Six Nations: Six changes in Scotland starting team to face France

The Scotland head coach has shuffled both his backs and forwards, with Greig Laidlaw returning at scrum-half, Sean Maitland and Pete Horne starting at wing and centre respectively, and Grant Gilchrist (lock) and Ryan Wilson (back-row) coming into the pack.

Tighthead prop Simon Berghan comes into the squad after sitting out the opening fixture against Wales as he served the final part of a six-week suspension.

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Greig Laidlaw returns to the starting line-up as Gregor Townsend makes six changes to his team. Picture: SNS Group

Laidlaw partners stand-off Finn Russell at half-back, with the Clermont scrum-half making his first Six Nations appearance since sustaining the injury in the same fixture last year that brought a premature end to his tournament.

Saracens wing Maitland comes in for the injured Byron McGuigan to join Stuart Hogg and Tommy Seymour in the back-three. Horne is brought in to midfield in place of Chris Harris, who has a seat on the bench, with Huw Jones returning to his primary position of outside-centre.

Gilchrist starts in place of Ben Toolis, who is named among the replacements while Cornell du Preez drops out of the 23-man squad with Glasgow Warriors’ Ryan Wilson starting at number eight.

Stuat McInally and Gordon Reid return to the front-row where they will team up with Berghan. David Denton and the uncapped Blair Kinghorn are named on the bench following Wilson and Maitland’s promotion to the starting XV.

Greig Laidlaw returns to the starting line-up as Gregor Townsend makes six changes to his team. Picture: SNS Group

Laidlaw and Wilson have been named vice-captains with John Barclay continuing as skipper.

• READ MORE - Scotland’s clash with France is ‘must win’

Townsend said: “As a group we’re delighted to be playing at home in front of another sell-out crowd at BT Murrayfield and are looking forward to putting in a performance that can energise our supporters.

“To do that we need to out-work the opposition and be more accurate in a number of aspects of our play.

“We’ve seen a response from the players in training this week and that needs to continue into and through the 80-plus minutes of the match because France will pose a massive and immensely-physical challenge.”

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Scotland team to play France at BT Murrayfield Stadium NatWest 6 Nations, Sunday 11 February, kick-off 3pm

15. Stuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors) – 56 caps

14. Tommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors) – 40 caps

13. Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors) – 12 caps

12. Pete Horne (Glasgow Warriors) – 29 caps

11. Sean Maitland (Saracens) – 30 caps

10. Finn Russell (Glasgow Warriors) – 33 caps

9. Greig Laidlaw (ASM Clermont Auvergne) – 59 caps

1. Gordon Reid (London Irish) – 28 caps

2. Stuart McInally (Edinburgh Rugby) – 13 caps

3. Simon Berghan (Edinburgh Rugby) – 5 caps

4. Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh Rugby) – 19 caps

5. Jonny Gray (Glasgow Warriors) – 39 caps

6. John Barclay CAPTAIN (Scarlets) – 67 caps

7. Hamish Watson (Edinburgh Rugby) – 16 caps

8. Ryan Wilson (Glasgow Warriors) – 33 caps

Replacements

16. Scott Lawson (Newcastle Falcons) – 47 caps

17. Jamie Bhatti (Glasgow Warriors) – 4 caps

18. Jon Welsh (Newcastle Falcons) – 12 caps

19. Ben Toolis (Edinburgh Rugby) – 8 caps

20. David Denton (Worcester Warriors) – 35 caps

21. Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors) – 12 caps

22. Chris Harris (Newcastle Falcons) – 2 caps

23. Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh Rugby) – uncapped