Scotland 'A' packed with talent for Italy clash - but one player will have eyes on him

Young talent Freddy Douglas has been flying for Edinburgh Rugby recently and he wants to take that form into Friday evening’s Scotland A match in Italy.

The experienced second-row Jonny Gray, with 81 full caps behind him, has been named as captain of a strong-looking squad to take on an Italy XV at the Stadio Centro d’Italia in Rieti at 5.30pm UK time live on YouTube.

But it is a player with just one full cap in the shape of 20-year-old back-rower Douglas that many are looking forward to watching.

Freddy Douglas has shone for Edinburgh Rugby this season. | SNS Group

“I’m just buzzing to be playing in this game, I think it's a really good opportunity for me,” Douglas said.

“I just want to play as much as I can so to have a good run of games for Edinburgh recently has been amazing and then to get another opportunity here with Scotland A is class.

“Going forward I obviously wasn't to be with the main team, but I'm very happy to be playing in this A game and, hopefully, I get a good run out and against a properly good opposition.”

Also on Friday evening, Scotland under-20s begin their age grade Six Nations campaign against their Italian counterparts at the Stadio Comunale di Monigo in Parma.

With Ross Wolfenden injured, Glasgow Warriors’ hooker Joe Roberts, the Aberdonian who played all the under-20 games in 2025, leads the team in this one at 7.15 UK time live on BBC iPlayer.

“It’s a great honour to captain the boys,” Roberts, 19, said. “Training has been going really well, but we know matches are a different thing altogether.

“We lost 22-10 to Italy at the Hive last year and we know they will have a big strong pack and good backs and they're a really good attacking team. They identify space well and use it really well so we've got to be ‘on it’ in this game from minute one.”