Scotland coach Gregor Townsend reflects on Zander Fagerson ban, restoring his captain, and decision to rest key duo

Scotland impressed in turning round an 18-point deficit to beat France at Murrayfield last weekend but Gregor Townsend knows it was a largely second-string team and Saturday night’s rematch in Saint-Etienne represents a test more akin to the one his side will face against South Africa in their opening game of the Rugby World Cup.

Scotland's Ali Price will start at scrum-half against France in place of the injured Ben White. (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group)

The coach expects it to be hot, noisy and hostile inside the Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium as his Scotland side play the third of four warm-up matches. France have tooled up for this one, making 13 changes to the team which lost in Edinburgh, including the return of their talismanic captain Antoine Dupont and his Toulouse sidekick Romain Ntamack. Scotland, by contrast, have lost Ben White and Zander Fagerson, to injury and suspension, and also rested Darcy Graham and Matt Fagerson but they are able to call upon Jamie Ritchie for the first time in the summer series and the Edinburgh flanker forms part of a reconfigured back row alongside Rory Darge and Jack Dempsey. Ritchie, who has recovered from a calf strain, also takes back the captaincy from Finn Russell and Townsend expects big things from his skipper.

“He’s probably in the best shape I’ve seen him over the past few years,” said the coach. “He’s obviously had a couple of injuries that have curtailed his progress but he’s built on what he did in the Six Nations and he’s fitter, stronger. We’ve had a few lively sessions before we’ve played these two Test matches and we had a full hit-out on two occasions and Jamie stood out really well. Really physical, defensively and getting more touches on the ball in the way we are using our flankers. He seems ready to play. He trained fully this week in hot conditions and looked good and I can’t wait to see him play.”

The heat will be a factor on Saturday but perhaps even more so in Scotland’s opening two World Cup games in the south of France, against South Africa in Marseille on September 10 and Tonga in Nice a fortnight later. Scotland returned to their training base near Nice this week to prepare for the France match and Townsend is braced for a the toughest of tests against the host nation. “Playing away from home in a noisy atmosphere is a challenge,” he said. “The weather is also really hot over here at the moment. It’s a challenge to play against the best France have to offer. We’ve had some really good battles with them over the past few years in the Six Nations. We know they’ll come out firing. They don’t have many games left now until they start their own World Cup against New Zealand. They’ll want to give their best performance this weekend, just like we do.”

Jamie Ritchie returns to the Scotland side as captain after missing the first two World Cup warm-up games with a calf strain. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)

Fagerson’s absence opens the door for WP Nel to slot into the front row, with Javan Sebastian the covering tighthead on the bench. Townsend was diplomatic when quizzed about the suspension handed to Fagerson for his red card against France last week but you suspect the coach was secretly punching the air when the disciplinary committee delivered its verdict of a three-game ban, reduced to two if the player completes a ‘coaching intervention programme. It means Fagerson will be free to face the Springboks.

“I was part of the group that presented Zander’s case, alongside Zander and our team manager and I thought the panel understood Zander’s actions were just mistimed, rather than any intent to hurt,” said Townsend of the incident which saw the prop catch France hooker Pierre Bourgarit high at a ruck. “With Zander pleading guilty to the charge we got a sanction that could have been worse but fitted what we believe was just an unlucky incident rather than an act of intentional foul play. It’s a huge boost for Zander that he can now focus on being available for that first game against South Africa. Any longer ban would have taken him out of that game or potentially taken him out of the World Cup.”

The ankle injury to White was the other big concern after last week’s win but Townsend is confident the scrum-half will recover in time to play Georgia in Scotland’s final warm-up at Murrayfield on August 26. Ali Price takes his place this weekend, with George Horne again on the bench. The coach said it was likely he would take three scrum-halves to the World Cup, with White, Price and Horne all set to travel. Bad news for Jamie Dobie, although Townsend did pay tribute to his versatility. “To be honest, there was one stage where Jamie Dobie with his ability to cover wing was considered, especially if we’d picked up more injuries in the back three,” said Townsend. “He’s a very good winger at club level and has trained at wing here, so if that scenario did arrive, that we didn’t feel we had the wingers available to us, then Jamie could come into the equation as a wing.”

Darcy Graham, Scotland’s star man on the wing, will sit out the match in Saint-Etienne after two tries against Italy and one against France. Kyle Steyn takes his place. Matt Fagerson, who, like Graham, played in the first two warm-ups, is also rested. “They’re both fine physically, they both wanted to play, but there is an increased risk when you start people in three Test matches in three weeks so that’s the reason they’ve missed out this weekend,” said Townsend. There is also a change at hooker, with George Turner returning to replace Ewan Ashman, and Stuart McInally coming on to the bench.

It’s the last-chance saloon for those players on the fringes, with Townsend due to name his final 33-man squad on Wednesday, having already trimmed it from 41 to 37 after the last France game. The four remaining cuts are likely to see a scrum-half, a hooker, a prop and a back-rower drop out.

Scotland team (v France, Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint Etienne, Saturday, 8.05pm BST. TV: live on Prime Video)

15. Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh) 45 caps

14. Kyle Steyn (Glasgow Warriors) 11 caps

13. Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors) 37 caps

12. Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors) 17 caps

11. Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh) 29 caps

10. Finn Russell (Bath) – vice-captain – 70 caps

9. Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors) 62 caps

1. Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh) 22 caps

2. George Turner (Glasgow Warriors) 36 caps

3. WP Nel (Edinburgh) 54 caps

4. Richie Gray (Glasgow Warriors) 74 caps

5. Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh) – vice-captain – 63 caps

6. Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh) – captain – 41 caps

7. Rory Darge (Glasgow Warriors) 9 caps

8. Jack Dempsey (Glasgow Warriors) 10 caps

Replacements

16. Stuart McInally (Edinburgh) 48 caps

17. Rory Sutherland (unattached) 24 caps

18. Javan Sebastian (Edinburgh) 4 caps

19. Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors) 27 caps

20. Sam Skinner (Edinburgh) 26 caps

21. Josh Bayliss (Bath) 4 caps

22. George Horne (Glasgow Warriors) 21 caps

23. Ollie Smith (Glasgow Warriors) 4 caps