Matt Scott backs Scotland coach Vern Cotter's RWC squad selection
Last Updated: 04/09/15 2:45pm
![Matt Scott starts at inside centre against France on Saturday](https://e0.365dm.com/15/09/768x432/rugby-matt-scott-scotland_3346115.jpg?20150904142447)
Scotland centre Matt Scott has told Vern Cotter's critics to lay off the head coach, insisting the Kiwi has his players' trust.
The Scots are still three weeks away from their World Cup opener with Japan but Cotter is already taking the heat over his controversial squad selection.
In-form back-row duo Blair Cowan and John Barclay were both cut from the 31-man travelling party that heads to England in 12 days' time after former All Blacks youngster John Hardie was drafted in just five weeks after touching down on Scottish soil for the first time.
The inclusion of yet another foreign recruit sparked fury among the likes of former Scotland prop Peter Wright, who dubbed the decision to snub native Scots such as Barclay a "disgrace".
There was also a surprise call-up for Glasgow lock Tim Swinson, even though he missed almost all of the national team's two-month training camp after ankle surgery.
But Scott has leapt to the defence of his coach after insisting the former Clermont Auvergne boss was the best placed person to make the tough calls.
![](https://e2.365dm.com/15/04/768x432/matt-scott-six-nations_3290258.jpg?20150413174736)
Nobody pays any attention to (Vern Cotter's critics) - we're just honoured to be in the position we're in now.
Matt Scott
He said: "Vern is a guy who is a great coach, he's been in rugby for many years and he works with us every day.
"He goes through training with a fine tooth comb. He's got a plan for us going to the World Cup. There is going to be disappointed guys and it's a shame to see a lot of guys leave camp.
"But we are right behind the way Vern wants us to play. We are right behind his vision for us and if he thinks this 31 players is the right balance then I am completely behind him in that sense.
"Nobody pays any attention to (Cotter's critics) - we're just honoured to be in the position we're in now. We've now got to go and make the country proud."
The Scots will round off their preparations for England 2015 with their final warm-up clash against France in Paris on Saturday.
Back-to-back wins over Italy have raised spirits in the Scottish camp after starting the year with six straight defeats.
But Scott knows they will face a Les Bleus side under pressure to sign off their build-up programme with a resounding home win at the Stade de France.
"To bring us back down to earth we have a really tough Test match this week," he explained. "It's a really tough place to go and we have not won there since 1999 so that has really sharpened our focus.
"[The French media] are expecting France to put in a good result on us. For me it will be a great indicator of where we are in terms of our development and how far we have come over the past couple of months."
France: 15 Scott Spedding, 14 Yoann Huget, 13 Mathieu Bastareaud, 12 Wesley Fofana, 11 Noa Nakaitaci, 10 Frederic Michalak, 9 Sebastien Tillous-Borde; 1 Eddy Ben Aruos, 2 Guilhem Guirado, 3 Rabah Slimani, 4 Pascal Pape, 5 Alexandre Flanquart, 6 Thierry Dusautoir (c), 7 Damien Chouly, 8 Louis Picamoles.
Replacements: 16 Dimitri Szarzewski, 17 Vincent Debaty, 18 Nicolas Mas, 19 Bernard Le Roux, 20 Yannick Nyanga, 21 Morgan Parra, 22 Remi Tales, 23 Alexandre Dumoulin.
Scotland: 15 Sean Maitland, 14 Tommy Seymour, 13 Mark Bennett, 12 Matt Scott, 11 Tim Visser, 10 Finn Russell, 9 Greig Laidlaw (c); 1 Alasdair Dickinson, 2 Ross Ford, 3 Willem Nel, 4 Richie Gray, 5 Jonny Gray, 6 Ryan Wilson, 7 John Hardie, 8 David Denton.
Replacements: 16 Fraser Brown, 17 Gordon Reid, 18 Jon Welsh, 19 Tim Swinson, 20 Alasdair Strokosch, 21 Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, 22 Duncan Weir, 23 Sean Lamont.