Nel drops out as Scotland call up four for Italy clash

Gregor Townsend has freshened up his squad for this Saturday’s Six Nations match against Italy in Rome by calling up four new players.

Three drop out, among them WP Nel, the hugely experienced tighthead prop. Nel, 37, was called into the Scotland squad for the match with England after missing the opening two rounds of the championship against Wales and France with a neck injury.

He never made the matchday 23 for the Calcutta Cup and now misses out, with his Edinburgh club-mate Javan Sebastian called up to take his place. It was a selection decision rather than injury-related.

Similarly Alex Craig, who was also called in for the England match, now leaves the squad. The second-row forward is replaced by Edinburgh’s Marshall Sykes who has one cap.

The third player omitted is Sione Tuipulotu, who injured his knee against England and has been ruled out for eight to 12 weeks. There is no like-for-like replacement for the centre but the versatile Jamie Dobie has been drafted in.

Dobie, chiefly a scrumhalf, can also play on the wing. The 22-year-old has been capped twice.

The fourth new face in the squad is loosehead prop Rory Sutherland, who receives his first call-up of this Six Nations. The experienced Sutherland came off the bench for Oyonnax in their home defeat by Montpellier in the Top 14 at the weekend.

Sutherland, 31, won the last of his 28 caps in the World Cup defeat by Ireland in Paris.

Townsend will name his team to play Italy on Thursday. Scotland’s final match is against Ireland in Dublin on Saturday 16 March.