Italy v Scotland LIVE: Result and reaction from Six Nations as Azzurri hold on for famous win in Rome

There is every chance of Scottish history being made in Rome this weekend. Duhan Van Der Merwe moved within one of Scotland’s record try-scorer Stuart Hogg when he scored a match-defining hat-trick against England at Murrayfield last time out. A single score will be enough to take the South Africa-born wing level with Hogg on 27, but in his current form – five tries in his last three Six Nations matches – few would bet against him doing enough at the Stadio Olimpico to break the record outright. Hogg, incidentally, is set to be watching on from the stand after completing a fundraising cycle to the Italian capital in aid of the My Name’5 Doddie charity.

When is Italy vs Scotland?

Italy vs Scotland is due to kick off at 2.15pm GMT on Saturday 9 March at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.

How can I watch it?

Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on ITV1, with coverage on the channel from 1.30pm GMT. A live stream will be available via ITVX.

If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.

There is an element of freshness to the Scotland team this weekend as Townsend has handed opportunities to three players who have been regular squad members in recent seasons but who are not accustomed to starting in the dark blue. Burgeoning Bath centre Cam Redpath makes his fourth Scotland start in place of the injured Sione Tuipulotu, Glasgow scrum-half George Horne has been handed his first start since the 2019 World Cup as Toulon’s Ben White gets the weekend off to rest, while in-form Saracens back-rower Andy Christie has finally been rewarded with first international start two years after making his debut at home to France.

The Stadio Olimpico regularly hosts capacity crowds for football matches, such as Thursday’s Europa League showdown between Roma and Brighton, but it is far more unusual for the iconic bowl in the north-west of the Eternal City to sell out for rugby matches. It is a sign of the relative buoyancy of both of these nations, therefore, that almost 70,000 tickets have been sold for Saturday’s match.

Scotland have not finished in the top two of the championship since winning the last staging of the Five Nations in 1999. They arrive in Rome knowing a victory will keep them on course to do so for the first time in the 21st century. Gregor Townsend’s team are currently second in the table – a point ahead of England and three above France – with two matches to play. While they still have an outside chance of pipping Ireland to the title, finishing second appears to be a more realistic target.

Round two of the Six Nations featured a historic moment as Scotland hooker George Turner became the first player in the championship’s history to be removed after his smart mouthguard detected a collision which could have caused a concussion.

Turner was removed from the pitch during the first half of Scotland’s defeat to France for a head injury assessment after his mouthguard alerted medical staff of a significant head acceleration event after a tackle made on Charles Ollivon. The front rower passed his assessment and returned to the field.

The mouthguards, also known as gumshields, have been incorporated into the existing HIA protocols as another tool designed to support the drive towards better player welfare with a particular focus on brain injuries.

Sensors within the mouthguard measure head impacts and accelerations/decelerations. Current regulations state that for men’s players, an impact above 70g and 4,000 radians per second squared will recommend a HIA. For players in the women’s game, the first threshold is lower – 55g.

The Six Nations is the highest-profile competition in which the technology has been used after it was introduced at WXV in the autumn. A more widespread implementation is considered likely.

Gregor Townsend has questioned the “unfair” rules that mean that Scotland’s English-based players must return to their clubs during the Six Nations fallow weeks.

Townsend expressed his frustration at the player release regulations after his side secured a fourth successive Calcutta Cup victory at Murrayfield.

Scotland’s preparation for the fixture had been hampered by the unavailability of Finn Russell and other key individuals, who were not able to remain in camp during the first off weekend and again returned to their clubs ahead of this fixture.

And the fact he is on the whistle today is a good excuse to share this excellent insight into Angus Gardner’s preparation process from World Rugby’s outstanding Whistleblowers documentary, which went behind-the-scenes with the world’s top officials at the World Cup in the autumn.

It wil be Australia’s Angus Gardner on the whistle at the Stadio Olimpico today, with the experienced South African Marius van der Westhuizen in the TMO truck. England’s Karl Dickson, himself a Test ref, is a useful assistant, and Adam Leal is highly rated by the Rugby Football Union (RFU) as he makes his own strides into the international game.

Referee: Angus Gardner (Aus)

ARs: Karl Dickson (Eng) & Adam Leal (Eng)

TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen (SA)

Scotland centre Huw Jones revealed he was “tempted” by the prospect of a move to France but he ultimately felt that remaining with buoyant Glasgow was the right decision for his career overall.

The on-form 30-year-old was the subject of recent interest from Top 14 side Montpellier and was also linked with Bayonne.

However, he ended speculation about his future last week by signing a new two-year deal to commit his future to Warriors until 2026.