Home » World Cup 2023 build-up: France v Scotland – Jamie Ritchie in Gregor Townsend’s side

World Cup 2023 build-up: France v Scotland – Jamie Ritchie in Gregor Townsend’s side

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World Cup 2023 build-up: France v Scotland – Jamie Ritchie in Gregor Townsend’s side

Venue: Geoffroy Guichard Stadium, St Etienne Date: Saturday, 12 August Time: 20:00 BSTCoverage: Live text commentary on the BBC Sport website and app

Captain Jamie Ritchie returns in one of six changes to the Scotland team for the second of the back-to-back World Cup warm-up games against France.

The flanker missed the first two matches of Scotland’s four-game World Cup build-up but plays in the back row alongside Rory Darge and Jack Dempsey.

WP Nel comes in for banned prop Zander Fagerson in a front row alongside George Turner and Pierre Schoeman.

Scrum-half Ali Price is paired with Finn Russell at half-back.

Ritchie has had a hamstring issue but will start at blindside flanker in place of Matt Fagerson on Saturday, with Darge coming in for Hamish Watson on the openside.

Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones will start in the centre together for Scotland for the seventh time in 2023.

Darcy Graham – so electric in last week’s remarkable fightback against France at Murrayfield – is not in the 23 so the back three sees Kyle Steyn and Duhan van der Merwe on the wings and Blair Kinghorn at full back.

Richie Gray and Grant Gilchrist continue in the second row as Scotland build towards the World Cup opener against defending champions South Africa next month.

There is a six-two split on the bench with front-rowers Stuart McInally, Rory Sutherland and Javan Sebastian joined by lock Scott Cummings and back-row forwards Sam Skinner and Josh Bayliss.

More to follow.

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Scotland team to play France

B Kinghorn; K Steyn, H Jones, S Tuipulotu, D van der Merwe; F Russell, A Price; P Schoeman, G Turner, W Nel; R Gray, G Gilchrist; J Ritchie, R Darge, J Dempsey.

Replacements: S McInally, R Sutherland, J Sebastian, S Cummings, S Skinner, J Bayliss, G Horne, O Smith.

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