Magners League Official Website : Scotland ring the changes

Scotland ring the changes

3 February 2005, 2:29 pm

By Janet Farmer

Scotland have made seven changes, including two positional switches, for their opening match of the RBS 6 Nations Championship against France in Paris on Saturday.

Hugo Southwell moves from full-back to inside centre and Chris Paterson takes over the number 15 shirt. Centre Andy Craig returns for the first time since Scotland’s 2003 World Cup pool defeat by France; Simon Danielli, Tom Smith and Scott Murray are back after injury; and Jon Petrie will start at openside in the back-row alongside Allister Hogg.

Scotland: Chris Paterson (Edinburgh Rugby); Simon Danielli (The Borders), Andy Craig (Glasgow Rugby), Hugo Southwell (Edinburgh Rugby), Sean Lamont (Glasgow Rugby); Dan Parks (Glasgow Rugby), Chris Cusiter (The Borders); Tom Smith (Northampton Saints), Gordon Bulloch (Glasgow Rugby) (Capt) Gavin Kerr (Leeds Tykes); Stuart Grimes (Newcastle Falcons), Scott Murray (Edinburgh Rugby); Jason White (Sale Sharks), Allister Hogg (Edinburgh Rugby), Jon Petrie (Glasgow Rugby).
Replacements: Robbie Russell (London Irish), Bruce Douglas (The Borders), Nathan Hines (Edinburgh Rugby), Jon Dunbar (Leeds Tykes), Mike Blair (Edinburgh Rugby), Gordon Ross (Leeds Tykes), Ben Hinshelwood (Worcester Warriors)

Scotland coach Matt Williams commented: “We’ve had a lot of injuries but we are still going to put out a team that is very competitive. We have a particular problem in the back row at the moment, however, I think it speaks volumes for the level of depth we have in that area that we can still put out Jon Petrie, Ally Hogg and Jason White. It’s a very, very good back-row.” France: Pépito Elhorga (Agen); Aurélien Rougerie (Clermont), Brian Liebenberg (Stade Français), Damien Traille (Biarritz), Christophe Dominici (Stade Français); Yann Delaigue (Castres), Pierre Mignoni (Clermont); Sylvain Marconnet (Stade Français), William Servat (Stade Toulousain), Pieter de Villiers (Stade Français); Fabien Pelous (Stade Toulousain, captain), Jérôme Thion (Biarritz); Julien Bonnaire (Bourgoin), Sébastien Chabal (Sale Sharks), Patrick Tabacco (Pau),
Replacements: Sébastien Bruno (Sale), Olivier Milloud (Bourgoin), Grégory Lamboley (Stade Toulousain), Yannick Nyanga (Béziers), Dimitri Yachvili (Biarritz), Frédéric Michalak (Stade Toulousain), Ludovic Valbon (Brive).