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Jonny Gray. Billy Stickland/INPHO

Jonny Gray returns for Scotland's Six Nations opener against Italy

Edinburgh hooker Dave Cherry in line for his first Test since the World Cup.

SCOTLAND LOCK JONNY Gray will make his first Test appearance for nearly two years after being named in the starting team for Saturday’s Six Nations opener at home to Italy.

The 30-year-old missed the 2023 World Cup with a knee injury and declined a call-up for the November international series after returning to action at the start of this season with French club Bordeaux-Begles.

Edinburgh hooker Dave Cherry is also in line for his first Test since the World Cup after coach Gregor Townsend surprisingly selected him ahead of the benched Ewan Ashman.

Stafford McDowall replaces injured captain Sione Tuipulotu at inside centre, while record try-scorer Duhan van der Merwe has been passed fit following an ankle problem.

Scotland playmaker Finn Russell and flanker Rory Darge are the co-captains of the team.

Italy coach Gonzalo Quesada named Perpignan’s Tommaso Allan at full-back, allowing Toulouse flier Ange Capuozzo to move to the wing.

Italy’s record points-scorer in the Six Nations, Allan stepped away from the Italy side after their narrow 27-24 defeat by England in last season’s tournament, citing his mental and physical well-being.

Allan, whose uncle John Allan played nine Tests for Scotland in the 1990s, did not return until November against Argentina, when he came on as a substitute for the injured Capuozzo.

Injured himself, he then had to sit out the tests against Georgia and New Zealand.

He has featured in 12 matches for Perpignan this season and will be bidding to add to his Italian record 165 points in the Six Nations when he runs out at Murrayfield.

 

Scotland (15-1): 

Blair Kinghorn; Darcy Graham, Huw Jones, Stafford McDowall, Duhan van der Merwe; Finn Russell (co-capt), Ben White; Matt Fagerson, Rory Darge (co-capt), Jamie Ritchie; Grant Gilchrist, Jonny Gray; Zander Fageron, Dave Cherry, Pierre Schoeman

Replacements: Ewan Ashman, Rory Sutherland, Will Hurd, Gregor Brown, Jack Dempsey, George Horne, Tom Jordan, Kyle Rowe

 

Italy (15-1) 

Tommaso Allan; Ange Capuozzo, Ignacio Brex, Tommaso Menoncello, Monty Ioane; Paolo Garbisi, Martin Page-Relo; Michele Lamaro (capt), Lorenzo Cannone, Sebastian Negri; Federico Ruzza, Dino Lamb; Simone Ferrari, Giacomo Nicotera, Danilo Fischetti

Replacements: Gianmarco Lucchesi, Luca Rizzoli, Marco Riccioni, Niccolo Cannone, Manuel Zuliani, Ross Vintcent, Alessandro Garbisi, Simone Gesi

 

– © AFP 2025

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