Scotland vs Italy Preview & Prediction | 2025 Six Nations Championship | Round 1
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Two much-improved sides open their 2025 Six Nations campaign at Murrayfield on Saturday.
Start date/time: Saturday 1st February, 2025: UK – 2:15pm / US ET – 9:15am / US PT – 6:15am
How to watch on TV: UK – BBC / US – Not televised
How to watch online: UK – BBC iPlayer & the BBC Sport website / US – Peacock
Scotland Form: Promising form in Autumn
There is optimism in the Scottish camp ahead of the 2025 Six Nations Championship, especially with Gregor Townsends’s side having put in some impressive performances during the autumn Internationals.
The Scots won three of their four Tests, most notably defeating Australia, and only lost to reigning world champions South Africa. Those encounters against strong nations will only serve them well as they take on the Northern Hemisphere elite over the next couple of months.
Last Five: WWLWW
Italy Form: Aiming to build on 2024 championship successes
Last year’s Six Nations Championship contained plenty of positives for Italy, who recorded victories over Scotland and Wales and claimed an excellent draw with France.
Indeed, the Azzurri are unbeaten in their last three Six Nations contests – their longest such streak since joining the competition in 2000. In the Autumn Nations Series, they lost to Southern Hemisphere powerhouses Argentina and New Zealand, but claimed a narrow victory over Tier 2 nation Georgia.
Last Five: WWLWL
Scotland Team News: Surprise start for Dave Cherry
Squad: Blair Kinghorn (Toulouse), Darcy Graham (Edinburgh), Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors), Stafford McDowall (Glasgow Warriors), Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh), Finn Russell (Bath Rugby), Ben White (Toulon), Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh), Dave Cherry (Edinburgh), Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors), Jonny Gray (Bordeaux Bègles), Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh), Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh), Rory Darge (Glasgow Warriors), Matt Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors)
Replacements: Ewan Ashman (Edinburgh), Rory Sutherland (Glasgow Warriors), Will Hurd (Leicester Tigers), Gregor Brown (Glasgow Warriors), Jack Dempsey (Glasgow Warriors), George Horne (Glasgow Warriors), Tom Jordan (Glasgow Warriors), Kyle Rowe (Glasgow Warriors)
Italy Team News: Dino Lamb to start at lock
Squad: Danilo Fischetti, Giacomo Nicotera, Simone Ferrari, Dino Lamb, Federico Ruzza, Sebastian Negri, Michele Lamaro (captain), Lorenzo Cannone, Martin Page-Relo, Paolo Garbisi, Monty Ioane, Tommaso Menoncello, Juan Ignacio Brex, Ange Capuozzo, Tommaso Allan
Replacements: Gianmarco Lucchesi, Luca Rizzoli, Marco Riccioni, Niccolo Cannone, Manuel Zulinai, Ross Vintcent, Alessandro Garbisi, Simone Gesi
Scotland vs Italy Prediction
Italy have come a long way since their first entry in this tournament 25 years ago, and after competing well last year, which included a win in Rome over Scotland, hopes are high that they can build on that this time around.
Scotland have made some significant strides themselves though, and will be determined to exact revenge over Italy after last year’s defeat, which was the Azzurri’s first Six Nations win at home since 2013.
While Scotland are considered favourites here, especially on home turf, this stubborn Italian side will not go down easily. In what is likely to be a competitive encounter, the hosts should come out on top, but it is unlikely to be a landslide.
Scotland vs Italy Tip: Scotland to win by 8-14 points
