Scotland’s all-time top two try-scorers and a British & Irish Lions star have been left out by coach Gregor Townsend for Saturday’s Six Nations match against Italy in Rome.
South African wing Duhan van der Merwe and fullback Blair Kinghorn fail to make the match 23, while Graham is on the bench.
Bristol’s Tom Jordan starts at fullback, flanked by Glasgow Warriors wingers Kyle Steyn and Jamie Dobie.
Adam Hastings and George Horne are the other backline replacements.
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Steyn and Dobie are two of nine Glasgow players in the starting XV as a reward for their fine form.
Franco Smith’s side lead the Vodacom URC standings and have defeated Toulouse and Saracens over the past month to make a perfect start in the Investec Champions Cup.
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Meanwhile, captain Michele Lamaro and backs Juan Ignacio Brex and Paolo Garbisi will earn their 50th caps for Italy.
With scrumhalves Stephen Varney and Martin Page-Relo still unavailable due to injuries, Alessandro Fusco partners flyhalf Garbisi at halfback.
Louis Lynagh, the son of Wallabies great Michael Lynagh, is on the right wing with Toulouse’s Ange Capuozzo unavailable and young Northampton starlet Edoardo Todaro tearing his cruciate knee ligament last week.
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Among the replacements, front-row pair Tommaso Di Bartolomeo and Muhamed Hasa, and flyhalf Giacomo Da Re, earn their first inclusions in a Six Nations match 23.
ITALY – 15 Leonardo Marin, 14 Louis Lynagh, 13 Juan Ignacio Brex, 12 Tommaso Menoncello, 11 Monty Ioane, 10 Paolo Garbisi, 9 Alessandro Fusco, 8 Lorenzo Cannone, 7 Manuel Zuliani, 6 Michele Lamaro (c), 5 Andrea Zambonin, 4 Niccolò Cannone, 3 Simone Ferrari, 2 Giacomo Nicotera, 1 Danilo Fischetti.
Bench: 16 Tommaso Di Bartolomeo, 17 Mirco Spagnolo, 18 Muhamed Hasa, 19 Federico Ruzza, 20 Riccardo Favretto, 21 Alessandro Garbisi, 22 Giacomo Da Re, 23 Lorenzo Pani.
SCOTLAND – 15 Tom Jordan, 14 Kyle Steyn, 13 Huw Jones, 12 Sione Tuipulotu (c), 11 Jamie Dobie, 10 Finn Russell, 9 Ben White, 8 Jack Dempsey, 7 Rory Darge, 6 Matt Fagerson, 5 Grant Gilchrist, 4 Scott Cummings, 3 Zander Fagerson, 2 Ewan Ashman, 1 Pierre Schoeman.
Bench: 16 George Turner, 17 Nathan McBeth, 18 Elliot Millar-Mills, 19 Max Williamson, 20 Gregor Brown, 21 George Horne, 22 Adam Hastings, 23 Darcy Graham.
Keo and Zels pick different winners for Saturday’s Six Nations clash in Rome. pic.twitter.com/UdGZYUIajX
— SA Rugby magazine (@SARugbymag) February 5, 2026
– AFP
Photo: Scott Taetsch/Getty Images for Scottish Rugby
