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Scotland v France: Team line-ups, kick-off time, key quotes, predictions, odds and where to watch on TV
Our guide to the Guinness Six Nations clash between Scotland and France at Murrayfield includes team news, predictions, statistics and more.
What time is kick-off & what channel is it on?
The match, which takes place at Twickenham, will start at 1500 GMT on Sunday March 8 and will be screened live on ITV.
Scotland v France: Team news
Scotland: S Hogg (Exeter, capt); S Maitland (Saracens), C Harris (Gloucester), S Johnson (Glasgow), B Kinghorn (Edinburgh); A Hastings (Glasgow), A Price (Glasgow); R Sutherland (Edinburgh), F Brown (Glasgow), Z Fagerson (Glasgow), S Cummings (Glasgow), G Gilchrist (Edinburgh), J Ritchie (Edinburgh), H Watson (Edinburgh), N Haining (Edinburgh).
Replacements: S McInally (Edinburgh), A Dell (London Irish), W Nel (Edinburgh), S Skinner (Exeter), M Bradbury (Edinburgh), G Horne (Glasgow), D Weir (Worcester), K Steyn (Glasgow).
France: A Bouthier (Montpellier); D Penaud (Clermont Auvergne), V Vakatawa (Racing 92), A Vincent (Montpellier), G Fickou (Stade Francais); R Ntamack (Toulouse), A Dupont (Toulouse); J Poirot (Bordeaux-Begles), J Marchand (Toulouse), M Haouas (Montpellier), B Le Roux (Racing 92), P Willemse (Montpellier), F Cros (Toulouse), C Ollivon (Toulon, capt), G Alldritt (La Rochelle).
Replacements: C Chat (Racing 92), J-B Gros (Toulon), D Bamba (Lyon), R Taofifenua (Toulon), D Cretin (Lyon), B Serin (Toulon), M Jalibert (Bordeaux-Begles), T Ramos (Toulouse).
Referee: Paul Williams (New Zealand).
Assistant referees: Wayne Barnes (England) and Frank Murphy (Ireland).
Scotland v France: Odds and tips
Scotland are 7/4 to end France's Grand Slam ambitions with victory here. France are 2/5, while they're given a six-point start on the handicap. Click here for the odds
I think France are a defeat waiting to happen, and I think SCOTLAND could well be the team to inflict it.
I can hear those who watched Scotland’s dismal 17-0 defeat of Italy sniggering now, as that was one woeful, error-strewn international, lit up by a sole piece of individual brilliance by Stuart Hogg.
But it is never wise to judge, over-react to, or back a team on their most recent performance alone – as England’s backers at 2/5 in the World Cup final can testify to – and I prefer to view this game in the light of Scotland’s seven-point losses to Ireland in Dublin, and England at Murrayfield.
Both games could have gone either way.
On a Six Nations weekend where I think bets are at a premium, then I have no hesitation in making Scotland +6 a stand-out wager at evens with bet365 and William Hill.
Scotland v France: Inside the camps
- Scotland coach Gregor Townsend
"We don't know the French as well as the other teams, we don't play them on a regular basis in the PRO14, and the French have brought a number of new players into their squad.
"Conversations with players who are playing in France, people who have worked under Fabien Galthie in the past, and also having a former French international (Pieter de Villiers) on our coaching staff has certainly helped.
"It was good to have that contact to help us with our preparation.
"We know how good the French team are and how well we'll have to play to beat them but we've prepared really well this week, and we're up for that challenge.
"I hope we'll be better than we did that day in Nice during the summer. Those two games in the summer are not the same as the Six Nations.
"They were the first games of the season, we didn't play well in Nice and we made some changes the following week and played better.
"But we were still nowhere near where we are now in terms of the team playing together and training together. Six Nations is very different than summer Tests.
"Those warm-up games aren't that relevant. In terms of players who have come into their team, Charles Ollivon for example had a great game against us in Nice, Antoine Dupont and Romain N'Tamack have played very well coming into the team this last year or two, certainly N'Tamack has.
"So we've got an idea what their threats as individuals are, from having played the last two years again, but much more relevant is the fact that they've changed their coaches.
"They've changed the philosophy on how they play, it's a very different French team than the one we played in Paris 12 months ago, that's for sure."
- Scotland lock Sam Skinner
"I'm thrilled to be back in," said Skinner. "I love being back with the guys and I'm ready to get stuck in.
"Missing out on the World Cup was difficult to take at the time. I think my family ended up saving some money on a nice camper van rather than going to Japan as a silver lining.
"It was a long seven months in the end and it was a tough period. But I've worked on some things away from rugby and I've enjoyed the process, so I'm just happy to be back.
"It's gutting at the time, though. You take a short period to feel sorry for yourself but you can't take the highs too high and the lows too low. It was just kind of keep cracking on and enjoying it.
"I wanted the boys to do as well as possible and like most Scotland fans I was on the edge of my seat most of the time. I watched, supported and I was gutted when we couldn't quite make it through.
"What can you do? Life chucks some things in the way, but you've just got to crack on. I'm just grateful to have the opportunity to come back in now.
"I'm really excited to be back with the guys and it's a refreshing start for me.
"You can't take anything for granted, this week is going to be an incredible game and I can't wait to get stuck in."
- Scotland prop Zander Ferguson
"Being a dad gives you a whole new perspective on life," said Fagerson. "I was told that the first day you wake up after the birth of your child, you don't think about yourself any more.
"I didn't believe that but the day Iona was born I found myself asking, 'Where is she? Where is she?'
"In Japan, I was quite gutted not being involved in that first Ireland game, but knowing Yasmine and Iona were coming out was a massive lift for me.
"The little one is awesome and so is my wife. I've got the wee man arriving soon so I've been busy.
"Being a dad is the best job in the world - it's the one job I don't want to muck up.
"It's quite tough making sure you don't bring work home with you but I'm loving the challenge.
"It doesn't matter if you win or lose, once you come off the pitch you stop being a rugby player and are back to being a dad.
"I want to see her no matter what, so it doesn't matter if I come off after playing well or having the worst game ever... you immediately have to switch back into dad mode, you have to change a nappy or do other stuff.
"Having that life balance is great."
Scotland v France: Recent meetings
2016 Six Nations: Scotland 29-18 France
2017 Six Nations: France 22-16 Scotland
2018 Six Nations: Scotland 32-26 France
2019 Six Nations: France 27-10 Scotland
2019 World Cup warm-up: France 32-3 Scotland (France)
2019 World Cup warm-up: Scotland 17-14 France (Scotland)
Six Nations fixtures & results
Round One (February 1-2)
Round Two (February 8-9)
Round Three (February 22-23)
Round Four (March 7-8)
- Ireland v Italy, Saturday Mar 7, 2.15pm, Aviva Stadium, Dublin; BBC and S4C; Ref - Nic Berry (South Africa)
- England v Wales, Saturday Mar 7, 4.45pm, Twickenham, London; ITV; Ref - Ben O'Keeffe (New Zealand)
- Scotland v France, Sunday Mar 8, 3.00pm, BT Murrayfield, Edinburgh; BBC; Ref - Paul Williams (New Zealand)
Round Five (March 14)
- Wales v Scotland, Saturday Mar 14, 2.15pm, Principality Stadium, Cardiff; BBC and S4C; Ref - Angus Gardner (Australia)
- Italy v England, Saturday Mar 14, 4.45pm, Stadio Olimpico, Rome; ITV; Ref - Pascal Gauzere (France)
- France v Ireland, Saturday Mar 14, 8.00pm, Stade de France, Paris; BBC; Ref - Wayne Barnes (England)