Blair Kinghorn named Six Nations Player of Round One after historic Scotland hat-trick

Blair Kinghorn has been voted the Guinness Six Nations Player of Round One after his historic hat-trick for Scotland in their opening match against Italy.

Blair Kinghorn is all smiles at full time after Scotland's 33-20 win over Italy. Picture: SNS Group

The 22-year-old’s performance in the bonus-point 33-20 win over Conor O’Shea’s men saw him beat off competition from international team-mate Finn Russell; England trio Mako Vunipola, Owen Farrell and Jonny May and Wales wing George North in the public vote.

Kinghorn crossed the whitewash twice in the first half at BT Murrayfield, and dived over in the second period to become the first Scotland player to score a hat-trick in the Six Nations era.

Normally lining out at full-back for Guinness PRO14 side Edinburgh, Kinghorn has shown his versatility with performances at fly-half for Richard Cockerill’s team and has been moulded into an effective winger for Scotland, with six tries in seven starts and a total of 43 points.

Kinghorn evades Tommaso Castello as he scores the second try. Picture: SNS Group

He made his debut against England in last year’s 25-13 Calcutta Cup win at BT Murrayfield, and was handed his first start at the Aviva Stadium against eventual tournament winners Ireland.

He scored Scotland’s sole try of the match as the Irish ran out 28-8 victors.

Kinghorn has been in fine form for Edinburgh, helping them to the quarter-finals of the Heineken Champions Cup for the first time since 2012 and setting up a mouthwatering tie against Munster on March 30.

His treble against the Azzurri took Scotland to the top of the Six Nations table after the first round of matches as he became the first Scot to bag a hat-trick in the competition since Iwan Tukalo against Ireland in the 1989 Five Nations.

Scotland host Ireland at BT Murrayfield in the second round of fixtures this weekend.