Scotland earn seventh straight win over Italy
Italy now lost 18 straight Six Nations games
Kinghorn completes hat-trick to secure bonus point
Hogg and Harris add further tries
Late Italy tries for Palazzani, Padovani Esposito with Berghan in the bin
Scotland 0-0 Italy
Brian Moore
Former England hooker on BBC One
Quote MessageIt was the right decision. I can't help but think Scotland rushed it a bit to go forward. If they'd have taken their time, the platform would have been more stable and they wouldn't have needed the secondary movement.
Image source, PAScotland 0-0 Italy
Peter Wright
Former Scotland prop on BBC Radio Scotland
Quote MessageWhy did Grant Gilchrist end up on the ground. Surely they have to ask the TMO that?
Scotland 0-0 Italy
Scotland lock Grant Gilchrist looked like he might have stretched over under all the bodies, but TMO Simon McDowell says no.
Scotland 0-0 Italy
Ryan Wilson takes the line-out and Scotland launch the drive for the line. There's a pile of bodies....did they get the ball down?
Scotland 0-0 Italy
Scotland on the attack and Stuart Hogg is released down the left flank, and then flicks it back inside to Greig Laidlaw.
The captain opts for a kick ahead, when he might have been better off keeping it in hand. But Scotland have the throw-in at the line-out...
Image source, ReutersScotland 0-0 Italy
Italy fumble a high kick inside the opening 30 seconds and the ball falls into the arms of Stuart Hogg, who is haring up the right wing to get the home fans on their feet.
Image source, AFPScotland 0-0 Italy
Italy fly-half Tommaso Allan gets us under way.
Scotland v Italy (14:15 KO)
A quick reminder before we get going of today's teams.
Scotland: 15-Stuart Hogg, 14-Tommy Seymour, 13-Huw Jones, 12-Sam Johnson, 11-Blair Kinghorn; 10-Finn Russell, 9-Greig Laidlaw; 1-Allan Dell, 2-Stuart McInally, 3-Willem Nel, 4-Ben Toolis, 5-Grant Gilchrist, 6-Sam Skinner, 7-Jamie Ritchie, 8-Ryan Wilson.
Replacements: 16-Jake Kerr, 17-Jamie Bhatti, 18-Simon Berghan, 19-Gary Graham, 20-Josh Strauss, 21-Ali Price, 22-Adam Hastings, 23-Chris Harris.
Italy: 15-Jayden Hayward, 14-Angelo Esposito, 13-Luca Morisi, 12-Tommaso Castello, 11-Michele Campagnaro; 10-Tommaso Allan, 9-Tito Tebaldi; 1-Andrea Lovotti, 2-Leonardo Ghiraldini, 3-Simone Ferrari, 4-David Sisi, 5-Dean Budd, 6-Sebastian Negri, 7-Braam Steyn, 8-Sergio Parisse.
Replacements: 16-Luca Bigi, 17-Cherif Traore, 18-Tiziano Pasquali, 19-Jimmy Tuivaiti, 20-Federico Ruzza, 21-Guglielmo Palazzani, 22-Ian McKinley, 23-Edoardo Padovani.
Referee: Luke Pearce (England)
Scotland v Italy (14:15 KO)
Sing up..
Scotland v Italy (14:15 KO)
Sara Orchard
BBC rugby union reporter at Murrayfield
The first man out of the tunnel for Italy was Leonardo Ghiraldini, winning his 100th cap today. The Toulouse hooker might be 34 but he made 60 tackles in the 2018 Six Nations and missed none.
Scotland v Italy (14:15 KO)
Colin Gregor
Former Scotland Sevens captain on BBC Radio Scotland
Quote MessageChris Harris on the bench to cover the back five is interesting. Gregor Townsend obviously thinks he's a more versatile option than someone like Darcy Graham, who's maybe the form wing in Scottish rugby.
#bbcrugby
Stephen Williams: Is Sergio Parisse not just a magnificent guy? Hopefully, not too magnificent today though!
Scott McKenzie: Ready to watch Scotland begin their 6Ns v Italy from the cozy confines of Rabat, Morocco! ‘Mon Scotland!!!!
Kate Shaw: Attempting to write an essay for my Masters AND watch Scotland vs Italy. A great combination… maybe….
Scotland v Italy (14:15 KO)
The teams are lined up on the pitch. Princess Anne, patron of the Scottish Rugby Union, being introduced to the players. Sam Johnson, making his debut today, gives her a fresh-faced smile.
And now for the anthems.
First up, Il Canto degli Italiani. Always a passionate affair...
Scotland v Italy (14:15 KO)
Jake Polledri
Italy international and Gloucester flanker on BBC One
Sergio Parisse makes sure everyone is on the same page. He makes sure I understand because I still struggle with the language.
Italy would be mad to let him go anywhere else. I imagine they'd keep him as a consultant if he retired. He's tri-lingual and he's very vocal on the field. Off the field, he's a complete professional as well.
Image source, Getty ImagesSergio Parisse wins his 135th cap today
Scotland v Italy (14:15 KO)
Sara Orchard
BBC rugby union reporter at Murrayfield
The last fans are taking their seats as we prepare for the pre-match rituals.
Less than 10 minutes til the off...
Scotland v Italy (14:15 KO)
Andy Nicol
Former Scotland international on BBC One
Ryan Wilson brings leadership. He brings physicality and an edge.
He's going to take the lead and be in the Italians; faces. He sets the tone and the passion levels. You speak to any player and they love playing with him.
Image source, Getty ImagesScotland v Italy (14:15 KO)
Italy have beaten Scotland seven times in the Six Nations, including twice at Murrayfield. The last occasion was in February 2015, also the last time Italy won a Six Nations match against anybody. 17 consecutive losses have followed in the intervening years.
Could today be the day that Azzurri anguish ends? They came close to toppling the Scots in Rome last year, when the visitors required a 79th-minute Greig Laidlaw penalty to bail them out of a Colosseum-sized hole.
But Italy failed to score a point on their last visit to Murrayfield two years ago. Chuck in a couple of World Cup warm-up Tests, and a 2017 summer Test played in Singapore, of all places, and Scotland have won the last six.
This is the first time they have faced each other on the opening day since Italy's momentous entrance into the championship in 2000, when Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend was part of a visiting side humbled by Diego Dominguez et al in the old Stadio Flaminio.
Scotland v Italy (14:15 GMT)
Sara Orchard
BBC rugby union reporter at Murrayfield
Scrum-half Tito Tebaldi has pulled up in the warm-up with a lower back problem. Guglielmo Palazzani comes into the starting line-up at nine and Tommaso Benvenuti joins the replacements' bench.
Gutting for Tebaldi - he would have been playing his first Six Nations game for five years.
Scotland v Italy (14:15 KO)
Italy captain Sergio Parisse, in what is likely to be his final Six Nations campaign, overtakes the legendary Brian O'Driscoll today with his 66th appearance in the Championship.
The totemic number eight, now 35, has arguably been one of the greatest, if not THE greatest, player of the Six Nations era, despite Italy winning only nine of those previous 65 games he has played in.
That's a debate for another day, but let's enjoy the great man while he lasts. This will almost certainly be his final outing at Murrayfield.
Image source, GracenoteScotland v Italy (14:15 KO)
Jeremy Guscott
Former England centre on BBC One
Quote MessageScotland have got to think they're in with a great shout with three home games. It's more about mental application and getting that right. The superstars are all in the backs so Scotland have got to get stronger in the forwards and win away from home.