Russell seeks tough test ahead #RWC opener against Boks
SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT: Stand-in Scotland captain Finn Russell is bracing himself to face a full-strength France team in next weekend’s return World Cup warm-up game in Saint-Etienne.
Tournament hosts France fielded a largely second-string side during a 25-21 warm-up defeat by Scotland at Murrayfield on Saturday, although that did not stop ‘Les Bleus’ – one of the favourites to lift the Webb Ellis trophy – from surging into a 21-3 lead at the interval.
France head coach Fabien Galthie left out Antoine Dupont, Gael Fickou and Romain Ntamack among several established players, with debutant trio Paul Boudehent, Emilien Gailleton and Louis Bielle-Biarrey starting in Edinburgh.
The visitors looked all the more on course for victory when Scotland prop Zander Fagerson was sent off early in the second half before the hosts pulled clear.
“It was not their strongest team, a lot of their players will come back next week,” said flyhalf Russell, who will play for English Premiership club Bath after the World Cup following a stint with Paris-based Racing 92.
“It will be a different team we face,” he added. “It was tough to prepare as a lot of the [French] boys have not played before, especially against us in the Six Nations, so we focused mainly on ourselves this week.
“Next week against them we can look at their players that come back and look back to the game from the Six Nations [in February] and analyse how they play and we will go from there. Next week will be a very different French team we face.”
#OPINION: Check out the Scotland Player Ratings after their victory over France on Saturday 👇#Scotland #France #SCOvFRA https://t.co/BaeHfdylfv
— rugby365.com (@rugby365com) August 5, 2023
‘Momentum’
Although well aware that France did not have all their star names on show at Murrayfield, the Scotland star said his side could take heart from a second-half display featuring tries from Darcy Graham, Pierre Schoeman and replacement Dave Cherry.
“The first half we did some good things but gave away some soft penalties and turnovers and the skills weren’t there,” said Russell. “In the second half we got a try early on that got us back into the game and got the momentum for us.
“It was great to have had that second half and play the way we wanted to. It showed the rugby we can play.”
The 30-year-old Russell was captaining Scotland for the first time on Saturday in the absence of injured skipper Jamie Ritchie, who hopes to return in Saint-Etienne following a calf issue.
“It was good fun,” said Russell when asked about captaining Scotland.
“As a 10 [fly-half] on the pitch you tend to talk a lot and chat with other leaders. It was more the relationship with the referee and having those key decisions at certain times such as ‘do we go for the posts, or the corner?’ That was the main difference.
“At half-time it was maybe not the most enjoyable but the second half it was good.”
Scotland are in a fearsomely tough group at the World Cup that also includes defending champions South Africa and Six Nations Grand Slam winners Ireland, with only the top two teams from Pool B advancing to the quarterfinals.
#REPORT: Scotland fight back to win a thriller against France at Murrayfield 👇#Scotland #France #SCOvFRA https://t.co/UlBdFaXVj6
— rugby365.com (@rugby365com) August 5, 2023
Following the 25-21 victory over France, Gregor Townsend has reduced his World Cup training squad to 37.
Stafford McDowall, Adam Hastings, Cameron Henderson and Kyle Rowe have returned to their clubs ahead of the match against France in St. Etienne next Saturday
Scotland training squad
Forwards: Ewan Ashman, Jamie Bhatti, Josh Bayliss, Dave Cherry, Luke Crosbie, Scott Cummings, Rory Darge, Jack Dempsey, Matt Fagerson, Zander Fagerson, Grant Gilchrist, Richie Gray, Stuart McInally, WP Nel, Jamie Ritchie (Captain), Pierre Schoeman, Javan Sebastian, Sam Skinner, Rory Sutherland, George Turner, Murphy Walker, Hamish Watson.
Backs: Jamie Dobie, Darcy Graham, Chris Harris, Ben Healy, George Horne, Huw Jones, Blair Kinghorn, Ali Price, Cameron Redpath, Finn Russell, Ollie Smith, Kyle Steyn, Sione Tuipulotu, Duhan van der Merwe, Ben White
