Scotland have made four changes for this Sunday’s Calcutta Cup clash with England at Twickenham.
Scotland are without a win in this season’s Six Nations championship, despite pushing the French close, but having butchered some genuine chances to beat the Welsh and Irish.
Now, up against an England side that bulldozed its way past France two weeks ago, the somewhat limited Scots are seeking their first win at Twickenham since 1983. Don’t bet on it.
Wing Simon Danielli, centre Joe Ansbro and scrum-half Rory Lawson have been named to start alongside Nathan Hines, who comes in at blindside flanker with Kelly Brown switching to No8.
Mike Blair and Nick De Luca are named on the bench, with Nikki Walker and Johnnie Beattie omitted from the matchday squad altogether following the 21-18 loss to Ireland.
Alasdair Strokosch has also been named among the substitutes, having been absent since last June’s Test series win in Argentina.
Ruaridh Jackson is retained at fly-half, having made his first start against Ireland, while Sean Lamont continues at inside centre.
This weekend’s match marks the 100th anniversary of Scotland’s first trip to Twickenham, but in 44 matches they have won just four times.
The Italy coach, Nick Mallett, has made seven changes to his side for the match against France at Stadio Flaminio in Rome on Saturday. The former South Africa coach has included eight players in his starting XV who play their club rugby in France.
Racing Métro’s Andrea Masi replaces Luke McLean at full-back, a role he has not played for the Azzurri since February 2009. Treviso’s Gonzalo Garcia starts in the centre after missing most of the past 12 months because of injury. He replaces Alberto Sgarbi.
Tommaso Benvenuti will make his first start in the tournament on the right wing. Luciano Orquera replaces Kristopher Burton at No10 and the lock Quintin Geldenhuys drops to the bench, with Carlo Antonio Del Fava taking his place.
The Leicester prop Martin Castrogiovanni is the only player in the front row to keep his spot following the defeat by Wales. The Racing Métro players Andrea Lo Cicero and Carlo Festuccia come into the side.
The key for Mallett, surely, will be to find an accomplished points kicker. Italy lost 24-16 to Wales last time out, a game they might have won had they managed to kick their penalties and conversions.
The France scrum-half Dimitri Yachvili has been ruled out of the match and will be replaced by Morgan Parra, with Julien Tomas coming into the squad as a replacement.
Yachvili has “suffered a bad bruise to the thigh which requires rest”.
Parra, 22, with 25 caps, had been considered France’s starting scrum-half having played in the first two victories of the tournament against Scotland and Ireland. He was dropped for Yachvili in the third game, a defeat by England. Tomas, 25, has two caps as a replacement.
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