It will be Cross’ first start since the defeat against New Zealand in November – when he also notched a try.

But after bouncing back from their opening weekend loss to England with victory over the Azzurri, Johnson is calling for more of the same at Murrayfield this weekend.

“We have to improve on our last game and that’s been our theme at training all week,” said Johnson.

“But we’ve kept changes to a minimum and are saying to the players: ‘You’ve won one game. Now go out show us you can win another’.”

Dougie Hall has recovered from the knee injury picked up against England and is restored to the bench as well as his Glasgow teammate Jon Welsh – his first involvement with the national side since he returned home early from last summer’s tour to the South Pacific to undergo shoulder surgery.

SCOTLAND

15 Stuart Hogg

14 Sean Maitland

13 Sean Lamont

12 Matt Scott

11 Tim Visser

10 Ruaridh Jackson

9 Greig Laidlaw

1 Ryan Grant

2 Ross Ford

3 Geoff Cross

4 Richie Gray

5 Jim Hamilton

6 Robert Harley

7 Kelly Brown (captain)

8 Johnnie Beattie

Replacements

16 Dougie Hall

17 Jon Welsh

18 Moray Low

19 Alastair Kellock

20 David Denton

21 Henry Pyrgos

22 Duncan Weir

23 Max Evans