Six Nations: Stafford McDowall replaces Sione Tuipulotu for Scotland vs Italy as Duhan van Der Merwe passed fit

Stafford McDowall has been named to start at centre for Scotland for their Six Nations clash vs Italy in place of the injured Sione Tuipulotu, while wing Duhan van der Merwe has shaken off a knock to start.

Tuipulotu, who captained Scotland in the autumn and was in superb form, will miss the entire championship due to a pectoral chest injury suffered in training.

Record try-scorer Van der Merwe has overcome an ankle problem and will start in the back three alongside Darcy Graham and Blair Kinghorn.

Elsewhere, experienced forwards Dave Cherry and Jonny Gray will make their first Scotland appearances since 2023 after being selected to start.

Bordeaux lock Gray, 30, has not featured for the national team since the last time the Azzurri visited Murrayfield on Six Nations duty in 2023 after being derailed by a serious knee injury.

However, he will now add to his 77 caps after his brother Richie vacated the scene when he moved to Japan last year while Scott Cummings was ruled out of the tournament by injury.

Edinburgh hooker Cherry is the most notable inclusion in the XV after being selected ahead of club-mate Ewan Ashman, who appeared to have made the position his own following George Turner’s move to Japan last year.

Cherry, 34, has not played for Scotland since he left the 2023 World Cup squad following a concussion sustained while falling on stairs at the team hotel in Nice on a day off in the wake of the opening pool-stage fixture against South Africa, a match in which he came on as a sub.

Former Scotland skipper Jamie Ritchie has been selected to start in the back-row ahead of Jack Dempsey, who is named on the bench after recently recovering from injury.

Ben White has held on to his place at scrum-half despite starting only one of Toulon’s matches since the autumn series, while Finn Russell and Rory Darge will co-captain the side in the absence of Tuipulotu.

Ashman is named on the bench, with Glasgow trio George Horne, Tom Jordan and Kyle Rowe the three backs listed among the subs.

Scotland’s team to face Italy in Six Nations Round 1

Scotland: 15 Blair Kinghorn, 14 Darcy Graham, 13 Huw Jones, 12 Stafford McDowall, 11 Duhan van der Merwe, 10 Finn Russell (co-captain), 9 Ben White; 1 Pierre Schoeman, 2 Dave Cherry, 3 Zander Fagerson, 4 Jonny Gray, 5 Grant Gilchrist, 6 Jamie Ritchie, 7 Rory Darge (co-captain), 8 Matt Fagerson.

Replacements: 16 Ewan Ashman, 17 Rory Sutherland, 18 Will Hurd, 19 Gregor Brown, 20 Jack Dempsey, 21 George Horne, 22 Tom Jordan, 23 Kyle Rowe