Cherry, Gray & McDowall start for Scotland against Italy

Six Nations: Scotland v Italy

Venue: Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh Date: Saturday, 1 February Kick-off: 14:15 GMT

Coverage: Watch live on BBC One, listen on Radio 5 live, Radio Scotland & BBC Sounds and follow live on the BBC Sport website and app.

Edinburgh hooker Dave Cherry and Bordeaux lock Jonny Gray will earn their first caps in two years as Stafford McDowall replaces injured captain Sione Tuipulotu at inside centre for Scotland's opening Six Nations match against Italy on Saturday.

Fly-half Finn Russell will co-captain the side along with forward Rory Darge.

Cherry will earn his 12th cap, but the 34-year-old will be playing his first Scotland game since the 2023 World Cup, while 30-year-old Gray will earn his 78th cap having not featured since the last time the Azzurri visited Murrayfield on Six Nations duty.

McDowall, who captained the side against Portugal in the Nations Series last year, will partner experienced Glasgow Warriors team-mate Huw Jones in the centre.

Ben White starts alongside Russell having held on to his place at scrum-half despite starting only one of Toulon's matches since the autumn series.

Record try-scorer Duhan van der Merwe has shaken off an ankle problem and will start on the wings along with Darcy Graham, while Blair Kinghorn is at full-back.

Matt Fagerson, who won a 50th cap for Scotland against Australia in November, is named at the back of the scrum, with flankers Darge and Jamie Ritchie completing the back row.

At the front of the scrum, loosehead prop Pierre Schoeman lines up alongside Cherry, with Zander Fagerson at tighthead.

Cherry a surprise starter ahead of benched club-mate Ewan Ashman having not featured since Scotland said he left the 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.

Gray, who has recovered from a serious knee injury, joins Grant Gilchrist in the second row to complete the pack.

Backs: Blair Kinghorn (Toulouse), Darcy Graham (Edinburgh), Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors), Stafford McDowall (Glasgow Warriors), Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh), Finn Russell (Bath Rugby), Ben White (Toulon).

Forwards: Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh), Dave Cherry (Edinburgh), Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors), Jonny Gray (Bordeaux Bègles), Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh), Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh), Rory Darge (Glasgow Warriors), Matt Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors).