Cuthbert will start at full-back against the Italian A side

Seven of Scotland's Six Nations squad will line up in the A fixture with Italy on Friday at Netherdale.

There are seven changes from last week's win over the Irish Wolfhounds, with Bath full-back Jack Cuthbert in for Jim Thompson, who has a sore ankle.

Cuthbert is joined by Johnnie Beattie, Greig Laidlaw, Alex Grove, Simon Danielli, Geoff Cross and Scott Lawson.

Grove and Danielli play at wing and centre in place of Ben Cairns and Hefin O'Hare, who drop to the bench.

In the forwards, Lawson takes the hooker berth, while Saracens forward Tom Ryder will line up in the second row, with Scott MacLeod remaining with the senior squad as cover.

Stuart McInally and Ryan Grant also come into the pack, in place of Ryan Wilson and Jon Welsh respectively. Both Wilson and Welsh are suffering from shoulder injuries.

On the bench, there are places for Stevie Lawrie and Glasgow lock Aly Muldowney, who is in line to make his Scotland A debut.

Coach Nick Scrivener want his team to replicate the dynamism and physicality they showed against the Wolfhounds.

He said: "We'll need to be just as sharp and just as intense, because although Italy A lost to England Saxons last weekend, they showed the sort of qualities up front that you'd expect from an Italian side and if we let them impose their game, life will become quite difficult for us.

"We're sending out another strong team this weekend and I'm looking forward to seeing them all deliver, because some of the players who've dropped out of the starting line-up from last weekend are very unlucky to find themselves in that position."

Scotland A: Jack Cuthbert (Bath), Lee Jones (Edinburgh), Alex Grove (Worcester Warriors), John Houston (Edinburgh), Simon Danielli (Ulster), David Blair (Edinburgh), Greig Laidlaw (Edinburgh, capt), Ryan Grant (Glasgow Warriors), Scott Lawson (Gloucester), Geoff Cross (Edinburgh), Tom Ryder (Saracens), Fraser McKenzie (Edinburgh), Stuart McInally (Edinburgh), Johnnie Beattie (Glasgow Warriors), Alan MacDonald (Edinburgh).
Replacements: Stevie Lawrie (Doncaster Knights), Kyle Traynor (Edinburgh), Aly Muldowney (Glasgow Warriors), Roddy Grant (Edinburgh), Colin Gregor (Glasgow Warriors), Ben Cairns (Edinburgh), Hefin O'Hare (Glasgow Warriors).

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