Scotland v France: The Scotland coach Matt Williams yesterday underlined his confidence in his outhalf Chris Paterson while opting for a safety-first approach after a run of three defeats.
Williams resisted pressure to relieve the captain of the position in favour of the untried Dan Parks for tomorrow's encounter with a France side hoping Murrayfield will be a mere staging post en route to their second Grand Slam in three years.
With Scotland desperate to avoid the wooden spoon, Williams did reshuffle his back line. Ben Hinshelwood is dropped from full back in favour of Derrick Lee, back for the first time in two-and-a-half years, while the leaden-footed centre Brendan Laney is moved to the bench with Andrew Henderson stepping in.
With Cameron Mather returning from injury to replace Alistair Hogg in the back row, Williams insisted the changes were not a matter of "pointing the finger" at players after the defeat in Rome two weeks ago.
Williams said: "Derrick has earned his spot. He's been in great form for his team and he's been with us in the squad pretty much right through the championship. Andy Henderson has also earned his opportunity through performance, while I'm delighted that Cammie Mather is fit again."
Recent history points to a heavy defeat for the Scots, who fell to France in the World Cup by 51-9 and five tries, breaking a record set in Paris the previous spring, but the France coach, Bernard Laporte, was issuing reminders during the week that England lost a Grand Slam decider in Murrayfield in 2000.
The France pack shunted the Scots around in Sydney as emphatically as they did the Welsh in Cardiff 13 days ago, and the Scotland's assistant coach Todd Blackadder has called the France forwards the best in the world: "They have demolished all the others in the scrum in this Six Nations. We know what's waiting for us, and I've said to the guys they face a massive challenge."
Best pack in the world or not, France have spent the week dealing with a spate of minor injuries, which the management have put down to fatigue. And with the team's lineout expert Imanol Harinordoquy out with an elbow injury and the less incisive Olivier Magne recalled and expected to step in as third jumper, this is an area the Scots will be looking to exploit.
Their top scorer, scrumhalf Jean-Baptiste Elissalde, is also sidelined by injury, replaced by Dimitri Yachvili, but even with foul weather forecast, France must surely know Scotland are there for the taking.
Guardian Service
SCOTLAND: D Lee; S Danielli, T Philip, A Henderson, S Webster; C Paterson (capt), C Cusiter; A Jacobsen, G Bulloch, B Douglas, S Murray, S Grimes, J White, S Taylor, C Mather. Replacements: R Russell, G Kerr, N Hines, A Hogg, M Blair, B Laney, D Parks.
FRANCE: N Brusque; P Elhorga, Y Jauzion, D Traille, C Dominici; F Michalak, D Yachvili; S Marconnet, W Servat, P De Villiers, F Pelous, P Pape, S Betsen, T Lievremont, O Magne. Replacements: Y Bru, J-J Crenca, D Auradou, J Bonnaire, J Peyrelongue, C Poitreneaud, V Clerc.
