After reading this piece from the Hootsman, I'm a little more chilled over the selection, but only because Scott was/ is training with the squad.
Good article in the Hootsman about the game:
Expediency of ending sequence of defeats means the creativity fans crave must wait
AT FIRST glance the Scotland team selected to face France does not reveal the new creative midfield that the national coaches and supporters have been desperately seeking, but there are two key reasons behind that and both come back to the simple immediacy of the need to win Sunday’s Test match. The first is the reality of Scotland’s current resources. With a worrying lack of centres with high-quality passing skills, and no John Leslie-type flying in, Andy Robinson and Gregor Townsend are eagerly watching the progress of young centres Matt Scott at Edinburgh and Clermont Auvergne’s Mark Bennett. But Robinson has learned from experience, notably the early debut he handed teenage centre Mathew Tait with England, that timing is crucial to ensuring talent is not ruined through premature exposure to Test intensity, which is one reason why he is not throwing Scott a debut this weekend.
It is debatable when the best time is to expose a young player, and we could argue the point over Scott, but Ruaridh Jackson, Richie Gray, Lee Jones, Dave Denton, Greig Laidlaw and Stuart Hogg have all been brought through from the ‘A’ team to the senior squad, from training involvement to a place in the 22, and their performances would attest to Robinson getting that right so far. Scott has joined the senior squad for training and so is, in essence, two steps behind Hogg.
The head coach and his assistants have also been sensible in allowing Hogg to remain at full-back for his first Test start this weekend. They agree with his coach at Glasgow, Sean Lineen, that the 19-year-old has the potential to excite at outside centre, but he has enjoyed only two runs there at professional level. At full-back he has found his feet and plays with real confidence, and with more time and space than that afforded at centre he will be a crucial figure in attack and defence on Sunday.
Injuries have also deprived Robinson of Max Evans (ankle) and Joe Ansbro (back). There was a hint from Robinson yesterday that he would have restored Evans to the 13 jersey and Sean Lamont to the wing had Evans recovered, while Ansbro could be a contender for the final two championship matches if he features for London Irish in the next two weeks.
Nick De Luca might have been retained at 13 but Robinson has opted instead for Lamont’s physique against 6ft 4in Rougerie. One suspects that De Luca has also paid the price for his rash sin-binning which opened the door to Wales two weeks ago.
The second key point is that as coaches are required to live in the moment while the rest of us can theorise on what may or may not happen were they to gamble with other selections, they are charged with creating a tactical plan around the players at their disposal to win Sunday’s game, and ease the pressure after four successive defeats.
So, looking at the fact that France have the most potent strike-force of any of the tournament’s sides and the best strike-rate over recent championships, having averaged nearly three per game â€" and three per game against Scotland in that time too (it is 20 years since they failed to touch down against Scotland) â€" it is understandable why defence is a primary thought.
He has resisted bringing Ruaridh Jackson back into the matchday squad, as the Glasgow fly-half needs more games after a lengthy period out injured, and is sticking with Greig Laidlaw, which chimes with the thoughts of most supporters.
However, as gutsy as he is Laidlaw is just 5ft 9in and so defence is not the strongest part of his game at Test level, as witnessed in Cardiff with one missed tackle letting 6ft 6in Alex Cuthbert in for a try and others contributing to Wales’ momentum. Laidlaw has good running and passing skills, and he is the sharpest rugby brain at Robinson’s disposal, but the idea of introducing youngster Scott alongside in the face of the marauding French back row and physical centres then becomes questionable.
Graeme Morrison’s greatest strength is his defence. He is not the free-running ball-player that Scott could be, and is still working to rediscover his best form, but he is resolute in Test rugby with great experience of nullifying French attacks.
This weekend Scotland will need that against the formidable duo of Wesley Fofana â€" the Clermont Auvergne youngster only made his debut against Italy but he is a potent mix of skill, pace and strength â€" and his veteran clubmate Aurelien Rougerie.
“I think that’s a great match-up with Fofana and Rougerie,†said Robinson. “It’s going to be a phenomenal battle in that midfield. Graeme has done well going back to Glasgow, captaining the side and in his performances, after being on the bench for us in the first game of the championship. Matt is still on that progression we have talked about. With the way we’re trying to play the game it’s important that we’re able to keep the ball for many phases. We believe that if we can play multi-phases against France then we can test them, and their fitness.
“Key to that is that the referee [Wayne Barnes] doesn’t allow France to slow the game down, but with Sean Lamont carrying the way he’s carried, and with Richie Gray, Ross Ford, David Denton and Graeme now as well, we will be able to keep the ball for many phases, and then it’s about taking the chances that we create.â€
This weekend, creating chances first will be tougher than in the opening two games and this selection does not point to more line-breaks off first-phase. So how do Scotland uncork an attack to threaten the French?
Robinson alluded to his plan when he stated that the route to progress on Sunday lies with his side’s ability to retain possession and test France’s fitness levels. The French coach Philippe Saint-Andre pinpointed that on Tuesday, highlighting how his players were not used to games where the ball was in play for 46 minutes, as when Scotland played Wales. He cited Stade Francais’ match with Toulon in the Top 14 as showing a ball-in-play time of just 26 minutes. Robinson came up with another statistic of time.
“If you watch the Top 14 games the ball is in play around 26 seconds for each phase of play,†he said, “where we’ve been playing for two or three minutes of phases. They have a more stop-start nature to their game, so that’s where we have to try to impose our game, but you can only do that if you keep the ball.
“If we keep the ball and keep going forward then we can ask questions of this team, but if we are turning over ball or dropping passes it will allow France to get into the game.â€
With the blend of big ball-carriers through the pack and at centre, and experience in retaining possession, phases will be the key to bringing the back three of Hogg, Rory Lamont and Lee Jones into play, sapping French energy and cracking open holes.
It all starts with an almighty battle in the forwards where Scotland need good set-piece ball, and to uncover real improvement at the breakdown, but with the pack growing with each game and two openside flankers picked in Ross Rennie and John Barclay Scotland are certainly going for it.
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