Head coach Gregor Townsend has made three changes to Scotland’s starting line-up for Saturday’s Guinness Men’s Six Nations clash with England at Scottish Gas Murrayfield.
Blair Kinghorn, Kyle Steyn and Jamie Ritchie are all restored to the team after missing out against France in round two with Kinghorn making his first appearance of the championship having previously been ruled out through injury.
Winger Steyn was a late absentee against France on account of his wife going into labour, with blindside flanker Ritchie returning to the back row having started the opening weekend win over Wales in Cardiff.
Full-back Kinghorn and Steyn join winger Duhan van der Merwe in the back three for the Calcutta Cup encounter, as Sione Tuipulotu – named a vice-captain – and Huw Jones once more occupy the centre berths.
Co-captain Finn Russell partners Ben White, who scored the opening try last time out, at half-back.
Ritchie’s return complements a back row also containing co-captain Rory Darge at openside flanker and No 8 Jack Dempsey.
The forward pack’s front five is unchanged as Grant Gilchrist and Scott Cummings form the second row pairing, behind a front row comprising Pierre Schoeman at loosehead prop, hooker George Turner and Zander Fagerson at tighthead.
The replacement options remain the same for the second game in succession, with scrum-half George Horne, stand-off Ben Healy and centre Cameron Redpath covering the back division.
Ewan Ashman (hooker), Alec Hepburn (loosehead prop) and Elliot Millar-Mills (tighthead) are joined by Sam Skinner and Andy Christie, who will cover the rest of the forward pack.
Scotland team to face England at Scottish Gas Murrayfield in the Guinness Men’s Six Nations on Saturday 24 February, kick-off 4.45pm – live on BBC One (caps in brackets):
15. Blair Kinghorn – Toulouse (50)
14. Kyle Steyn – Glasgow Warriors (16)
13. Huw Jones – Glasgow Warriors (45)
12. Sione Tuipulotu – Vice-Captain – Glasgow Warriors (24)
11. Duhan van der Merwe – Edinburgh Rugby (36)
10. Finn Russell – Co-Captain – Bath Rugby (77)
9. Ben White – Toulon (20)
1. Pierre Schoeman – Edinburgh Rugby (28)
2. George Turner – Glasgow Warriors (42)
3. Zander Fagerson – Glasgow Warriors (64)
4. Grant Gilchrist – Edinburgh Rugby (69)
5. Scott Cummings – Glasgow Warriors (35)
6. Jamie Ritchie – Edinburgh Rugby (47)
7. Rory Darge – Co-Captain – Glasgow Warriors (16)
8. Jack Dempsey – Glasgow Warriors (17)
Replacements
16. Ewan Ashman – Edinburgh Rugby (14)
17. Alec Hepburn – Exeter Chiefs (2)
18. Elliot Millar-Mills – Northampton Saints (1)
19. Sam Skinner – Edinburgh Rugby (32)
20. Andy Christie – Saracens (5)
21. George Horne – Glasgow Warriors (27)
22. Ben Healy – Edinburgh Rugby (4)
23. Cameron Redpath – Bath Rugby (11)
Raggedy Ann
Sport Trivia: Who was South Africa\’s first Olympic Gold Medal winner? Answer: Reginald Walker. Reginald Walker was born in 1889 in Natal and in 1907 was the South African 100m champion. He battled with finances to get to London for the 1908 Summer Olympics but once he was there he managed, very unexpectedly to all those competing, to beat the field and walk off with the Gold for the 100m. As at 2005 Reggie Walker was still the youngest winner of the 100m Olympic Gold Medal.
Old Orange Eyes
Sport Trivia: Who was the first woman swimmer to win both the 100m and 200m breaststroke at the Olympics? Answer: Penny Heyns. She won both the 100m and 200m breaststroke events at the 1996 Olympics, the first woman to do so. She broke the world and Olympic records for the 100m breaststroke and broke the Olympic record for the 200m breaststroke. In 1999 she held 5 out of a possible 6 world breaststroke records, the first time this had ever been achieved (50m, 100m and 200m, plus same distances in 25m short course pool) — the one she \”missed\” was the 200m short course.