps
13. Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors) 35 caps
12. Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors) – Vice-Captain – 15 caps
11. Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh Rugby) 27 caps
10. Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh Rugby) 42 caps
9. Ben White (London Irish) 13 caps
1. Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh Rugby) 20 caps
2. George Turner (Glasgow Warriors) 34 caps
3. Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors) 57 caps
4. Sam Skinner (Edinburgh Rugby) 24 caps
5. Jonny Gray (Exeter Chiefs) – Vice-Captain – 76 caps
6. Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh Rugby) – Captain – 40 caps
7. Hamish Watson (Edinburgh Rugby) 56 caps
8. Jack Dempsey (Glasgow Warriors) 8 caps

Replacements:
16. Ewan Ashman (Sale Sharks) 6 caps
17. Rory Sutherland (Ulster Rugby) 22 caps
18. WP Nel (Edinburgh Rugby) 53 caps
19. Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors) 24 caps
20. Matt Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors) 32 caps
21. Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors) 60 caps
22. Ben Healy (Munster) uncapped
23. Cameron Redpath (Bath Rugby) 4 caps

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CO 24 minutes ago

Todd Blackadder: Richie Mo'unga has reached 'another level' in Japan

Todd's dreaming, the Japanese league isn't at super rugby level. Richie if he comes back will have the ability to do so but it will take time to adjust to the increased intensity and the requirements of Allblacks preparation. Richie is an extraordinary talent and should transition back successfully if he's hungry. However, Frizzell won't as he isn't and wasn’t extraordinary. It's important NZ rugby recognizes as Todd does that scrum and ruck intensity is a big step up in NZ. A guy like Kaino would've successfully transitioned back but he was extraordinarily good as a blindsid flanker, winning two rugby world cups.

3 Go to comments

AA 24 minutes ago

Only two Lions make Gallagher Premiership team of the season

Hands up.

Ford deserves his selection and has played superbly the last several games.

It must be a great consolation in not being selected for three lions tours.

You need something extra special and to die for the cause to get a hallowed red shirt .

Never mind.

Better players have also never been selected for various reasons .

JD Kiwi 1 hour ago

Why Brumbies could be key to avoiding a Lions tour cricket score

how did JD miss the knock on?

Oh come on!😂

58 Go to comments

JD Kiwi 2 hours ago

Why Brumbies could be key to avoiding a Lions tour cricket score

Great win in Auckland too.

58 Go to comments

JD Kiwi 2 hours ago

Why Brumbies could be key to avoiding a Lions tour cricket score

It's a fair point that Toole has to take the lion's share of the game for dropping the ball when he knew that would be the match. First priority should have been to keep possession.

58 Go to comments

JD Kiwi 2 hours ago

Why the Gallagher Premiership is setting the gold standard in club rugby

You could just type one extra character 😂

118 Go to comments

JD Kiwi 2 hours ago

‘Title win could set Chiefs up to build a Super Rugby dynasty’

No idea

10 Go to comments

CG 2 hours ago

Should the All Blacks return the fabled number seven jersey to Ardie Savea?

If the Friz is back then yes Ardie at seven if not then Karifi at seven

Popalili is a big strong fast suitcase and blacky has a very solid head

240 Go to comments

Derek Murray 2 hours ago

Why Brumbies could be key to avoiding a Lions tour cricket score

Wow, Hooper’s stats are impressive.

I have been unimpressed previously by Lonergan but his form over the last month or two, when it has mattered the most, has been top drawer.

I was very surprised you chose Foketi in your hybrid Brumbies’ side - he’s always been a favourite of mine but has looked old and slow this season. I think Lal’s time has passed.

58 Go to comments

Tommy B. 2 hours ago

Rassie Erasmus wades into heated debate over Jaden Hendrikse antics

🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂

I’ll go with one more because it’s so funny but then I must stop. There’s only so long you can talk to the nutter on the bus.

There is no legal impediment in the GFA to ANY form of border. It’s mentioned very briefly and ambiguously but even then there’s a caveat ‘if the security situation permits’ which is decided by the British government as the border is an internationally, UN recognised formal border between sovereign states. Now, you can argue that this is because it was assumed it would always be in the EU context - but we all know the issue with ‘assumption’. As to your hilarious drivel about what you think is in the GFA, you clearly haven’t read it or at best not understood it. There are still 1,580 British Army troops in NI. The legal status of NI as part of the UK is unchanged.

So, there was a problem for those that wanted to use the border to complicate any future British government changing regulations and trade arrangements through domestic legislation. Hence ‘hard border’ became ANYTHING that wasn’t a totally open border.

This allowed the EU and their fanatical Remainer British counterparts to imply that any form of administration AT the border was a ‘hard border.’ Soldiers with machine guns? Hard border. Old bloke with clipboard checking the load of every 200th lorry? Hard border. Anything in between? Hard Border. They could then use Gerry’s implicit threats to any ‘border officials’ to ensure that there would be an unique arrangement so that if any future parliament tried to change trade or administrative regulations for any part of the UK (which the EU was very worried about) some fanatical Remainer MP could stand up and say - ‘this complicates the situation in NI.’

You’ve just had a free lesson in the complex politics that went WAY over your head at the time. You’re welcome.

Now, I must slowly back out of the room, and bid you good day, as you’re clearly a nutter.

584 Go to comments

Ed the Duck 3 hours ago

Why the Gallagher Premiership is setting the gold standard in club rugby

Yeah, urc way more stable. You only have to look at Cardiff where, despite their own wobbles, the wru stepped in and ensured everything didn’t fall into bankruptcy. Currencies relatively simple to manage, F1 do it but the really interesting scenario would be if a Craig, Lansdowne, Altrad type came along and decided to really go for it in the URC!

118 Go to comments

PB 3 hours ago

Rassie Erasmus names 54-man Springboks squad with 9 uncapped players

Junior Boks last won the U20 WC in 2012. Won the WC in 2019 and 2023.

So where is the correlation?

Part of your answer is in that at U20 level the coaches are still balancing quota numbers.

Many fine young players end up playing for Euro clubs instead.

18 Go to comments

fl 4 hours ago

Only two Lions make Gallagher Premiership team of the season

Cotgreave

3 Go to comments

SC 4 hours ago

‘Title win could set Chiefs up to build a Super Rugby dynasty’

Does McKenzie have another sabbatical in his new contract?

10 Go to comments

SC 4 hours ago

‘Title win could set Chiefs up to build a Super Rugby dynasty’

To be fair, I do not believe ALB or Havili should be selected for the All Blacks again. There are simply younger and better midfielders.

10 Go to comments

SL 4 hours ago

How new Wales coach Halfpenny feels replacing 'one of the best that there has ever been'

Like everything else with the Welsh team, they clung on to Jenkins for too long. He was a goal kicker foremost, distributor second and tactical kicking and running well down the order. He did well with Halfpenny but that was down to the player being dedicated and to some extent with Biggar. But place kicking has deteriorated in the last 5 years and tactical kicking and skills have been non-existent in the last 2 or 3 years. Jenkins’ role is no longer valid and he should be thanked and moved on.

1 Go to comments

JD 4 hours ago

Fiji name squad for pivotal Tests after ex-captain Nayacalevu retires

They managed to nab Rayasi from Samoa I see, great coup.

1 Go to comments

fl 4 hours ago

Rassie Erasmus names 54-man Springboks squad with 9 uncapped players

SA haven’t won it very frequently, but they’re equal 1st for SF appearances, and have finished in the top 3 more than anyone else. France were patchy at senior level before they began performing well in the u20s, and improved rapidly thereafter. There’s an extremely strong correlation between how good a team is at u20 level, and how good they are at senior level.

Its certainly possible that Rassie will pull a rabbit out of the hat and suddenly unearth a load of young talent, but there’s absolutely no evidence to suggest that that would be likely.

18 Go to comments

IkeaBoy 4 hours ago

Rassie Erasmus wades into heated debate over Jaden Hendrikse antics

NOT EVEN CLOSE!!!

You are a weapons grade moron!

A ‘hard border’ would refer to the only time a physical, manned border has or would have existed on the island. It could NOT be enforceable.

An armed British army presence on the Island can’t happen under the GFA and passing the border duties onto a police force would make them the legal definition of a paramilitary force!!!!

Even BORIS wasn’t so thick that he couldn’t grasp this! 😝

Correction - you didn’t have the largest empire in history. You LOST the largest empire in history!

You have a life? Do you have an empire?

584 Go to comments

Tommy B. 5 hours ago

Rassie Erasmus wades into heated debate over Jaden Hendrikse antics

2024 ‘race riots’? What are you banging on about? Hilarious for a country about to be split asunder and burning down asylum seeker hotels. Wonder if Conor McGregor will be your next President? Would just about sum you up.

I can’t carry on with this back an forth with two mental patients. Unlike you I’ve got a life.

584 Go to comments

LONG READ

LONG READ ‘Title win could set Chiefs up to build a Super Rugby dynasty’ ‘Title win could set Chiefs up to build a Super Rugby dynasty’

Four changes to the Scotland team, with one new cap on their bench

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