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Scotland have made a solitary change to their team that will face England in their Six Nations clash on Saturday as Magnus Bradbury starts.
The 24-year-old Edinburgh back-row has recovered from the thigh strain that kept him from starting last weekend’s loss to Ireland, with club-mate and debutant that day, Nick Haining, moving to the bench.
The remaining change to the matchday 23 occurs on the bench, where Edinburgh tighthead Simon Berghan returns to the position in which he was selected last weekend, only to be ruled out through illness on the day of the game.
“We were proud of parts of our performance in Dublin at a very difficult venue. The challenge for the squad is to replicate that level and take our chances when they come, in order to win tight games,” said head coach Gregor Townsend.
“We were disappointed not to beat Ireland but the opportunity to face England, against whom we are bidding to retain the Calcutta Cup, is one that excites players, coaches and supporters alike.”
Bradbury – scorer of try number three of six in last year’s remarkable 11-try Calcutta Cup match at Twickenham – will feature in an all-Edinburgh back-row with Jamie Ritchie on the blindside and Hamish Watson at openside.
They will start behind an unchanged tight five of Glasgow Warriors second-rows Scott Cummings and Jonny Gray, and club-mates Fraser Brown (hooker) and Zander Fagerson (tighthead), with Edinburgh’s Rory Sutherland re-selected at loosehead.
No change to the backs means Ali Price and Adam Hastings will rekindle their club partnership at Test level, with fellow Warriors Huw Jones and Sam Johnson – try scorers against England in 2018 and 2019 respectively – in midfield.
Captain and full-back Stuart Hogg anchors a back three with Sean Maitland and Blair Kinghorn.
Townsend added: “England are an excellent team whose run to the Rugby World Cup final was no fluke.
“They will be smarting from their opener in Paris and Eddie [Jones] will have them primed to come to Edinburgh and put in an improved performance.
“This famous fixture is one that stands out given the history surrounding it and we will have to be at our very best to stand a chance of winning against our oldest rivals.”
England head coach Eddie Jones has made several changes to his side after their opening defeat as they prepare to face Scotland at Murrayfield on Saturday.
Ben Youngs is the biggest-name casualty after the veteran Leicester scrum-half was demoted to the bench for the Six Nations second round fixture, making way for Willi Heinz.
Also gone is loosehead prop Joe Marler, who is jettisoned from the 23 completely and loses his place in the starting XV to Mako Vunipola, with Ellis Genge deputizing among the replacements.
Courtney Lawes has been relieved of his blindside flanker duties in a move that elevates Lewis Ludlam into the back-row, but Tom Curry is retained at number eight for a second match.
The second-row sees George Kruis come in for Charlie Ewels, the Bath lock who has also paid the price for a below-par opening to the Championship in Paris.
Jonathan Joseph’s selection at outside centre is an enforced change after Manu Tuilagi was ruled out of the trip to Edinburgh by a groin strain that should see him return against Ireland two weeks later.
George Furbank endured an error-strewn Test debut at the Stade de France but he survives at full-back and is present as part of an unchanged back three.
There is no Luke Cowan-Dickie on the bench due to his wife going into labour, so Tom Dunn could make his debut as a replacement, as could uncapped Saracens flanker Ben Earl.
Jones has opted for a six-two split of forwards and backs on the bench, pointing to a game plan of overpowering Scotland up front.
Scotland: 15 Stuart Hogg (c), 14 Sean Maitland, 13 Huw Jones, 12 Sam Johnson, 11 Blair Kinghorn, 10 Adam Hastings, 9 Ali Price, 8 Magnus Bradbury, 7 Hamish Watson, 6 Jamie Ritchie, 5 Jonny Gray, 4 Scott Cummings, 3 Zander Fagerson, 2 Fraser Brown, 1 Rory Sutherland
Replacements: 16 Stuart McInally, 17 Allan Dell, 18 Simon Berghan, 19 Ben Toolis, 20 Nick Haining, 21 George Horne, 22 Rory Hutchinson, 23 Chris Harris
England: 15 George Furbank, 14 Jonny May, 13 Jonathan Joseph, 12 Owen Farrell (c), 11 Elliot Daly, 10 George Ford, 9 Willi Heinz, 8 Tom Curry, 7 Sam Underhill, 6 Lewis Ludlam, 5 George Kruis, 4 Maro Itoje, 3 Kyle Sinckler, 2 Jamie George, 1 Mako Vunipola
Replacements: 16 Tom Dunn, 17 Ellis Genge, 18 Will Stuart, 19 Joe Launchbury, 20 Courtney Lawes, 21 Ben Earl, 22 Ben Youngs, 23 Ollie Devoto
Date: Saturday, February 8
Venue: Murrayfield
Kick-off: 16:45 GMT
Referee: Pascal Gaüzère (France)
Assistant referees: Mathieu Raynal (France), Federico Anselmi (Argentina)
TMO: James Leckie (Australia)
