What channel is Scotland vs Italy? Free live stream, TV, ref and team news for opening Six Nations clash
The start of February can only mean one thing to rugby fans, with Gregor Townsend's Scotland looking to finally secure a first Six Nations win
The Six Nations rugby tournament has historically been a tough battleground for Scotland, yet the nation's spirits are high once again.
Since the competition expanded to include six teams, Scotland haven't secured a championship win in over 25 years. The last time they savoured victory was in 1999 when a last-minute try by Wales against England crowned Scotland as the final Five Nations champions.
Despite grappling with an injury crisis and predictions of failure from Opta's statistical experts, Gregor Townsend's squad remains unfazed. Their previous campaign was a whirlwind, starting with a nail-biting 26-27 victory over Wales in Cardiff, followed by a narrow defeat to France at Murrayfield. A stunning 30-21 triumph against England secured the retention of the Calcutta Cup in Edinburgh for another year. However, defeats to Italy and eventual champions Ireland ensued.
Despite these hurdles, each match was fiercely fought, suggesting that Scotland are gradually closing the gap with the world's top rugby teams. As supporters descend on the capital for the opening match against Italy, there is a tangible sense of expectation that this could finally be Scotland's year.
Here, Record Sport provides all the information you need to ensure you don't miss any of the opening matchday action.
When is Scotland vs Italy?
Scotland welcome Italy to Murrayfield for their opening game of the Six Nations on Saturday February 1, with kick off at 2.15pm.
Is Scotland vs Italy on TV?
It is, and better than that it's on free-to-air TV with the game live on BBC One Scotland. Coverage gets underway at 1.15pm and runs all the way until 4.30pm.
Can I live stream Scotland vs Italy?
You can. The whole game will be available to stream via the BBC iPlayer website and app.
Where else can I follow the action?
You can keep up with all the action right here on dailyrecord.co.uk! We'll have build up and cover all the key moments. After the game, we'll have all the reaction from the Scotland camp and pundits so you can keep up with the fall-out.
Who is the referee for Scotland vs Italy?
Karl Dickson will be the man in the middle at Murrayfield, with the Englishman a former scrum-half for Harlequins prior to retiring as a player in 2017.
Team news
Scotland: 15. Blair Kinghorn, 14. Darcy Graham, 13. Huw Jones, 12. Stafford McDowall, 11. Duhan van der Merwe, 10. Finn Russell, 9. Ben White. 1. Pierre Schoeman, 2. Dave Cherry 3. Zander Fagerson, 4. Jonny Gray, 5. Grant Gilchrist, 6. Jamie Ritchie, 7. Rory Darge, 8. Matt Fagerson.
Replacements: Ewan Ashman, Rory Sutherland, Will Hurd, Gregor Brown, Jack Dempsey, George Horne, Tom Jordan, Kyle Rowe.