Scotland v Italy: Summer Nations Series 2023, Match Preview pt II
Just 134 days have elapsed since these sides last met, on that occasion in the Six Nations. The different circumstances of this fixture mean that there has been a hefty transformation in the two squads. Exactly half of the 46 men on show were not involved in the game in March. Ollie Smith, Kyle Steyn, George Turner and Sam Skinner are the only returning starters for the Scots. Italy retain Pierre Bruno, Luca Morisi, Tommaso Allan and Federico Ruzza (the latter 2 in different positions from the Six Nations match).
The total cap count for the 23s have dropped from:
Scotland 659 – 467 Italy
to
Scotland 435 – 357 Italy
- 14/11 – Graham for van der Merwe
- 13 – Harris for Jones
- 12 – McDowall for Tuipulotu
- 10 – Healy for Kinghorn
- 9 – Price for White
- 1 – Sutherland for Schoeman
- 3 – Walker for Z. Fagerson
- 4/5 – Cummings for J. Gray
- 6 – Crosbie for Ritchie
- 7 – Darge for Watson
- 8 – M. Fagerson for Dempsey
15
14
11
Lorenzo Pani*
Pierre Bruno
Montanna Ioane
1st time this unit has started together for Scotland
Ollie Smith gets the first shot at the 15 shirt in the post-Stuart Hogg era. The youngest player in Scotland’s starting lineup makes his fourth start at full back for the national side. Only Blair Kinghorn (9), Sean Maitland (7) and Hogg (99) are ahead of Smith for appearances at 15 in the last dozen years.
While there might be space to attack against Italy, what’s more likely to be needed against the big guns during the World Cup is a potent kicking game. Will the coaches try to curb Ollie’s natural tendencies to run, with one eye on how the team will need to play against South Africa and Ireland?
13
12
Tommaso Menoncello
Luca Morisi
1st time this unit has started together for Scotland
Stafford McDowall’s breakout season is deservedly rewarded with a debut cap. If he has ambitions to push on further and join the squad in France he could do worse than look at the example of his club colleague, Scott Cummings. The big lock made his own quantum leap forward during the 2018/19 season which propelled him into the RWC 2019 training squad. His debut in the opening warm-up match lead to a run of 20 consecutive appearances for Scotland, including all four matches in Japan at the World Cup.
Stafford has the sizeable blockage of Huwipulotu in his way and there are less bench opportunities for a specialist centre than a lock. At his very best though, he can provide a handy hard-carrying, distributing option with an eye for the tryline and a massive boot to support the primary kicking options. Some big performances could carry him into the final squad.
10
9
Tommaso Allan
Martin Page-Relo*
1st time this unit has started together for Scotland
Since hobbling out of the opening fixture of the last World Cup, Ali Price has played in 34 out of 36 Tests for Scotland (29 starts). The British & Irish Lion has been near indispensable to the cause for the best part of seven years now but has probably never been under more pressure for his place having lost his Scotland 9 shirt to Ben White and seen George Horne favoured for the Glasgow starting slot in his club’s biggest games of the season just gone. The scrum half has the chance to prove the old adage that class is permanent and set down a marker for his rivals when he tackles Italy – a side that he has a habit of sparking long-range tries against.
Ali’s half back partner, Ben Healy, will be the 10th player to wear the Scotland 10 shirt since Finn Russell burst onto the international scene in 2014. The newly minted Edinburgh player (although he has yet to run out for his current club) could be battling with Adam Hastings for a seat on the plane to France. Although Stuart Hogg’s departure – for a number of reasons including the impact on Blair Kinghorn’s role – might force the selection of extra cover at stand off which would lead to some hard choices elsewhere in the squad.
1
2
3
Federico Zani
Epalahame Faiva
Pietro Ceccarelli
1st time this unit has started together for Scotland
This will be just the second Test start at Murrayfield (third at all venues) for Rory Sutherland since he went on the 2021 Lions’ tour. With 6 of the 7 props in the training squad likely to make the final RWC selection, the Borderer is odds on to be heading to his first World Cup.
Pierre Schoeman is likely to be the first choice loosehead and Jamie Bhatti’s 27 caps in the 17 jersey make him a strong candidate for the replacement role. Currently unattached, Rory won’t lack for motivation though to press his case to secure both a Scotland slot and a new contract.
4
5
David Sisi
Andrea Zambonin
2nd time this unit has started together for Scotland
(the previous occasion was August 2019)
As mentioned above the last World Cup was the springboard for Scott Cummings to make himself an automatic Scotland selection for a couple of years. However, since then he has made just two previous Test starts in the last 28 months. Since playing in 20 in a row from his debut he has only featured in 6 out of the last 24 matches for Scotland. The Gray / Gray / Gilchrist triumvirate brings plenty of power but if he’s at his best Scott can provide a bit more dynamism and a good foil for a heavyweight tighthead lock.
6
7
8
Federico Ruzza
Manuel Zuliani
Toa Halafihi
1st time this unit has started together for Scotland
Rory Darge makes just his second appearance at Murrayfield while by contrast, Matt Fagerson has missed just a single match at the home of Scottish rugby since the sport returned after the Covid hiatus in 2020 (18 out of 19 games played). The Glasgow Warriors’ duo will be tasked with spoiling and scavenging Italian possession to disrupt the quick passing game the visitors will be desperate to play.
Their colleague in the back row could be one of the key performers though. Luke Crosbie can do it all but what Scotland really need from him on Saturday is the kind of aggressive carrying he has showcased so often for Edinburgh in recent seasons. A few tackles nailing Italian forwards on the gain line will aso be a good way of establishing if the lad from Livvy is ready to build for sterner tests to come – finding a way to contain a monstrous South African pack chief among them.
16
17
18
19
20
Marco Manfredi
Danilo Fischetti
Filippo Alongi
Edoardo Iachizzi
Lorenzo Cannone
Stuart McInally is in line for his first cap since the Six Nations’ game away to Italy in March 2022. The veteran Edinburgh player is the only member of the 23 to make their debut prior to the 2015 World Cup. Stuart was early on in his conversion to hooker when he took his Test match bow away to Italy in that summer’s warm-up matches before narrowly missing out on the final RWC squad.
21
22
23
Alessandro Garbisi
Giacomo Da Re
Federico Mori
Jamie Dobie’s only previous cap came back in October 2021 against Tonga. The youthful scrum half spent much of the tail end of the season playing on the wing for Glasgow and will have his work cut out to establish himself in the World Cup squad. If he does make it, he will only just have turned 30 when the 2031 RWC rolls around so could easily make it to three tournaments – and maybe even a fourth if he plays on until 34 as Greig Laidlaw did.
* Test debut
– Darcy Graham and Duhan van der Merwe have scored a combined 28 tries in the 31 Tests that Scotland have played since Duhan made his debut. What odds another try for wee Darcy on Saturday afternoon?
– The starting XV have combined for the seventh fewest previous starts for a selection in the Townsend era (67 matches).
– The 13 Italian forwards included in their squad have scored a combined tally of 5 tries in 186 caps. Scotland’s starting hooker, George Turner, has bagged 9 tries in 35 Tests and his replacement, Stuart McInally, has 11 tries in 47 appearances.
– At 870kgs, only once in the Townsend era has a lighter starting pack been named (869kg away to Georgia in August 2019). Just five months ago during the Six Nations, Scotland started the heaviest pack of the last six years – 928kg v Ireland.
– There are just 7 players in the lineup who have already played at a World Cup for Scotland (Italy have 5):
- 4 games played – Darcy Graham, Chris Harris, Scott Cummings, Stuart McInally
- 2 games played – Blair Kinghorn
- 1 game played – Ali Price, George Turner
If you missed Part 1 – previous meetings, scouting report and more – check it out here.
