Dave Cherry and Jonny Gray have been selected for their first Scotland caps in two years for their Six Nations opener against Italy at Murrayfield on Saturday.

Edinburgh hooker Cherry last featured for Scotland at the 2023 World Cup and will earn a 12th Test cap, while Bordeaux lock Gray, 30, last played when Italy were previously at Murrayfield for the Six Nations.

Injured captain Sione Tuipulotu is set to be replaced by Stafford McDowell, with Finn Russell and Rory Darge set to act as co-skippers.

Explaining his decisions, Scotland coach Gregor Townsend said: "He's (Cherry) been playing well for Edinburgh.

"We feel Dave's strengths will suit what we want him to do, his experience will be his number one strength, his set-piece accuracy and experience in the scrum and we feel that's the right blend for what we want to achieve."

On Gray, set to earn a 78th cap, who has not played for six weeks, Townsend added: "We had to be sure that he was fully fit.

"He did have a tight calf at the end of the week, but he's trained fully this week so we are backing how he came back from his injury for Bordeaux in the 10-11 games he played for them.

"We know he's an experienced international that will be hugely motivated to play once again for Scotland."

Scotland XV: Blair Kinghorn, Darcy Graham, Huw Jones, Stafford McDowall, Duhan van der Merwe, Finn Russell (c), Ben White; Pierre Schoeman, Dave Cherry, Zander Fagerson, Jonny Gray, Grant Gilchrist, Jamie Ritchie, Rory Darge (c), Matt Fagerson.

Replacements: Ewan Ashman, Rory Sutherland, Will Hurd, Gregor Brown, Jack Dempsey, George Horne, Tom Jordan, Kyle Rowe.