Scotland's Aussie captain upbeat over Six Nations bid

The head coach has made the bold call not to include any of the trusted trio of Blair Kinghorn, Darcy Graham and Duhan van der Merwe in his starting XV for the showdown in Rome. 

It will be the first time none of the British and Irish Lions trio have started in a Six Nations match since February 2019. 

Instead, Bristol's Tom Jordan will play at full-back, with Glasgow pair Jamie Dobie and Kyle Steyn getting the nod on the wings in a selection that Melburnian captain Tuipulotu believes displays the array of back-line options Scotland possess. 

"At least since I've been around, those three have been playing in most of the games that I've played for Scotland so I think it's going to be a little bit different out there tomorrow," said Tuipulotu, speaking pitchside at Scotland's team run at Stadio Olimpico on Friday. 

"This time Kyle and Dobie and Tommy have been given the opportunity to play those positions and I'll back them as much as I can. 

"I believe in them wholeheartedly, and I know what they can do in big games, and this is a big game for us tomorrow." 

Townsend has selected nine Glasgow players in his starting XV and a further five on the bench. 

Warriors have won each of their last nine games since the start of December, including all four of their Champions Cup pool matches, and Tuipulotu is hopeful the harmony they have generated at club level can transfer into the Test arena. 

"We're very cohesive out there at the moment, I can feel it at training," said the Glasgow centre, whose Australian back-row clubmater, former Wallaby Jack Dempsey, will also feature at No.8. 

"We play with each other throughout the whole year. 

"As national team captain, I'm very proud of the boys that have come through Glasgow, and now we're playing together for the national team. 

"I just want to see them take their club form to national duties now. I just hope we can show how cohesive and together we are. Not just the Glasgow boys, but all of us together tomorrow." 

Tuipulotu is expecting Italy be "passionate" opponents at a sold-out Olimpico, where he'll be up against another Melburnian, Monty Ioane, the Italian winger, while Louis Lynagh, son of former Wallabies' great Michael, will line up on the other flank to complete the fixture's Aussie flavour. 

Asked what Scotland, who finished fourth in each of the previous two years, can achieve in the championship, Tuipulotu said: "That's not really my concern at the moment. 

"My main concern is beating Italy. If we can, we'll get our championship off to a kick-start," he said.

Australian Associated Press