Scotland coach Gregor Townsend has made five changes to the starting lineup for their Six Nations match against France national rugby team.
Townsend said: “We know we’ve got the final game in Dublin, but it’s about us winning. That’s what we’re here for. Whatever the championship outcome, we aim to deliver a winning performance.”
Key Changes in the XV
Darcy Graham and Jack Dempsey start the match. Zander Fagerson misses a Six Nations game for the first time since 2023.
Kyle Steyn moves to left wing to accommodate Graham, while Duhan van der Merwe misses out. Graham and Van der Merwe share the Scotland record with 35 international tries.
Dempsey, who was expected to miss the tournament with a bicep injury, returns at number eight, replacing Matt Fagerson. Fagerson shifts to blindside flanker.
Gregor Brown moves to the second row to partner Scott Cummings, with Max Williamson dropped. A new front row features Pierre Schoeman, George Turner, and D’Arcy Rae. Nathan McBeth and Dave Cherry are left out.
Rookie Freddy Douglas is set for his first Six Nations appearance off the bench, alongside Ewan Ashman and Rory Sutherland. Townsend praised Douglas as “world-class” in winning the ball back and promised significant game time for Fagerson.
Townsend on Beating France
Townsend emphasized belief in his squad: “We believe we can beat any opposition. We must operate at nine out of ten level to challenge top teams.”
Scotland have won five of 13 matches against France since Townsend took charge in 2017. He reflected on past games, including the 27-all draw in Saint-Etienne in August 2023, where Scotland outscored France four tries to three.
Townsend said: “France are a top team, but we’ve risen to the challenge before. This match promises to be open, but even a narrow win counts.”
Scotland XV vs France
Starting XV: Blair Kinghorn; Darcy Graham, Huw Jones, Sione Tuipulotu (capt), Kyle Steyn; Finn Russell, Ben White; Pierre Schoeman, George Turner, D’Arcy Rae, Gregor Brown, Scott Cummings, Matt Fagerson, Rory Darge, Jack Dempsey.
Replacements: Ewan Ashman, Rory Sutherland, Zander Fagerson, Grant Gilchrist, Freddy Douglas, Josh Bayliss, George Horne, Tom Jordan.
