Scottish Rugby

We asked for your thoughts on Gregor Townsend naming his Scotland team for Saturday's Six Nations opener in Italy.

Here's what some of you said:

Frazer: Not too much to argue with there, Kyle Steyn and Jamie Dobie had to start. Tom Jordan more of a surprise, I'd maybe have gone for Blair Kinghorn over him with Jordan on the bench instead of Adam Hastings. But what do I know?!

Greg: Refreshing to see form being rewarded! Will be interesting to see the balance of this team, a lot more ball players and rugby intelligence but maybe a lack of pure speed and dynamism? I'm excited to see how it goes though.

Adam: Good to see Townsend mixing things up in selection. Scotland need to be kicking on to the top three of the Six Nations. They haven't been able to do it yet so a slight switch could help. Keep the faith.

Andrew: Isn't this just Townsend protecting players for a more condensed championship? Because despite Italy's improving performances Scotland are still favourites going into this. I'd expect a similar line-up against Wales, the matches against England, France and Ireland will be what he considers his strongest team.

Jim: No problem with the Scotland team selection. Why wouldn't you want Darcy Graham coming on against a tiring Italy, so he can exploit more space? Townsend is the coach, his job is on the line if the team fail - no one else is qualified to offer anything other than an opinion. If he decides to hold experienced players in reserve, bearing in mind England are up next and we play three weeks in a row, managing our player resources is critical to our chances of success, then so be it. Good luck to them.

Keir: Good team that will have good continuity. It was harsh to call Graham on the bench, an awful decision but I would start him.

Here we go again...

Tom English and Andy Burke discuss the news that has come out of the Scotland camp as they prepare to begin their Six Nations campaign.

Speculation surrounding Gregor Townsend's future and the head coach's bold team selection for the Scots' opener in Italy are on the agenda.

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Head coach Gregor Townsend has been speaking to the media after naming his Scotland side to face Italy in their Six Nations opener on Saturday.

Here are the main points:

• On reports he will become Newcastle Red Bulls head coach when his Scotland contract expires in 2027: "It's pure speculation. I've not signed a contract beyond the World Cup with anybody."

• He adds: "It's a story that I think is being put out there to try and disrupt ahead of this game or next week's game against England. My focus is on the Scotland team right now and hopefully up to the World Cup."

• On his decision to leave out Duhan van der Merwe, Blair Kinghorn and Darcy Graham: "Blair, Duhan and Darcy have had some terrific games for us and they're very proud playing for Scotland but there is competition in that back three area as there is in other positions."

• The Scotland boss insists Jamie Dobie, Kyle Steyn and Tom Jordan "deserve their starts given how well they've been playing".

• He adds: "I feel all three of them individually have taken games to the opposition. But the three players that weren't selected, they're quality players. If or when they get back into the squad or they get an opportunity off the bench, like Darcy will on Saturday, we know we're going to have hungry players desperate to get back in the starting team."

• Townsend says "we've been really delighted with the form of the players in that 23 throughout December," and it is a team that "can show the best of what we want to be out in Rome".

• He says Scotland's previous visit to Rome - a 31-29 defeat in March 2024 - will "sharpen the minds" of his squad. "They beat Australia in November so it's one of the toughest teams now to play in world rugby," the head coach adds. "They'll be targeting this game, so to play them first game up, with the passion and atmosphere that's going to be in Rome - it's a sell-out as well - we know we're going to have to play very well to win."

• He is stressing the importance of a winning start: "It's our most important game [Italy]. And when you look at the context of the Six Nations it's a lot about momentum."

• The Scotland boss has been "really pleased with how the players have come in" to the camp, adding the squad are "very connected in meetings, on the training field and they've backed it up".

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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It's testament to the form of Kyle Steyn and Jamie Dobie that leaving out Duhan van der Merwe and Darcy Graham - numbers one and two in the list of record try-scorers - is not at all controversial.

Both Glasgow wings have been superb this season, while Graham will be out to make a big impact off the bench.

Blair Kinghorn being left out the 23 is a big call. He's been Scotland's nailed-on 15 for a long time.

It's a huge show of faith in Bristol's Tom Jordan, who has looked at home in the Test Arena. Gregor Townsend looks to be shaking things up with this selection.

Tom English
BBC Scotland's chief sports writer

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We discussed this on the BBC Scotland Rugby Podcast yesterday - a Scotland team with three scrum-halves in it - and there it is.

Jamie Dobie is one of them, of course. He's so deserving of his place on the wing (his adopted position at Glasgow). He's such a busy and effective player.

He started at nine for Glasgow in the famous game against Toulouse before Christmas and when George Horne came on just after the break, he moved to the wing.

He was terrific there yet again, And Horne? Well, he just lit it up and helped mastermind a sensational comeback.

Horne adding energy and pace off the bench on Saturday could be vital. Great to see him in the loop.

What odds a while back that you've had a Scotland team without Blair Kinghorn, Darcy Graham and Duhan van der Merwe in it? Any odds you'd have liked.

A huge call at full-back but it's one that has long been mooted. Kinghorn is an exceptionally talented player but he has flaws in his game linked to his inherent risk-taking.

His flamboyance is a great strength when he's in full flow but it's also a weakness when Scotland are trying to tighten things up. Tom Jordan is just a steelier player, even though he's been playing most of his rugby at 10 for Bristol.

The nature of this Six Nations - three games in a row and only one fallow week - means there could be significant changes for the Calcutta Cup even if Scotland were to win in Rome.

Managing the players' minutes will be a bigger feature this time around. Kinghorn (and Van der Merwe) might well come back into the mix next week.

Gregor Townsend has named his Scotland team for Saturday's Six Nations opener in Italy, with Kyle Steyn and Jamie Dobie preferred to record try scorers Duhan van der Merwe and Darcy Graham.

There's no place for Blair Kinghorn either as Tom Jordan completes the back three.

Graham is among the replacements but Van der Merwe and Kinghorn are not even in the matchday squad.

What do you make of Townsend's bold selection calls?

Let us know here.

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Scotland have announced their A squad to face an Italy XV on Friday night and, in doing so, revealed who might be in line to play in the Six Nations opener.

The team, led by Glasgow assistant Nigel Carolan, is made up of players from the full first-team squad and players specifically called up for the A side.

It's a strong selection with only two uncapped players in the starting side, which is made up of squad fringe players, as well as a few heavyweights.

Lock Jonny Gray captains the side, with fellow veteran Rory Sutherland also starting at loosehead prop. That leaves Grant Gilchrist, Scott Cummings, Gregor Brown and Max Williamson in line for the game in Rome on Saturday.

Glasgow Warriors hooker Gregor Hiddleston starts with D'Arcy Rae in the front row, while Alex Craig partners Gray behind them. Again, that suggests Northampton tighthead Elliot Millar Mills will be involved in the Six Nations opener.

The back row is made up of Andy Onyeama-Christie, youngster Freddy Douglas, and Alex Masibaka.

Gus Warr, a late call-up to the Six Nations squad, partners Fergus Burke in the half-backs, with Cameron Redpath and Ollie Smith in the centres. Arron Reed, Kyle Rowe and Harry Paterson make up the back-three.

Harri Morris, Alex Hepburn and Will Hurd are the replacement front row, with Edinburgh captain Magnus Bradbury, Euan Ferrie and Josh Bayliss all back-row options from the bench.

Glasgow pair Ben Afshar and Dan Lancaster are the backline duo among the subs.

That leaves Gregor Townsend with 29 players in his squad for Saturday, although two of them - Stafford McDowall and Duhan van der Merwe - played for their clubs last weekend.

Scotland A: Paterson, Rowe, Smith, Redpath, Reed; Burke (vc), Warr; Sutherland, Hiddleston, Rae, Gray (c), Craig, Onyeama-Christie (vc), Douglas, Masibaka.

Replacements: Morris, Hepburn, Hurd, Bradbury, Ferrie, Bayliss, Afshar, Lancaster.

BBC Sport Scotland's Tom English has been answering some of your Scottish rugby questions.

Ross asked: Is this the first time in a long time where Scotland are not really being talked up by fans and media? Will this reduce the pressure on them, and maybe let them play to their full potential.

Tom answered: The whole 'talking up' thing is an irrelevance when it comes to the pressure the players feel. They have the same desire to do well for themselves and for the fans whether people are talking them up or down - and you'd be amazed at how many of them don't read or listen to a word that's said outside their bubble. Probably no bad thing. I don't think you'll ever hear Finn Russell - or any of them - saying that there's a greater burden of expectation on them just because a few pundits are singing their praises. It's not the way these guys are wired.

Fergus asked: With the Glasgow wingers in such great form would you go with Kyle Steyn and Jamie Dobie to start on the wings? And if so would Duhan van der Merwe or Darcy Graham be a better bench option?

Tom answered: We discussed this on the Scotland Rugby pod on BBC Sounds (subscribe and like etc, etc) but for what it's worth, I'd go on form and I'd have Steyn and Dobie starting with Graham on the bench to add energy and threat later on. Van der Merwe has been miles off it but his try against Leinster suggested he might be finding something at last. With three games in three weeks, and only one fallow week, Gregor Townsend is going to have to give players a break along the way.

Big Duhan could well enter the fray again for the Calcutta Cup. I'm intrigued at how each coach is going to utilise his squad. We've already seen Steve Borthwick going with five Lions on the England bench on Saturday. Managing minutes is going to be important with this new schedule. The bench has become extremely important over the years and it's going to be vital in the weeks ahead with the games coming thick and fast.

Colin asked: Where will we finish? Is fourth the best we can hope for?

Tom answered: No. Fourth is probably two wins. It's blah. Three wins and two competitive defeats would be a big improvement. Four wins would be a resounding, historic success, given that Scotland have never won four times in the Six Nations.

The temptation is to scoff when setting a target like that, but I'd rather set the bar higher than lower. For now, Scotland have a clean bill of health on the injury front and a ton of Glasgow players who are ripping it up in Europe, plus Finn Russell, Tom Jordan, Ben White and Blair Kinghorn going well in England and France. The challenge, as ever, is psychological. Can they overcome their own propensity for implosion and see games out? We'll get some answers very soon.

Alan asked: Lots of talk about how do Scotland stay in games, especially when momentum swings. So what do the best teams actually do?

Tom answered: Low penalty count, low error count, accuracy at the lineout, good decision-making, ruthlessness on both sides of the ball, no daft yellow cards, no easy outs when you have a rival on the ropes. The best teams inch their way back into it, yard by yard, and their confidence grows from there.

You can see the warning signs when things are starting to go wrong for Scotland. They have a lead and are in the opposition 22 looking to extend that lead. But they force it. They give away a penalty. Then another penalty. Now the opposition are down their end. And they score. And now there's doubt. And players trying to problem-solve on their own and getting isolated. And errors. And stress. Argentina in the autumn was the classic example, but just the latest example.

From talking to the players, they know all of this better than anybody. This is a good squad full of players in peak form. But it's their Test match mentality that's in doubt. If they can crack that then really good things might happen.

Stuart asked: A long shot but can we expect the in-form Glasgow players like Gregor Hiddleston and Max Williamson to be picked over their Edinburgh counterparts?

Tom answered: I'd have put Hiddleston on the bench in Rome but he's in the A team, so no chance of that. George Turner will probably be back-up to Ewan Ashman. I suspect it'll be Grant Gilchrist and Scott Cummings in the second-row but you have to have Gregor Brown in the 23 and I'd also say you have to have Williamson in there, too. The power of the guy will be needed later on.

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Ben White says the Scotland squad will benefit from having more players performing in the French Top 14.

The scrum-half will be joined at Toulon in the summer by Huw Jones.

Blair Kinghorn has picked up Top 14 and Champions Cup winners' medals since moving to Toulouse, while Jamie Ritchie has been a key figure this season for Perpignan.

A number of other Scots are playing regularly in France's top flight, and White says the intensity of the league is good preparation for Test rugby.

"I think one of the biggest things that I've found playing in the Top 14 is that every game is a massive occasion," White said.

"You're playing in front of sell-out crowds every week. When you play away from home, there's so much pressure on the home team to win. And vice versa, when we're playing at home, you have that level of pressure that almost feels the same as a test match, which is something that took me a bit of time to get used to.

"But I feel that when I come back into a Scotland environment, I've been playing every week in high-pressure games where we must win, and that transfers and makes you feel more comfortable in those environments, which are high-pressure, which they are when you're playing international rugby. So I feel it's prepared me really well.

"I think it's been a great move for me personally. It's obviously going to be really nice to have Huw joining me in Toulon.

"There's so many good players and it is a great competition. In my opinion, the more players we have from Scotland playing in the league and playing at the highest level across Europe, it's fantastic for us and it drives the quality of the squad and I think it's great."

Tom English and Andy Burke look forward to Scotland's Six Nations opener against Italy, answer audience questions and discuss the 2027 Rugby World Cup schedule.

It's all on the latest episode of the BBC Scotland Rugby Podcast - listen and subscribe on BBC Sounds.

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Defence coach Lee Radford believes beating some of the Six Nations heavyweights can propel Scotland to a new level.

The Scots have never finished higher than third in the Six Nations, and have come fourth in their past two campaigns.

It's a meagre return for a group of players many consider to be the strongest in the nation's history.

Scotland kick off their 2026 Six Nations campaign in Rome against Italy on Saturday.

"Impressions are we've been there or thereabouts for a long time," said Radford, who confirmed Jamie Dobie and Jack Dempsey, who are both nursing injuries, trained on Tuesday.

"I think that next level is to knock some big ones off. Winning is a habit, it's habitual. Once you knock a couple off, I think that'll do well for the confidence.

"You're seeing that with Glasgow on the run they're on at the moment, but likewise we're on one at Northampton (where Radford is also defence coach) as well.

"You just feel it around the place and I think it's important we get a couple of those results to be able to kick on to that next level.

"In every competition you go in, you want to win it. I don't like to go into a competition thinking we're participating.

"That's been throughout anything I've ever done. We've got a good enough group to go somewhere in this comp. We've got our training right, we've got our approach right.

"We get some luck, that's always helpful - who knows?"

Sandy Smith
Fan writer

Edinburgh have played four games in the past two seasons that have been officiated by Andrea Piardi and have lost all of them.

That may not be unique to him as we haven't won very many games at all, but as if there weren't enough things to worry about as an Edinburgh supporter, his officiating certainly adds to my fears.

On paper, we should have had a chance against Leinster but by now we all know that the paper lies.

We made a good start and then the Piardi effect started to influence the game. A few decisions felt like they went against Edinburgh, least of all the chalked-off try on the 25 minute mark.

Onto the positives, and credit where it's due to Duhan van der Merwe. He worked hard, took his try well and made a nuisance of himself all afternoon. He topped the stats for metres ran and defenders beaten.

Congratulations also to Malelili Satala for his maiden Edinburgh try. He's had to wait a while for his chance and he took it with some aplomb.

Piardi was a contributory factor but not the main cause. Never mind the five points denied for that ridiculously disallowed try, we left nine points out there with missed kicks.

A decent win was within our grasp. Instead it's a seventh defeat in a row at Leinster's hands and we've dropped a further place in the table.

A wee break now for the Six Nations. Maybe watching Scotland will cheer me up!

Sandy Smith can be found at The Burgh Watch, external

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Scotland's match against England in the Women's Six Nations in April will be played in front of a record crowd.

Scottish Rugby announced last year the game would be played at Murrayfield instead of the Hive Stadium as part of the 'Murrayfield 100' celebrations and early ticket sales have already broken records.

With more than 19,000 tickets already sold, the crowd will eclipse the existing benchmark for a standalone women's sporting event in Scotland – set by the women's national football team against Jamaica seven years ago, when 18,555 fans were in attendance.

The sales also smash the previous rugby record of 7,774 when Scotland sold out the Hive for their match against England.

Scotland captain Rachel Malcolm said: "In 2024, we played England at home in front of a record crowd and that felt like a real step forward for women's rugby in Scotland.

"Then, at the Rugby World Cup, we experienced what was possible on an even bigger stage, playing in front of 27,000 fans at Ashton Gate.

"To now be bringing that sense of occasion to Scottish Gas Murrayfield, with 19,000 fans and counting, shows the momentum that's building around this team and women's sport more broadly. I cannot thank our fans enough for this huge show of support already.

"It's an incredibly proud moment for us as players, but it also comes with the responsibility to honour those who've backed us, to inspire the next generation, and to help ensure that moments like this become part of the future of Scottish rugby, not just standout occasions."

Do you have any burning questions on Scottish rugby for our experts, Tom English and Andy Burke, as Gregor Townsend prepares to name his side for Saturday's trip to Rome in the Six Nations?

Or perhaps you want to focus on the URC after Edinburgh lost and Glasgow Warriors won again?

Send in your questions via this link and a selection of answers will be published on this page later in the week.

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Young guns step up

Glasgow were missing no fewer than 15 Scotland internationals against Munster, and yet their "fringe" players stepped up to deliver another big win.

The brilliance of Franco Smith has been his ability to effectively rotate his squad so that every player feels he gets a fair shake.

The likes of Seb Stephen (20), Jare Oguntibeju (23), Ben Afshar (22) and Kerr Yule (20) all played their part in the type of win that successful sides - when shorn of their top players - must produce to win titles.

Scotland stars respond to disappointment

It would have been understandable if those players released from Scotland's Six Nations squad lined up for Glasgow against Munster feeling a little flat.

Instead, the likes of Ollie Smith, Stafford McDowall and Alex Craig had the bit between their teeth and seemed out to prove a point.

Smith's finish for his try was outrageously good, McDowall took home the player of the match award and Craig got through a mountain of work in the boiler room.

Should their chance come for Scotland in the Six Nations, they look ready.

Lancaster looks at home

We noted in these pages Dan Lancaster's impressive performance against Clermont the other week. He is looking more and more at home in the Glasgow 10 jersey with every passing game.

In a match in which both sides scored four tries, Lancaster's superb goal-kicking ultimately proved the difference.

He picked up an intercept try and had several big moments when Glasgow were under the cosh – a break, a big hit that forced a Munster knock on.

He is a physical presence in defence and, whisper it, might even have a little of the Tom Jordan about him.