DUHAN van der Merwe is one of Scotland’s most lethal finishers – but will MISS the opening of the Six Nations.
begin their hunt for a first by travelling to the Stadio Olimpico to take on
Duhan van der Merwe is absent from Scotland’s playing squad against ItalyCredit: Alamy
Van der Merwe made appearances for the British & Irish Lions over the summerCredit: Getty
absence is one of three high-profile calls by , as pair Blair Kinghorn and Darcy Graham are also missing from the XV.
Graham starts on the bench, while Kinghorn is also completely missing from the squad.
Italy will be targeting an upset against Scotland, while the Scots will be hoping to fire themselves up the table in 2026.
SunSport can reveal why Duhan van der Merwe is absent from the squad.
Why is Duhan van der Merwe not playing for Scotland against Italy?
Duhan van der Merwe is not playing for Scotland as he was not selected by Gregor Townsend.
Van der Merwe scored twice against USA and once against Tonga in the Autumn Nations Series, but was absent from Scotland’s crunch clash against New Zealand.
Kyle Steyn and Jamie Dobie have been selected on the wings, while Darcy Graham offers cover on the bench for Scotland.
The South African native is an out-and-out winger, so his lack of versatility does not make him a desirable option on the bench for Townsend, while Graham can fill in across the back three.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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