In numerical terms the scale of change is not as great as that undertaken by Wales last weekend, but overhauling the front five and re-shuffling the back line ahead of his side’s last competitive match before World Cup year represented another risk by Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend ahead of this weekend’s trip to Rome.

Visits to Italy can by no means be considered as hazardous as was once the case for Scottish teams, a solitary defeat at Murrayfield in 2015 the only loss suffered in nine meetings since the first to the Stadio Olimpico on 2012 when Townsend was in his first stint on the national team’s management.

However, Wales were playing on home soil last weekend, whereas the dynamic is different for a Scotland side that still has a great deal to prove in a season that has seen major figures in the sport question their right to be considered genuine contenders for silverware until they can show that they can win away from home.

In terms of indicating the level of belief within the camp, there was an added level of intrigue when Townsend hinted at the prospect of prop Simon Berghan playing for Edinburgh tomorrow night after playing three consecutive Tests, while Grant Gilchrist’s omission from the Scotland 23 means he, too, could face Munster at Murrayfield.

That invites the inference that with Scotland unable to claim the Six Nations title, priorities may have changed, but it is also fair to say that there is now sufficient competition for places that the starting line-up still looks strong enough to beat the struggling Italians and do so in some style, while the explanations for the changes were all plausible.

For all that Blair Kinghorn, the youngster who replaced him, performed well in Dublin, scoring a try on his first international start, the recall of Tommy Seymour was automatic as soon as he proved that he had recovered from the injury that cost him his place against Ireland.

The changes to the front five were slightly more surprising, hooker Stuart McInally having been arguably Scotland’s player of the tournament for all that there were some issues with the lineout last weekend, the quality of Berghan’s scrummaging having surprised experts in that field and Gilchrist looking to have formed a solid partnership with Jonny Gray in the second row.

All three are replaced by highly experienced players, though, McInally and looked by Fraser Brown, who was ahead of him in the pecking order prior to suffering injury problems this season, Berghan by clubmate WP Nel, who was Scotland’s first choice tighthead prop before suffering serious neck and arm injuries and Gilchrist by Tim Swinson, whose style of play is reckoned to be right for this opposition.

In McInally’s case the explanation for him dropping to the bench was “the management of energy” which was understandable at the end of a campaign which included him putting in back-to-back 80 minute appearances against France and England, almost unheard of for a modern front-row forward, while the return from injury of Richie Gray, another British & Irish Lion and Glasgow Warriors prop Zander Fagerson, has meanwhile allowed for that option of letting Berghan and Gilchrist return to their club.

“Grant has played well (but) we believe that what we’re looking to do this week, Tim is more suited to the rugby we aim to play, with his ball carrying,” said Townsend, who described Berghan’s de-selection as similarly having mainly been down to “rotation.”

The omission from the starting midfield of Peter Horne, in favour of his clubmate Nick Grigg, had more of the look of a reaction to Scotland’s failure to take full advantage of the chances they created last weekend, the play-maker having been among the culprits in throwing poor passes at key moments, but Townsend said that change also had more to do with this particular fixture.

“It’s mostly down to the playing style of Italy and how they defend,” he asserted.

“They defend differently. They might change it now that I’m taking about it so much, but they are a bit more wide spaced so we’ve got to make sure we punch holes in that defence.

“Nick has shown off the bench that he carries the ball really well. We believe that will be better for us this week, so he’s earned his opportunity by what he’s done, but also by how we believe we should play this weekend.”