Scotland vs Italy LIVE: Six Nations build-up and updates from Murrayfield

independent.co.uk:

Scotland host Italy to kick off Super Saturday Scotland can lock up third spot in the 2023 Six Nations if they secure a bonus-point win over Italy on home soil at Murrayfield this afternoon.Scotland’s championship started with such promise as they continued their recent Calcutta Cup domination over England before ending their hoodoo against Wales to head into the first rest week with their grand slam aspirations still alive.Gregor Townsend then saw his troops slip to back-to-back defeats to France and Ireland, despite decent performances in both games.

Victory over Italy would cap a solid Six Nations heading into a daunting World Cup group but a shock loss would undermine a lot of the work they have done to this point.The Azzurri showed plenty of positive signs in their first three games of this championship but a winnable game against a Wales side in disarray saw them produce a limp display and slip to a frustrating defeat, giving them just one more chance to salvage their Six Nations campaign. Follow live coverage from the first game on Six Nations Super Saturday below: The key decision for Gregor Townsend this week would have been where best to slot Blair Kinghorn into his side.

Townsend likes the Edinburgh man’s potential as an international fly-half, but the 26-year-old was a little disappointing at the position during his autumn opportunities and has been very good off the bench in the back three during this campaign.Townsend is down three fly-halves, really, with both Adam Hastings and Ross Thompson also currently unavailable, but the Scotland head coach suggested this week he would have had no qualms with starting Ben Healy.