Finn Russell waves goodbye to Scotland No10 jersey after Kinghorn masterclass
Blair Kinghorn sent a resounding message to Gregor Townsend on Saturday at Murrayfield, scoring a hat trick against Italy in the final round of the Six Nations.
In the absence of Finn Russell, the Edinburgh back started in the No10 jersey, and showed what he brings to the Scotland attack with two tries either side of half time from close range. But it was actually his length of the field try in the final play of the game that will have made Townsend take note.
The 26-year-old instigated the attack from under his own posts, and ended up running the try in from 50 metres out. That is something Russell is not doing.
Plenty of Scotland fans will now say that Kinghorn has to start, which means either Russell or Stuart Hogg will have to go. Both were missing for the win over Italy and Kinghorn well and truly took his chance.
This was his third try:
This was his second try:
This was his third try:
SCOTLAND XV
15. Ollie Smith (Glasgow Warriors) 2 caps
14. Kyle Steyn (Glasgow Warriors) 9 caps
13. Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors) 35 caps
12. Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors) – Vice-Captain – 15 caps
11. Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh Rugby) 27 caps
10. Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh Rugby) 42 caps
9. Ben White (London Irish) 13 caps
1. Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh Rugby) 20 caps
2. George Turner (Glasgow Warriors) 34 caps
3. Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors) 57 caps
4. Sam Skinner (Edinburgh Rugby) 24 caps
5. Jonny Gray (Exeter Chiefs) – Vice-Captain – 76 caps
6. Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh Rugby) – Captain – 40 caps
7. Hamish Watson (Edinburgh Rugby) 56 caps
8. Jack Dempsey (Glasgow Warriors) 8 caps
REPLACEMENTS
16. Ewan Ashman (Sale Sharks) 6 caps
17. Rory Sutherland (Ulster Rugby) 22 caps
18. WP Nel (Edinburgh Rugby) 53 caps
19. Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors) 24 caps
20. Matt Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors) 32 caps
21. Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors) 60 caps
22. Ben Healy (Munster) uncapped
23. Cameron Redpath (Bath Rugby) 4 caps
ITALY XV
15. Tommaso Allan
14. Pierre Bruno
13. Juan Ignacio Brex
12. Luca Morisi
11. Simone Gesi
10. Paolo Garbisi
9. Alessandro Fusco
1. Danilo Fischetti
2. Giacomo Nicotera
3. Marco Riccioni
4. Edoardo Iachizzi
5. Federico Ruzza
6. Sebastian Negri
7. Michele Lamaro
8. Lorenzo Cannone
REPLACEMENTS
16. Marco Manfredi
17. Federico Zani
18. Pietro Ceccarelli
19. Niccolo Cannone
20. Giovanni Pettinelli
21. Manuel Zuliani
22. Alessandro Garbisi
23. Marco Zanon