British and Irish Lion Blair Kinghorn has been dropped for Scotland’s Six Nations opener against Italy on Saturday with Tom Jordan taking his place.
Scotland will open their Six Nations campaign with a return to Rome for the first time since their disappointing defeat there in March 2024 and will be looking for a strong start to build on their fourth-placed finish last year.
Jordan has earned a starting berth at full-back, with Kinghorn dropped from the matchday squad by head coach Gregor Townsend.
Jamie Dobie has been handed a first Six Nations start and will line up on the wing opposite Kyle Steyn, with the Glasgow pair preferred to Edinburgh’s Darcy Graham and Duhan van der Merwe who have both been struggling for form recently.
Graham has been named on bench but there is no place in the 23 for Scotland’s leading try-scorer Van der Merwe, who was dropped in the autumn following a dip in form since his involvement with the Lions last summer.
There was some concern over the fitness of Jack Dempsey after he suffered a foot injury but he has been selected to start at number eight.
— Scottish Rugby (@Scotlandteam) February 5, 2026
Scotland team to face Italy in Six Nations
Forwards: 1 Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh Rugby), 2 Ewan Ashman (Edinburgh Rugby), 3 Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors), 4 Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors), 5 Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh Rugby), 6 Matt Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors), 7 Rory Darge (Glasgow Warriors), 8 Jack Dempsey (Glasgow Warriors)
Backs: 9 Ben White (Toulon), 10 Finn Russell (Bath Rugby), 11 Jamie Dobie (Glasgow Warriors), 12 Sione Tuipulotu (Captain, Glasgow Warriors), 13 Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors), 14 Kyle Steyn (Glasgow Warriors), 15 Tom Jordan (Bristol Bears)
Replacements: 16 George Turner (Harlequins), 17 Nathan McBeth (Glasgow Warriors), 18 Elliot Millar Mills (Northampton Saints), 19 Max Williamson (Glasgow Warriors), 20 Gregor Brown (Glasgow Warriors), 21 George Horne (Glasgow Warriors), 22 Adam Hastings (Glasgow Warriors), 23 Darcy Graham (Edinburgh Rugby)