Blair Kinghorn has been ruled out of Scotland's first two Guinness Six Nations matches with a knee injury, paving the way for Kyle Rowe to make his first international start at full-back in Saturday’s opener in Wales.
The Toulouse number 15 becomes the second member of Scotland’s first-choice back three to be ruled out of the match in Cardiff and the following weekend’s visit from France, with free-scoring Edinburgh wing Darcy Graham also absent due to quad tightness.
Rowe’s only previous cap came away to Argentina in July 2022 when he came on as a substitute and lasted only 10 minutes before damaging his ACL, resulting in him being sidelined for most of the following year.
The 25-year-old has been in good form for Glasgow this term, scoring seven tries, including three in his last two outings before meeting up with the national team.
Kyle Steyn, who recently returned after three months out, and Duhan van der Merwe will start on the wings.
Recently-appointed co-captain Rory Darge has not recovered from a knee injury in time to feature so stand-off Finn Russell will skipper the side.
Previous skipper Jamie Ritchie, who lost the role last month, has been named as one of this weekend’s vice-captains and will start in the back-row alongside Matt Fagerson and Luke Crosbie, with Jack Dempsey – the first-choice number eight for most of last year – on the bench.
Ben White, Scotland’s preferred scrum-half for the majority of last year, is restored to the number-nine jersey after Ali Price took his place in the starting XV for the last two matches of the World Cup against Romania and Ireland.
Glasgow lock Scott Cummings starts in place of his suspended Edinburgh counterpart Grant Gilchrist.
Props Elliot Millar-Mills and Alec Hepburn – who was capped six times by England in 2018 – are both in line to make their Scotland debuts off the bench.
However, there is no place in the 23 for in-form Saracens back-rower Andy Christie who had been touted as a potential starter.
The Scots are eyeing a first victory in Cardiff for 22 years.
Scotland: Rowe, Steyn, Jones, Tuipulotu, Van der Merwe, Russell (capt), White; Schoeman, Turner, Z Fagerson, R Gray, Cummings, Crosbie, Ritchie, M Fagerson.
Replacements: Ashman, Hepburn, Millar-Mills, Skinner, Dempsey, Horne, Healy, Redpath.
Wales centre George North has been ruled out because of a shoulder injury.
North, who has won 118 caps and is comfortably the most experienced player in Wales’ Six Nations squad, was hurt during Ospreys’ recent European Challenge Cup victory over South Africa side the Lions.
Owen Watkin and Nick Tompkins will forge Wales’ midfield partnership, with Cardiff full-back Cameron Winnett handed a Test debut after just 15 games of professional rugby.
The 21-year-old features in a position vacated by Liam Williams’ move to Japan, while full-back option Louis Rees-Zammit recently quit rugby union to pursue a possible American football career.
Elsewhere, Winnett’s Cardiff colleague James Botham – grandson of England cricket great Ian Botham – is recalled for a first Wales appearance since July 2021, packing down alongside back-row colleagues Tommy Reffell and Aaron Wainwright.
Dragons prop Leon Brown also starts, with uncapped Cardiff flanker Alex Mann among the replacements, where former Bristol back Ioan Lloyd provides fly-half cover for Sam Costelow.
Racing 92 lock Will Rowlands, whose partner recently gave birth, is not included in the match-day 23, with captain Dafydd Jenkins and Adam Beard forging Wales’ second-row combination.
At 21, Exeter forward Jenkins is Wales’ youngest skipper since a 20-year-old Gareth Edwards led Wales against Scotland in 1968.
Wales: Winnett; Adams, Watkin, Tompkins, Dyer; Costelow, Davies; Domachowski, Elias, Brown, Jenkins (capt), Beard, Botham, Reffell, Wainwright.
Replacements: Dee, Mathias, Assiratti, Williams, Mann, Williams, Lloyd, M Grady.
Follow a live blog on France v Ireland in the Guinness Six Nations on Friday from 7.30pm on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app and listen to live commentary on RTÉ Radio 1
Watch Wales v Scotland in the on Saturday from 4pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player
