Scotland and Italy square up

Scotland’s bid to avoid the RBS 6 Nations wooden spoon begins in earnest at the Stadio Flaminio this afternoon against an Italy side who have targeted the clash as their most likely source of championship points.

Neither team has registered a win in two outings before their Rome showdown and with tough fixtures to follow, they know victory today is probably their only chance of preventing a clean sweep of defeats.

Scotland are forced to make two changes to the side humbled 35-13 by England at Murrayfield with Edinburgh duo Allan Jacobsen and Allister Hogg drafted in to replace the injured Tom Smith and Cameron Mather.

Italy’s plans have been hit by Andrea Masi’s failure to recover from a hamstring injury – Gonzalo Canale is switched to full-back, Nicola Mazzucato takes Canale’s place on the wing and Mirco Bergamasco is named among the substitutes.

Italy: Canale, Mazzucato, Stoica, M. Dallan, D. Dallan, De Marigny, Griffen, Lo Cicero, Ongaro, Castrogiovanni, Dellape, Bortolami, De Rossi, Persico, Parisse. Replacements: Festuccia, Perugini, Checchinato, Orlando, Picone, Wakarua, Bergamasco.

Scotland: Hinshelwood, Danielli, Philip, Laney, Webster, Paterson, Cusiter, Jacobsen, Bulloch, Douglas, Murray, Grimes, White, Hogg, Taylor.

Replacements: Kerr, Russell, Hines, Petrie, Blair, Henderson, Lee. Referee: Nigel Whitehouse (Wales)