Italy v Scotland: Gregor Townsend keeps cool ahead of high-pressure clash in Rome

Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend has made three changes for the Italy match. Picture: Ross Parker / SNS

Following a fifth-place finish in last season’s championship and a pool-stage exit at the World Cup in Japan, Scotland have lost their opening two fixtures of the year away to Ireland and at home to England.

With the Finn Russell saga also brewing in the background, after the stand-off was excluded from the squad due to an alleged discipline breach, it has been a testing few weeks for Townsend but he remains upbeat.

“I’m feeling good. I enjoy coaching the group. We had a really good session on Tuesday and I see the team coming together during the week.”

Townsend has made three changes to his side that will take on the Azzurri at Stadio Olimpico, with Gloucester’s Chris Harris replacing Huw Jones at outside centre, and the Glasgow man not even featuring on the bench.

Stuart McInally, the Edinburgh hooker who began as World Cup skipper before being dropped in Japan and replaced by full-back Stuart Hogg as national captain last month, returns in place of Fraser Brown. With experienced lock Jonny Gray ruled out of the tournament with a hand injury, Edinburgh’s Ben Toolis comes into partner Scott Cummings in the second row.

Townsend was asked again about the Russell situation but there remains no movement on that front following the Racing 92 playmaker’s departure from the squad hotel two weeks before the start of the tournament and a subsequent newspaper interview in which he criticised Townsend.

“We have been focusing on the coaching. Other things, distractions, have been outside of training,” said the coach, who shrugged off any suggestions of pressure ahead of the Rome trip. “It is a privileged position, a real honour to be with the team in the build-up to a Six Nations game. I know there will be thousands of Scottish supporters in Rome at the weekend and we have to go out there and give a performance they are proud of.”

The departure of Jones from the entire squad was the main talking point from Townsend’s selection. The Glasgow centre, who had a brilliant start to his international career and was the two-try hero of the 2018 Calcutta Cup triumph, has been in and out of favour for club and country and didn’t make the World Cup squad.

A return to form at Scotstoun this season had seen him back in the Scotland No 13 jersey for the first two games of this Six Nations, but a player who is renowned for attacking flair with suspicion marks on his defensive frailties will play no part in the Italian capital this weekend.

“It’s really the competition in that position,” explained Townsend. “And also the opponents this week. We think it’s the opportunity and right time for Chris to come back into the team.

“He started in the World Cup. His game against Samoa [in Kobe] was excellent and his performance against France [at BT Murrayfield] in the World Cup warm-up too.

“Huw got the nod in the first few games due to the form he’s been showing for Glasgow. That’s going to be a very competitive position with other centres coming into the mix over the next few years. Chris now has the opportunity to start the remaining games.”

The Scotland bench features four changes, with Edinburgh second-row Grant Gilchrist and Sale wing Byron McGuigan taking the places vacated by the promoted Toolis and Harris, while Edinburgh tighthead WP Nel and Glasgow back-rower Matt Fagerson replace Simon Berghan and Nick Haining respectively.

Edinburgh wing Darcy Graham returned to training last week but has not yet recovered sufficiently from his knee injury, and Exeter Chiefs lock/back-row Sam Skinner has also fallen just short of match fitness.