Strauss gets first Six Nations start
Strauss will be making his first international appearance at Murrayfield when he starts at No8 in the place of club mate Ryan Wilson, who drops to the bench Dunbar comes into midfield to partner Duncan Taylor, the latter moving to the No13 shirt while Mark Bennett drops out of the squad altogether.
Captain Greig Laidlaw will win his 50th cap on Sunday as Scotland look to build on their victory last time out against Italy that ended a nine-match winless run in this Championship And Cotter is excited to see what his side can produce against a France team they have only beaten once since the turn of the century.
"It's great to be back at home after a good win on the road The players are really looking forward to putting in a top performance at Murrayfield The win in Rome was a reward for the hard work the players have put in so far, but the hard work never stops We must be relentless.
"We're expecting the French to be physical They have a culture of trying to dominate their opposition They are confrontational and will try to keep the ball alive, so we will have to put in a great defensive performance.
"They also have the ability to channel their power through their set-piece, though that is a challenge our pack in particular are relishing, having put in some impressive performances of their own so far We're looking forward to varying our game, holding the ball and striving to score at every opportunity Work-rate and concentration will be key, and a sustained effort for 80 minutes will be very important," Cotter said.
The Scotland team is otherwise unchanged, meaning flyhalf Finn Russell partners captain Laidlaw, with the skipper in line to equal the record held by former prop David Sole as the most times to captain the country – 25.
The back division is completed by Stuart Hogg (fullback) and Tim Visser (wing) who partner Tommy Seymour in the back three For the sixth successive Test match, formidable front row forwards Alasdair Dickinson, Ross Ford and Willem Nel pack down with brothers Jonny and Richie Gray at lock, while John Hardie and John Barclay return to partner Strauss in the loose forwards.
Scotland: 15 Stuart Hogg, 14 Tommy Seymour, 13 Duncan Taylor, 12 Alex Dunbar, 11 Tim Visser, 10 Finn Russell, 9 Greig Laidlaw, 8 Josh Strauss, 7 John Hardie, 6 John Barclay, 5 Jonny Gray, 4 Richie Gray, 3 Willem Nel, 2 Ross Ford, 1 Alasdair Dickinson.
Replacements: 16 Stuart McInally, 17 Rory Sutherland, 18 Moray Low, 19 Tim Swinson, 20 Ryan Wilson, 21 Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, 22 Pete Horne, 23 Sean Lamont.
