Chiefs duo start for Scots against France

By Mark Stevens
24/2/22

Exeter Chiefs’ duo Stuart Hogg and Sam Skinner will both start for Scotland in their Guinness Six Nations Championship encounter with France at BT Murrayfield on Saturday (2:15pm).

Full-back Hogg will again lead his side into battle, whilst Skinner will pack down in the second-row, stepping up from the back-row to replace injured club-mate Jonny Gray, who is ruled out with an ankle injury.

Skinner's switch means Rory Darge will make his first start for Scotland. The Glasgow Warriors flanker made his international debut at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff earlier this month and is named alongside Hamish Watson and Magnus Bradbury in a new-look starting back-row.

The other change for Scotland sees Zander Fagerson come into the front-row in place of WP Nel. He will pack down alongside the Edinburgh Rugby duo of Pierre Schoeman and Stuart McInally.

In the replacements, Glasgow Warriors’ Oli Kebble is included after joining the squad this week, while Edinburgh Rugby’s Jamie Hodgson and Nick Haining will be aiming to make their first appearances in this year’s Six Nations off the bench.

Mark Bennett makes his return to a Scotland squad for the first time since 2018 and will start from the bench. The centre has impressed for Edinburgh this season and will look to add to his 22 caps in an international career that has seen him start on 17 occasions and score six tries.

SCOTLAND SIDE TO FACE FRANCE

15. Stuart Hogg - Exeter Chiefs (capt) - 90 caps
14. Darcy Graham - Edinburgh Rugby - 24 caps
13. Chris Harris – Gloucester Rugby - 33 caps
12. Sione Tuipulotu - Glasgow Warriors - 3 caps
11. Duhan van der Merwe - Worcester Warriors - 15 caps
10. Finn Russell – Racing 92 - 60 caps
9. Ali Price – Glasgow Warriors - 48 caps
1. Pierre Schoeman - Edinburgh Rugby - 6 caps
2. Stuart McInally - Edinburgh Rugby - 45 caps
3. Zander Fagerson - Glasgow Warriors – 44 caps
4. Sam Skinner – Exeter Chiefs – 17 caps
5. Grant Gilchrist - Edinburgh Rugby - 50 caps
6. Rory Darge - Glasgow Warriors - 1 cap
7. Hamish Watson - Edinburgh Rugby - 47 caps
8. Magnus Bradbury - Edinburgh Rugby - 16 caps

Replacements

16. George Turner - Glasgow Warriors - 22 caps
17. Oli Kebble - Glasgow Warriors - 11 caps
18. WP Nel – Edinburgh Rugby – 45 caps
19. Jamie Hodgson - Edinburgh Rugby - 3 caps
20. Nick Haining - Edinburgh Rugby - 10 caps
21. Ben White - London Irish - 2 caps
22. Blair Kinghorn - Edinburgh Rugby - 29 caps
23. Mark Bennett - Edinburgh Rugby - 22 caps