Scotland will get an opportunity to test their mettle against the reigning Six Nations champions when they face France in round three of the Championship.
Having brushed aside England at Twickenham in their opening match, followed by victory over Wales in Cardiff, Scotland lie second in the table ahead of their trip to Paris and remain the only team, alongside Ireland, with any chance of winning the Grand Slam in 2023.
When and where is France v Scotland?
The Six Nations fixture between France and Scotland will take place on Sunday, February 26, with kick-off at the Stade de France in Paris at 3 pm (GMT).
What TV channel is France v Scotland on?
The match will be broadcast live on ITV.
Who is the referee?
Georgian referee Nika Amashukeli (GRU) will take charge, with assistance coming from Karl Dickson (RFU) and Andrea Piardi (FIR). Ben Whitehouse (WRU), meanwhile, will be the television match official (TMO) for the day.
- Referee: Nika Amashukeli (GRU)
- Assistant Referee 1: Karl Dickson (RFU)
- Assistant Referee 2: Andrea Piardi (FIR)
- TMO: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)
Latest team news
Scotland
Hamish Watson will replace his Edinburgh team-mate Luke Crosbie in the only change to Scotland’s starting XV for Sunday’s showdown with France in Paris.
Gregor Townsend has kept faith with the majority of the team that began the emphatic victory over Wales at BT Murrayfield a fortnight ago, but Crosbie has dropped out of the 23-man squad altogether.
Watson, a member of the 2021 British and Irish Lions squad, has been a regular starter for the national team but sat out the opening two matches against Wales and England as he had been short of game time since the autumn due to concussion issues.
Changes were always expected to be kept a minimum, although it had been speculated that Blair Kinghorn, who came off the bench against the Welsh to make a positive, try-scoring impact, might get the nod over Stuart Hogg who was forced off early with a head injury.
Hogg has been passed fit to play, however, and the Exeter full-back retains the No 15 jersey, with Kinghorn again listed among the substitutes.
Glasgow scrum-half Ali Price and Edinburgh lock Sam Skinner, who has not been in the match-day 23 for either Six Nations match, have both been named among the replacements.
Price, a regular starter throughout Townsend’s reign, was a notable omission for the first two matches of the campaign after a dip in form, but he has been restored to the squad at the expense of his fellow Glasgow scrum-half George Horne, who drops out.
Gloucester center Chris Harris, another regular of recent seasons, has not made the 23 after being a substitute in the first two matches.
Scotland XV: Hogg, Steyn, Jones, Tuipulotu, Van der Merwe; Russell, White; Schoeman, Turner, Z Fagerson, R Gray, Gilchrist, Ritchie (capt), Watson, M Fagerson
Replacements: Brown, Bhatti, Nel, J Gray, Skinner, Dempsey, Price, Kinghorn
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France
Les Bleus have made one change to face Scotland, with Mohamed Haouas starting at prop in place of the suspended Uini Atonio.
Antonio picked up a three-week suspension for a high tackle on hooker Rob Herring during France’s 32-19 defeat in Dublin two weeks ago. That loss ended No 2-ranked France’s 14-match winning streak.
Haouas was not involved against Ireland or in France’s 29-24 win against Italy, but the tighthead had previously been a regular under France coach Fabien Galthié.
Scrum-half Baptiste Couilloud and fly-half Matthieu Jalibert are the only backs on the bench, with Galthié again going with six forwards.
Scotland is level with Ireland on 10 points after winning their opening two games for the first time since 1996, edging England 29-23 at Twickenham and routing Wales 35-7 at Murrayfield.
France XV: Ramos, Penaud, Fickou, Moefana, Dumortier; Ntamack, Dupont (capt); Baille, Marchand, Haouas, Flament, Willemse, Jelonch, Ollivon, Alldritt.
Replacements: Barlot, Wardi, Falatea, Taofifenua, Cros, Macalou, Couilloud, Jalibert.
Who is the referee?
- Referee: Nika Amashukeli (GRU)
- Assistant Referee 1: Karl Dickson (RFU)
- Assistant Referee 2: Andrea Piardi (FIR)
- TMO: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)
What happened in this fixture in 2022?
After tasting success in Paris the previous season, Scotland was attempting to beat France for a third successive time in the Six Nations.
Motivated by the previous season’s loss and the potential of a Grand Slam, France proved far too strong. Scotland mustered a creditable 17 points over the 80 minutes but had no answer for France’s relentless attacking, which resulted in six tries for the eventual winners.
Paul Willemse, Yoram Moefana, Gaël Fickou and Jonathan Danty all crossed for France, while Damian Penaud scored twice.
The Six Nations 2023 table – as it stands
Six Nations 2023
| Pos. | P | W | D | L | +/- | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ireland | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 51 | 15 |
| 2 | Scotland | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 10 |
| 3 | England | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 21 | 10 |
| 4 | France | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -8 | 5 |
| 5 | Italy | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | -36 | 1 |
| 6 | Wales | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | -62 | 0 |
Best of the latest odds
- France: 2/5
- Scotland: 3/1
- Draw: 33/1
What is our prediction
Gregor Townsend’s team has happy memories of Paris, having prevailed there in 2021. Finn Russell is on fire, and will conjure some magic. Expect France to prevail, though.
France 28 Scotland 25
