Scotland vs. Italy: Date, Live Stream, TV Info, Six Nations 2017 Preview
Scotland and Italy face off under a familiar set of circumstances on Saturday as another Six Nations campaign comes to an end with the bottom two sides looking to make a final dash up the standings.
However, with two wins to their name already, the Scots could make the jump from fifth to second depending on how the final week of results plays out, giving Vern Cotter's side plenty of motivation to impress at Murrayfield.
Scotland may also benefit from the fact this will be Cotter's last game in charge of the team, meaning both players and coach could conjure up one final fanfare to see the New Zealander off in style.
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Italy coach Conor O'Shea has impressed early in his stewardship of the Azzurri, but an injury-hit team missing star centre Michele Campagnaro could struggle in their trip to Murrayfield.
Read on for a preview of Saturday's clash in Edinburgh, complete with all the essential viewing information to ensure you don't miss a minute of the action.
Date: Saturday, March 18
Time: 12:30 p.m. GMT/8:30 a.m. ET
Venue: Murrayfield, Edinburgh
Live Stream: BBC Sport website (UK)
TV Info: BBC One (UK)
The O'Shea Experiment
Following on from the no-ruck experiment that seemed to work so well in the first-half display against England in Week 3, Italy were dismayed to lose so convincingly to France in Week 4, suffering a 40-18 loss at home.
It's hardly a new story for most Azzurri supporters, but Simon Thomas of WalesOnline put into a few words just how difficult a task O'Shea has in turning Italy's fortunes around:
In fact, former Ireland international Shane Horgan and an RTE Rugby panel criticised the lack of tackling on Italy's behalf during that performance:
Too long has it been the case that star No. 8 and captain Sergio Parisse has been the sole source of promise in the Italy team, and now O'Shea needs to go in search of more players boasting his brand of quality.
The Irish tactician could have a few more surprises up his sleeve for the clash in Edinburgh, and although this is just the beginning of his journey in the position, the time to start showing signs of promise is now.
Fraser Brown and the Letter of the Law
Scotland have been boosted by the news that hooker Fraser Brown will be eligible to feature on Saturday after the yellow card he received for a dangerous tackle on England's Elliot Daly in Week 4 was deemed punishment enough, per BBC Sport.
Daly was left crumpled by a clear tip tackle, and while further punishment was expected by some, commentator Nick Heath detailed his incredulity to hear Brown would be back for Week 5:
Forwards coach Jonathan Humphreys spoke to the press after Scotland's Week 4 defeat to England, before it was announced that Brown had been cleared to line up against Italy this Saturday, per BBC Sport's report.
He said: "We're obviously going to take contingencies in case that [Brown misses the game] happens. But we're fairly hopeful that the right punishment was on the field. He didn't land on his neck, so we're hopeful, when they review it, they'll see that and hopefully Fraser will be available for us."
The hooker will be overjoyed to have heard the independent committee rule in his favour and that a yellow card was sufficient punishment, although the jury is still out on the decision.
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