SCOTLAND’S TOP TWO try-scorers of all time — Duhan van der Merwe and Darcy Graham — plus Lions full-back Blair Kinghorn have all been left out by Gregor Townsend for his side’s Six Nations opener away to Italy on Saturday.
Bristol’s Tom Jordan starts at full-back, flanked by Glasgow Warriors wingers Kyle Steyn and Jamie Dobie for the match in Rome.
Van der Merwe and Kinghorn fail to even make the bench with Graham, Adam Hastings and George Horne the backs cover among the replacements.
Steyn and Dobie are two of nine Glasgow players in the starting 15 as a reward for their fine form.
Franco Smith’s side lead the United Rugby Championship and have defeated Toulouse and Saracens over the past month to make a perfect start in the Champions Cup.
Scotland (15-1)
Tom Jordan; Kyle Steyn, Huw Jones, Sione Tuipulotu (c), Jamie Dobie; Finn Russell, Ben White; Jack Dempsey, Rory Darge, Matt Fagerson; Grant Gilchrist, Scott Cummings; Zander Fagerson, Ewan Ashman, Pierre Schoeman.
Replacements: George Turner, Nathan McBeth, Elliot Millar-Mills, Max Williamson, Gregor Brown, George Horne, Adam Hastings, Darcy Graham.
*****
Italy captain Michele Lamaro set for 50th cap. Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
Italy have also shown their hand, with captain Michele Lamaro and backs Juan Ignacio Brex and Paolo Garbisi set to earn their 50th caps after being selected in coach Gonzalo Quesada’s starting XV on Thursday.
With scrum-halves Stephen Varney and Martin Page-Relo still unavailable due to injuries, Alessandro Fusco partners fly-half Garbisi at half-back against Italy.
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Quesada has picked English-born Louis Lynagh, the son of Australia great Michael Lynagh, at right wing with Toulouse’s Ange Capuozzo unavailable and young Northampton starlet Edoardo Todaro tearing his cruciate knee ligament last week.
Amongst the replacements, front row pair Tommaso Di Bartolomeo and Muhamed Hasa, and fly-half Giacomo Da Re, earn their first inclusions in a Six Nations matchday squad.
Italy (15-1)
Leonardo Marin; Louis Lynagh, Juan Ignacio Brex, Tommaso Menoncello, Monty Ioane; Paolo Garbisi, Alessandro Fusco; Lorenzo Cannone, Manuel Zuliani, Michele Lamaro (capt); Andrea Zambonin, Niccolo Cannone; Simone Ferrari, Giacomo Nicotera, Danilo Fischetti.
Replacements: Tommaso Di Bartolomeo, Mirco Spagnolo, Muhamed Hasa, Federico Ruzza, Riccardo Favretto, Alessandro Garbisi, Giacomo Da Re, Lorenzo Pani.
*****
WALES STAR LOUIS Rees-Zammit has been moved to full-back from the wing for his Six Nations return against England at Twickenham on Saturday.
Rees-Zammit has not played in the tournament for three years, announcing his decision to leave rugby union for an 18-month spell in the NFL on the eve of the 2024 competition.
Louis Rees-Zammit at training this week. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
The 25-year-old Bristol flyer made his Wales comeback in November, but the team’s Six Nations opener will be only the fourth time in 36 Test appearances he will have started at full-back.
“I love it. It allows me to get more touches on the ball in open field, it suits my game,” Rees-Zammit said about playing full-back in an interview with the BBC.
“I much prefer it. I’ve played 15 in the past for Wales, but I think now I’m kind of seen as a 15 that can play on the wing.”
“It just brings something different and the way Bristol play is absolutely perfect for me.
“I’ve got the licence to not do what I want, but when I’ve got the ball back there I have to make a decision and back myself.”
A Wales victory on Saturday would constitute one of the all-time great upsets given they have lost 21 of their last 23 Tests — a run that includes a record 68-14 Six Nations defeat by England in Cardiff last season.
By contrast England, who named their team on Monday, are on an 11-game winning streak.
Wales have also finished bottom of the Championship for the past two seasons and last won a Six Nations match in 2023.
But Wales coach Steve Tandy, after announcing his on Thursday, said: “Wales v England is always a special game with all the history behind the fixture.
“We know they (England) are playing some outstanding rugby and they’re in great form. But I know how much it means to our players playing for the nation and representing Wales.
“The way the squad trained this week has been great. I want to see us get out and really attack the game on Saturday and give the best account of ourselves.”
Ospreys hooker Dewi Lake captains Wales, with Leicester’s Nicky Smith and Bath’s Archie Griffin either side of him in the front row. Dafydd Jenkins and Adam Beard pair up at lock
Meanwhile flanker Josh Macleod makes his first Six Nations appearance, alongside Alex Mann and Aaron Wainwright in the back row, after Wales skipper Jac Morgan was ruled out with a dislocated shoulder suffered in the November opener against Argentina.
Wales (15-1)
Louis Rees-Zammit; Ellis Mee, Eddie James, Ben Thomas, Josh Adams; Dan Edwards, Tomos Williams; Aaron Wainwright, Josh Macleod, Alex Mann; Adam Beard, Dafydd Jenkins; Archie Griffin, Dewi Lake (capt), Nicky Smith.
Replacements: Liam Belcher, Rhys Carre, Tomas Francis, Ben Carter, Taine Plumtree, Harri Deaves, Kieran Hardy, Mason Grady.
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Kinghorn and Van der Merwe dropped by Scotland, Wales' Rees-Zammit at full-back for Six Nations return
LAST UPDATE | 5 Feb
SCOTLAND’S TOP TWO try-scorers of all time — Duhan van der Merwe and Darcy Graham — plus Lions full-back Blair Kinghorn have all been left out by Gregor Townsend for his side’s Six Nations opener away to Italy on Saturday.
Bristol’s Tom Jordan starts at full-back, flanked by Glasgow Warriors wingers Kyle Steyn and Jamie Dobie for the match in Rome.
Van der Merwe and Kinghorn fail to even make the bench with Graham, Adam Hastings and George Horne the backs cover among the replacements.
Steyn and Dobie are two of nine Glasgow players in the starting 15 as a reward for their fine form.
Franco Smith’s side lead the United Rugby Championship and have defeated Toulouse and Saracens over the past month to make a perfect start in the Champions Cup.
Scotland (15-1)
Tom Jordan; Kyle Steyn, Huw Jones, Sione Tuipulotu (c), Jamie Dobie; Finn Russell, Ben White; Jack Dempsey, Rory Darge, Matt Fagerson; Grant Gilchrist, Scott Cummings; Zander Fagerson, Ewan Ashman, Pierre Schoeman.
Replacements: George Turner, Nathan McBeth, Elliot Millar-Mills, Max Williamson, Gregor Brown, George Horne, Adam Hastings, Darcy Graham.
*****
Italy have also shown their hand, with captain Michele Lamaro and backs Juan Ignacio Brex and Paolo Garbisi set to earn their 50th caps after being selected in coach Gonzalo Quesada’s starting XV on Thursday.
With scrum-halves Stephen Varney and Martin Page-Relo still unavailable due to injuries, Alessandro Fusco partners fly-half Garbisi at half-back against Italy.
Quesada has picked English-born Louis Lynagh, the son of Australia great Michael Lynagh, at right wing with Toulouse’s Ange Capuozzo unavailable and young Northampton starlet Edoardo Todaro tearing his cruciate knee ligament last week.
Amongst the replacements, front row pair Tommaso Di Bartolomeo and Muhamed Hasa, and fly-half Giacomo Da Re, earn their first inclusions in a Six Nations matchday squad.
Italy (15-1)
Leonardo Marin; Louis Lynagh, Juan Ignacio Brex, Tommaso Menoncello, Monty Ioane; Paolo Garbisi, Alessandro Fusco; Lorenzo Cannone, Manuel Zuliani, Michele Lamaro (capt); Andrea Zambonin, Niccolo Cannone; Simone Ferrari, Giacomo Nicotera, Danilo Fischetti.
Replacements: Tommaso Di Bartolomeo, Mirco Spagnolo, Muhamed Hasa, Federico Ruzza, Riccardo Favretto, Alessandro Garbisi, Giacomo Da Re, Lorenzo Pani.
*****
WALES STAR LOUIS Rees-Zammit has been moved to full-back from the wing for his Six Nations return against England at Twickenham on Saturday.
Rees-Zammit has not played in the tournament for three years, announcing his decision to leave rugby union for an 18-month spell in the NFL on the eve of the 2024 competition.
The 25-year-old Bristol flyer made his Wales comeback in November, but the team’s Six Nations opener will be only the fourth time in 36 Test appearances he will have started at full-back.
“I love it. It allows me to get more touches on the ball in open field, it suits my game,” Rees-Zammit said about playing full-back in an interview with the BBC.
“I much prefer it. I’ve played 15 in the past for Wales, but I think now I’m kind of seen as a 15 that can play on the wing.”
“It just brings something different and the way Bristol play is absolutely perfect for me.
A Wales victory on Saturday would constitute one of the all-time great upsets given they have lost 21 of their last 23 Tests — a run that includes a record 68-14 Six Nations defeat by England in Cardiff last season.
By contrast England, who named their team on Monday, are on an 11-game winning streak.
Wales have also finished bottom of the Championship for the past two seasons and last won a Six Nations match in 2023.
But Wales coach Steve Tandy, after announcing his on Thursday, said: “Wales v England is always a special game with all the history behind the fixture.
“We know they (England) are playing some outstanding rugby and they’re in great form. But I know how much it means to our players playing for the nation and representing Wales.
“The way the squad trained this week has been great. I want to see us get out and really attack the game on Saturday and give the best account of ourselves.”
Ospreys hooker Dewi Lake captains Wales, with Leicester’s Nicky Smith and Bath’s Archie Griffin either side of him in the front row. Dafydd Jenkins and Adam Beard pair up at lock
Meanwhile flanker Josh Macleod makes his first Six Nations appearance, alongside Alex Mann and Aaron Wainwright in the back row, after Wales skipper Jac Morgan was ruled out with a dislocated shoulder suffered in the November opener against Argentina.
Wales (15-1)
Louis Rees-Zammit; Ellis Mee, Eddie James, Ben Thomas, Josh Adams; Dan Edwards, Tomos Williams; Aaron Wainwright, Josh Macleod, Alex Mann; Adam Beard, Dafydd Jenkins; Archie Griffin, Dewi Lake (capt), Nicky Smith.
Replacements: Liam Belcher, Rhys Carre, Tomas Francis, Ben Carter, Taine Plumtree, Harri Deaves, Kieran Hardy, Mason Grady.
– © AFP 2026
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