Scotland have named a strong team to face Italy but are without several key men.

Stuart Hogg, Tommy Seymour and Greig Laidlaw - thee regular starters - are in New Zealand on tour with the British & Irish Lions.

Richie Gray, Sam Hidalgo-Clyne and Sean Maitland miss the tour through injury. Jonny Gray is on tour but is rested for this match.

Duncan Taylor deputises for Hogg at full-back, while Damien Hoyland comes in for Seymour on the wing. Tim Swinson and Ben Toolis make-up an unfamiliar second-row combination. John Barclay captains the side from blindside flanker.

Subs: Fraser Brown, Gordon Reid, Zander Fagerson, Rob Harley, Magnus Bradbury, Ryan Wilson, Henry Pyrgos, Peter Horne.

Just 12 weeks after the curtain came down on Vern Cotter's reign as Scotland coach with a Six Nations victory over Italy at Murrayfield, his successor Gregor Townsend kicks off his spell in charge against the same opponents in Singapore.

The former Glasgow coach will be looking to build on an encouraging Six Nations campaign which saw the Scots win three matches for the first time since 2006.

Townsend says he wants to see his side play fast rugby and the players have spoken of their determination to get off to a winning start under the new boss ahead of further Test matches against Australia in Sydney and Fiji in Suva this summer.

Image source, SNS