Another year, another Guinness 6 Nations rolling into February.
But this one feels a little different, and not just because there are games on a Thursday or coverage on Premier Sports, or indeed adverts on screen mid way through play (thanks ITV).
After an autumn series where Scotland decidedly did not do anything worth getting fans hopes up, there’s very little “this could be our year” chat floating in the ether, of the sort that gives snarky pundits across the Irish Sea (there are a lot) a stick to beat us with.
Scotland vs Italy could be the Wooden Spoon clash this year – depending on how Steve Tandy gets on at Wales – but secretly we still want to be hopeful about this Scotland squad being a little better than bottom of the table. Certainly there’s enough talent in there we should be talking up our chances. We’re just too jaded to bother, having been here before. So many times.
Gregor Townsend has a mostly fit squad with Finn and both first choice centres available, and competition so healthy in the back three that, allied with Glasgow’s form, Duhan doesn’t even make the 23. Neither does Blair Kinghorn, and Darcy Graham only makes the bench. Will the back three look the same for the next round? It seems unlikely; but also it would seem unlikely to make “squad rotation” picks for the first game of the tournament, and here we are.
The pack is much the same as we’ve seen in recent years with a with a very settled look, but no sign of any new second or back row blood breaking through any time soon anywhere other than the bench.
On the bench there will be plenty of spark to come late in the game in the backs (possibly even too much excitement for Rome to handle?), while D’arcy Rae has been rewarded for a fine showing in the autumn with demotion to the A team and Eliot Millar Mills returns as Zander’s backup.
I’m hoping for a big tournament from Gregor Brown who does feature there, and this weekend is the place for that to start.
Italy: Marin, Lynagh, Brex, Menoncello, Ioane, P Garbisi, Fusco; Fischetti, Nicotera, Ferrari, A Cannone, Zambonin, Lamaro (capt), Zuliani, L Cannone.
Replacements: Di Bartolomeo, Spagnolo, Hasa, Ruzza, Favretto, A Garbisi, Da Re, Pani.
Scotland: Tom Jordan, Kyle Steyn, Huw Jones, Sione Tuipulotu (capt), Jamie Dobie, Finn Russell, Ben White; Pierre Schoeman, Ewan Ashman, Zander Fagerson, Scott Cummings, Grant Gilchrist, Matt Fagerson, Rory Darge, Jack Dempsey.
Replacements: George Turner, Nathan McBeth, Elliot Millar Mills, Max Williamson, Gregor Brown, George Horne, Adam Hastings, Darcy Graham.