Bath’s Cameron Redpath makes his senior debut for Scotland in the pressure cooker that is the Calcutta Cup.
Redpath, 21, played for England U20s but chose to don the thistle on his chest for the Six Nations 2021.
Redpath will be at inside centre with Chris Harris at outside.
Hogg and Russell both start for Scotland.
Townsend makes five changes to the side that last played in the Autumn Nations third place play-off against Ireland back in December.
Sean Maitland, Cameron Redpath and Finn Russell come in for Darcy Graham, Duncan Taylor and Duhan Van der Walt in the back row.
Upfront George Turner and Hamish Watson come in for Fraser Brown and Blade Thompson.
Russell returns to the side after injuring himself in Scotland’s win in Wales during the final game of Six Nations 2020, which caused the Racing 92 fly-half to miss the entire Autumn Nations Cup.
Townsend resisted the temptation to bring former Lion Richie Gray straight back into the fold after four years away from the international side. Instead Scotland stick with the tried and tested pairing of Scott Cummings and Jonny Gray in the second row.
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For England, coach Eddie Jones drops George Ford and moves Owen Farrell to ten whilst giving Worcester Warrior’s Ollie Lawrence his first start at inside centre.
Lawrence made his England debut in the Red Rose’s Six Nations victory over Italy last year.
In a strange twist of fate Lawrence and Redpath played in the same team for the England U20s and come up directly against each other in Saturday’s fixture.
England v Scotland, Rnd 1 Six Nations 2021, Twickenham, Saturday, KO 16:45.
Harry Jamshid Reporter Sports Pages 