Fraser Brown: Scotland changes for Italy are inevitable - no one should be guaranteed their place

Games between Scotland and Italy always seem freighted with significance and the match in Rome a week on Saturday will have extra edge after the results at the weekend.

Scotland have lost their last two games but a win at Stadio Olimpico would see them regain momentum and create an opportunity to travel to Dublin on the last weekend of the championship looking for a first victory in Ireland since 2010. Three wins in this season’s Six Nations is still within Scotland’s grasp despite the setbacks against Wales and France.

For Italy, Scotland at home will be seen as their best opportunity to achieve a victory in the Six Nations, something that has eluded them for over 2500 days.

Italy will be reeling from their loss to Ireland. A bizarre sequence of events and a quirk of the law left the Italians having to play most of the game with 13 men after their starting hooker, Gianmarco Lucchesi, left the field injured and his replacement, Hame Faiva, was red-carded shortly after coming on. They had looked promising in the first 15 minutes against the Irish, combative, and physical in defence, and although I think Ireland would always have run out winners, the red card ruined the game.

It has not been a good couple of weeks for Italian rugby. Reports emerged that the Six Nations were looking to replace them with South Africa, a move that would surely destroy top level rugby in Italy. The rumours were quickly rebuffed by the Six Nations hierarchy, but there’s no smoke without fire as they say!

Italy will have something to prove against Scotland who are looking to bounce back from the home loss to France.

I felt the first half at BT Murrayfield was more even than many others did. France started well, Scotland didn’t. The visitors’