Six Nations: Hamish Watson returns to Scotland side for France clash and Stuart Hogg is passed fit | France make one change
Hamish Watson returns at flanker, replacing Edinburgh team-mate Luke Crosbie; Stuart Hogg is passed fit to play after being forced off early in the 35-7 thumping win over Wales with a head injury; Scotland are currently tied at the top of the 2023 Six Nations table with Ireland
Friday 24 February 2023 11:25, UK
Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend has made one change for their crunch Six Nations match against France in Paris on Sunday, with Hamish Watson returning at flanker and replacing Edinburgh team-mate Luke Crosbie.
Stuart Hogg has also been passed fit to play after being forced off early in the 35-7 thumping win over Wales with a head injury last time out.
The Exeter Chiefs full-back retains his place ahead of Blair Kinghorn, who made a positive, try-scoring impact off the bench against Wales.
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Kyle Steyn, who scored two tries in the round two rout of Wales, is again on the wing, as is Duhan van der Merwe, who himself scored a pair of tries in Scotland's 2021 victory in Paris on their last trip to the French capital.
Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones resume their centre partnership, while Watson's return sees him join a back row also containing captain Jamie Ritchie and No 8 Matt Fagerson.
Vice-captain Grant Gilchrist and Richie Gray represent a vastly experienced second-row combination, with George Turner continuing at hooker, alongside props Pierre Schoeman (loosehead) and Zander Fagerson (tighthead).
Ali Price and Sam Skinner - who have not been in the match-day 23 for either Six Nations match - have both been named among the replacements on Sunday.
Scotland are currently tied at the top of the 2023 Six Nations table with Ireland on 10 points, following wins over England at Twickenham and at home to Wales in their opening two games.
They now travel to Paris aiming to win back the Auld Alliance trophy, with their 2021 win representing a first victory in the French capital since 1999. They lost last year's meeting at Murrayfield 36-17.
France, who claimed the Grand Slam in 2022, opened their campaign with a 29-24 win in Italy before being beaten 32-19 in Ireland.
Scotland: 15 Stuart Hogg, 14 Kyle Steyn, 13 Huw Jones, 12 Sione Tuipulotu, 11 Duhan van der Merwe, 10 Finn Russell, 9 Ben White; 1 Pierre Schoeman, 2 George Turner, 3 Zander Fagerson, 4 Richie Gray, 5 Grant Gilchrist, 6 Jamie Ritchie (c), 7 Hamish Watson, 8 Matt Fagerson
Replacements: 16 Fraser Brown, 17 Jamie Bhatti, 18 WP Nel, 19 Jonny Gray, 20 Sam Skinner, 21 Jack Dempsey, 22 Ali Price, 23 Blair Kinghorn
France make one change as Haouas comes in
For the hosts at the Stade de France, head coach Fabien Galthie has made just one change to the 23-man squad which suffered a 32-19 loss to Ireland in Dublin in Round 2.
Montpellier tighthead prop Mohamed Haouas has been brought in to start, with La Rochelle's Uini Atonio suspended for his high tackle on Ireland's Rob Herring - a tackle he only received yellow for, but was upgraded to red later by the citing commissioner.
Haouas was red carded against Scotland in 2020 for punching current Scotland captain Jamie Ritchie at Murrayfield.
France: 15 Thomas Ramos, 14 Damian Penaud, 13 Gael Fickou, 12 Yoram Moefana, 11 Ethan Dumortier, 10 Romain Ntamack, 9 Antoine Dupont (c); 1 Cyril Baille, 2 Julien Marchand, 3 Mohamed Haouas, 4 Thibaud Flament, 5 Paul Willemse, 6 Anthony Jelonch, 7 Charles Ollivon, 8 Gregory Alldritt.
Replacements: 16 Gaetan Barlot, 17 Reda Wardi, 18 Sipili Falatea, 19 Romain Taofifenua, 20 Francois Cros, 21 Sekou Macalou, 22 Baptiste Couilloud, 23 Matthieu Jalibert.
