Six Nations 2024: Scotland vs France match preview, team news, kick-off time & BBC coverage

Scotland continue their Six Nations campaign against a wounded France at Murrayfield after so nearly throwing away a 27-point lead in Cardiff.

France, though, will be bidding to bounce back from a record home defeat by Ireland in round one.

The visitors won on their most recent Six Nations visit to Edinburgh in 2022.

Scotland’s win in Cardiff was a first in the Welsh capital in 22 years but they came so close to being on the wrong end of the biggest comeback of the Six Nations era.

In the immediate aftermath, captain Finn Russell blamed complacency for allowing Wales to recover from 27-0 down to close to within a point by the time the game had finished.

An 80-minute performance will be needed this weekend if Scotland are to defeat a France side smarting from their opening loss to Ireland – the 21-point margin of defeat was Les Bleus’ biggest at home in the last 110 years of this championship.

Team news

Scotland: Head coach Gregor Townsend makes three changes, with two enforced by injury.

Flanker Luke Crosbie (shoulder) and second-row Richie Gray (bicep) will miss the rest of the tournament, while former skipper Jamie Ritchie has been dropped from the matchday 23.

Fit-again co-captain Rory Darge comes into the back row, along with Jack Dempsey, who was a replacement in Cardiff, while Matt Fagerson moves from eight to six.

Grant Gilchrist, sent off against France after just seven minutes in last year’s tournament, replaces Gray at lock.

France: France make two changes to their starting XV, with second row Cameron Woki replacing the suspended Paul Willemse, who will miss the next two Six Nations games following his costly red card against Ireland.

Louis Bielle-Biarrey is preferred to Yoram Moefana on the wing.

Woki’s promotion from the bench means that uncapped flanker Alexandre Roumat is included amongst the replacements, while prop Sebastien Taofifenua also replaces the injured Reda Wardi.

Commentator’s notes

Andrew Cotter: We used to wonder which France would turn up on any given day. Perhaps now that applies to Scotland, who change character even within matches, blowing hot and cold with each half in Cardiff. Townsend will stress the need for 80 minutes of concentration against a French side wounded, but keen to show that the record defeat by Ireland was merely an aberration.

Scotland will miss Gray with his championship-ending injury but Gilchrist is back from suspension and Darge will share the captaincy duties with Finn Russell. France may be without key players but have such depths of reserves. Once again again they go with a six-two split on the bench and will be looking for that extra power to tell.

It is a huge game to start the weekend. Scotland with hope that they can make it two wins from two – France with their desperation to avoid a deepening of the post-World Cup malaise.

View from both camps

Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend: “It is great for Rory that he is now available for us. It is a shame with the injury news we got with Richie and Luke, who had both had been playing very well. But we can bring quality into the squad with Grant Gilchrist and Jack Dempsey.

“It is tough on Jamie Ritchie. He has been a great leader for us, but we feel that with Andy Christie coming off the bench he can cover all three positions in the back row, which is better suited to playing France this week.

“France will bring physicality, they will go for it in the set-pieces, the scrum and the maul. They play really close to the forwards, so whether it’s playing off (number) nine or the pick and go, they’re a strong carrying team.

“We will have to get to each ruck in quick time to get them off the ball and allow us to play our quick game.”

France head coach Fabien Galthie: “The players have to feel our trust, and we feel their trust.

“The idea we had as a coaching staff and leaders’ group was to keep the same backbone to the team.

“It’s been our project since we’ve been in charge to have solidarity within the squad and the team in good and bad times.”

Line-ups

Scotland:15-Rowe, 14-Steyn, 13-Jones, 12-Tuipulotu, 11-Van der Merwe; 10-Russell (co-capt), White; 1-Schoeman, 2-Turner, 3-Z Fagerson, 4-R Gray, 5-Cummings, 6-M Fagerson, 7-Darge (co-capt), 8-Dempsey

Replacements: 16-Ashman, 17-Hepburn, 18-Millar-Mills, 19-Skinner, 20-Christie, 21-Horne, 22-Healy, 23-Redpath

France:15-Ramos, 14-Penaud, 13-Fickou, 12-Danty, 11-Bielle-Biarrey; 10-Jalibert, 9-Lucu; 1-Baille, 2-Mauvaka, 3-Atonio, 4-Woki, 5-Gabrillagues, 6-Cros, 7-Ollivon, 8-Alldritt (capt)

Replacements: 16-Marchand, 17-S Taofifenua, 18-Aldegheri, 19-Tuilagi, 20-Roumat, 21-Boudehent, 22-Le Garrec, 23-Moefana

Six Nations standings

Scotland are third in the standings following their win over Wales, but France are bottom after their thrashing by Grand Slam holders Ireland.

Match facts

Head-to-head

• France’s 36-17 win in 2022 ended a run of three Six Nations defeats at Murrayfield.
• Prior to that, Scotland had won just one of the previous eight Six Nations home meetings.

Scotland

• Scotland could win their opening two games for only the second time in the Six Nations era, having done so versus England and Wales last year.
• They have won six of their last seven home Test matches (L1), including the last four – their longest run at Murrayfield since 2018 (also 4). That sequence included a 32-26 Six Nations win versus France.

France

• France have won nine of their last 11 Six Nations matches (L2), with both defeats coming against Ireland.
• Les Bleus’ 21-point defeat by Ireland in round one is their biggest losing margin at home in this championship since a 39-13 loss to England in 1914.

Match officials

Referee: Nic Berry (Australia)

Touch judges: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia) & Jordan Way (Australia)

TMO: Brian MacNeice (Ireland)