Scotland will have a chance to test their mettle against the reigning Six nations champions when they take on France third round of the championship.
To have England pushed aside at Twickenham in their opening match, followed by victory over Wales in Cardiff, Scotland are second in the table ahead of their trip to Paris and remain the only team, besides Ireland, with any chance of winning the Grand Slam in 2023.
When and where is France v Scotland?
The Six Nations match between France and Scotland will take place on Sunday, February 26, with kick-off at the Stade de France in Paris at 3pm (GMT).
What TV channel is France v Scotland on?
The match will be broadcast live on ITV.
Who is the referee?
Georgian referee Nika Amashukeli (GRU) takes the lead, assisted by Karl Dickson (RFU) and Andrea Piardi (FIR). Ben Whitehouse (WRU), meanwhile, is the television match official (TMO) for today.
- Referee: Nika Amashukeli (GRU)
- Assistant Referee 1: Karl Dickson (RFU)
- Assistant Referee 2: Andrea Piardi (FIR)
- TMO: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)
Latest team news
Scotland
Hamish Watson will replace his Edinburgh teammate Luke Crosbie in the only change to Scotland’s starting XV for Sunday’s clash with France in Paris.
Gregor Townsend has kept faith in the majority of the team that started their emphatic victory over Wales at BT Murrayfield two weeks ago, but Crosbie has dropped out of the 23-man squad altogether.
A member of the 2021 British and Irish Lions squad, Watson has been a regular starter for the national team, but sat out the first two games against Wales and England as he had been short on playing time since autumn due to concussion.
Changes were always expected to be kept to a minimum, although there was speculation that Blair Kinghorn, who came off the bench against the Welsh to make a positive, try-scoring impact, could get the nod for Stuart Hogg who was eliminated early with a head injury.
However, Hogg has been passed through ready to play and the Exeter full-back retains the number 15 jersey, with Kinghorn once again on the substitutes’ list.
Glasgow scrum half Ali Price and Edinburgh lock Sam Skinner, who did not take part in either Matchday 23 Six Nations fixture, have both been named as one of the replacements.
A regular starter during Townsend’s reign, Price was a notable omission for the first two games of the campaign after a dip in form, but he has been reinstated to the side at the expense of fellow Glasgow scrum-half George Horne, who drops out.
Gloucester center Chris Harris, another regular in recent seasons, has fallen short of 23 after coming on as a substitute in the first two games.
Scotland XV: Hogg, Steyn, Jones, Tuipulotu, Van der Merwe; Russell, White; Schoeman, Turner, Z Fagerson, R Gray, Gilchrist, Ritchie (capt), Watson, M Fagerson
Replacements: Brown, Bhatti, Nel, J Gray, Skinner, Dempsey, Price, Kinghorn
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France
Les Blues have made one change to the game against Scotland, with Mohamed Haouas starting as a prop in place of the suspended Uini Atonio.
Antonio was handed a three-week suspension for a high tackle on hooker Rob Herring during France’s 32-19 defeat in Dublin two weeks ago. That loss ended France’s No. 2 14-match winning streak.
Haouas was not involved against Ireland or in France’s 29-24 win against Italy, but the tighthead was rather a regular under French coach Fabien Galthié.
Scrum half Baptiste Couilloud and flyhalf Matthieu Jalibert are the only backs on the bench, Galthié again goes with six forwards.
Scotland are level with Ireland on 10 points after winning their first two games for the first time since 1996, beating England 29-23 at Twickenham and beating Wales 35-7 at Murrayfield.
France XV: Ramos, Penaud, Fickou, Moufana, Dumortier; Ntamack, Dupont (Captain); Yawning, Merchant, Haouas, Flament, Willemse, Jelonch, Ollivon, Alldritt.
Replacements: Barlot, Ward, Falatea, Taofifenua, Cross, Macalou, Couilloud, Jalibert.
Who is the referee?
- Referee: Nika Amashukeli (GRU)
- Assistant Referee 1: Karl Dickson (RFU)
- Assistant Referee 2: Andrea Piardi (FIR)
- TMO: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)
What happened in this luminaire in 2022?
After tasting success in Paris last season, Scotland attempted to beat France in the Six Nations for the third time in a row.
Motivated by last season’s loss and the potential of a Grand Slam, France proved far too strong. Scotland amassed a creditable 17 points in the 80 minutes, but had no answer to France’s relentless attacks, resulting in six tries for the eventual winners.
Paul Willemse, Yoram Moefana, Gaël Fickou and Jonathan Danty all crossed to France, while Damian Penaud scored twice.