Ben White is back in the Scotland XV to face Georgia at Murrayfield on Saturday – just three weeks after fearing injury might rule him out of the World Cup.

The scrum-half limped off in clear distress in the first half of the home win over France earlier this month and looked exasperated as he made his way up the tunnel with his ankle heavily strapped. He missed the subsequent match away to France and later revealed that he was “really concerned” when the injury first happened.

However, White – Gregor Townsend’s first-choice scrum-half – has now been deemed fit enough to return to the number nine jersey for Scotland’s last warm-up match before heading to France for the World Cup at the start of September.

In a further boost for supporters, Edinburgh wing Duhan van der Merwe, who suffered a minor ankle injury in the last match in Saint-Etienne, is also fit enough to start against Georgia.

Despite Scotland’s first game of the tournament against South Africa being only three weeks away and the 33-man squad having been finalised, head coach Townsend has opted to send out a strong XV.

Ollie Smith, with five caps to his name, is the least experienced player in the team as he stands in for Blair Kinghorn at full-back, but the backline is otherwise arguably as strong as it could possibly be.

In the forward department, Glasgow prop Jamie Bhatti starts along with Edinburgh veteran WP Nel, with Pierre Schoeman rested and Zander Fagerson suspended. Richie Gray is another likely starter at the World Cup who has been given the weekend off, with Sam Skinner taking his place alongside Grant Gilchrist in the second row.

Dave Cherry starts ahead of George Turner and Ewan Ashman at hooker, while the back-row is comprised of captain Jamie Ritchie, Rory Darge and Jack Dempsey.

Duhan van der Merwe admits he could never have envisaged a rise to prominence that means he is going to his first Rugby World Cup as a talismanic figure within a Scotland backline loaded with “X factor”.

The 28-year-old South-Africa-born wing was relatively unheralded when he first joined Edinburgh in 2017 following an underwhelming year in France with Montpellier.

But his career has taken off emphatically since then. After impressing in the Scottish capital, and following three years of residency in Scotland, the swashbuckling back earned an international debut for Gregor Townsend’s team against Georgia in October 2020, who return to Murrayfield this Saturday for a pre-World Cup warm-up match.

Van der Merwe – who had a stint at Worcester before returning to Edinburgh almost a year ago – was part of the 2021 British and Irish Lions squad, is seventh on Scotland’s all-time try-scoring list, and is cast as one of the most exciting wings on the planet as he heads to his first World Cup in France at the start of next month.

“I’m absolutely buzzing,” he told the PA news agency, reflecting on the recent confirmation that he is in the World Cup squad. “It’s something I’ve been working towards over the last couple of years in the back of my head so getting the phone call from Gregor was really special for me and my family.

“If you’d told me about six years ago when I first joined Edinburgh that I’d be playing for Scotland and going to a World Cup, I’d probably laugh at you and say, ‘no chance’.

“I think a lot of it is down to coaches having belief in me and a lot of it is down to hard work and dedication to get where I am today. I was a pretty raw player when I first joined Edinburgh, so fair play to all the coaches throughout the years for helping me improve my skills and understand the game more. I’ll always be thankful to them.

“As a young player, I always strived to be the best player I could be. I always knew I was quick and strong but I never thought I’d be where I am today. I’m just absolutely buzzing.”

Van der Merwe is intent on showing in France, on the biggest stage of all, why his stock is so high, and he believes that opposing teams planning to stop any of the Scottish backs will have a problem.

“I absolutely love going up against the best of the best,” he said. “That’s where I can showcase what I can do. But most importantly, my number one job is just to do my best for Scotland and hopefully all the other bits will come.

“I guess teams and players analyse you as a player and that’s when it gets quite fun because you have to find ways of beating defenders, getting line-breaks and scoring tries. It just makes it more exciting for me.

“But if teams want to focus on me, that potentially means there is space for someone else. I think with the players we have in this squad, you can’t just look at one, two or three players and just focus on them because throughout our backline everyone’s got X factor.”

Darcy Graham, Kyle Steyn, Finn Russell, Blair Kinghorn, Ben White, Huw Jones and Sione Tuipulotu are just some of the Scottish backs who have excelled in the lead-up to the World Cup.

“It’s absolutely brilliant to play with these guys,” said Van der Merwe. “Having Finn at 10 is always special. As a winger, you always think you’ll definitely score with him at 10.

“And then Blair at full-back, I’ve played with him at Edinburgh for years and he’s unbelievable, he’s got real X factor. Kyle Steyn, Ollie Smith, all these guys, the competition among the backs is really good at the moment.

“I wouldn’t say there’s anyone who is definitely going to start against South Africa because everyone is pushing for that starting jersey. I absolutely love that competition between us.”

The Scots, ranked fifth in the world, are in a top-heavy World Cup pool with Ireland and world champions South Africa, but Van der Merwe is adamant his team believe they can get through to the quarter-finals and beyond.

“Oh yes, 100 per cent,” he said. “If you want to be the best in the world, you have to beat the best in the world. What a challenge it is for us in our pool stage to go up against South Africa and Ireland and Tonga, who are a brilliant team as well.

“If we want to get to the quarter-finals we have to beat them. It’s a real test for us but I believe with the players we have in our squad we can beat any team on our day.”

Asked how far away Scotland are from being viewed on the same level as the top teams in the world like Ireland and France, Van der Merwe, with no hesitation, said: “Really close, really close.

“We’ve showcased that against France (in Saint-Etienne earlier this month). We probably dropped off for five to 10 minutes and good teams will punish you when you drop off but that’s something we can work on.

“We’ve showcased what we can do as a team, coming from behind and almost beating France in France. We’ve got a very special group.”

Zander Fagerson admits he is “relieved” not to have had his World Cup dream dashed by suspension after going through an emotional “roller coaster” in the aftermath of his red card in Scotland’s recent home win over France.

There were fears the Glasgow prop might miss at least part of the upcoming showpiece in France after he was sent off for making contact with the head of Les Bleus hooker Pierre Bourgarit at the side of a ruck.

After an anxious few days for the 27-year-old, he learned last week that he would face a reduced two-game ban, ruling him out of last weekend’s rematch with the French in Saint Etienne and the home game against Georgia later this month before freeing him up to play in the World Cup opener against South Africa in Marseille.

“It’s been a bit of a roller coaster but I’m just relieved,” he told the PA news agency. “I’m remorseful for what happened, but it’s one of these things and you’ve got to move on from it and learn from your mistakes.”

Fagerson explained how the sight of his children helped him deal with the gloomy post-game realisation that his dismissal may have put his World Cup chances in jeopardy.

“I was pretty down afterwards but by my wife and kids were there (at Murrayfield) and my kids didn’t care about what had happened, they just wanted to see their dad,” he said.

“I was gutted but that helped put a smile back on my face. It (the incident) was done, I couldn’t do anything to change it, so I just had to go through the process and wait for the outcome.

“I’m gutted I got suspended, but I’m relieved I can play the first game. It’s done now, I’ve got to move on and learn from it.”

Fagerson insists it is not in his nature to go into any Test without full commitment, even if there is a risk his wholehearted playing style could cost him involvement in a career pinnacle.

“You can’t go into games at this stage worrying about injury or suspension, because you’re not focusing on the task at hand if you’re doing that,” he said.

“You can’t let that cross your mind. Any time I play for Scotland is a massive opportunity and I don’t take it for granted. I go into every game fully committed.”

With his suspension ruling him out of next week’s match at home to Georgia, Fagerson – who has played just 50 minutes of rugby this summer – must focus on ensuring he is in prime shape for the Springboks showdown three weeks on Sunday.

“Fingers crossed I get selected for the first game, that’s a massive goal for me and one I’m doing everything I can to make sure I’m in the best physical condition for,” he said.

Fagerson is heading to his second World Cup after being part of the squad that went to Japan four years ago, but this will be his first with his younger brother Matt, who has also been included in Gregor Townsend’s 33-man pool.

“Sadly Matt didn’t make it in 2019, but he was really excited for me and I was gutted for him, so to go out together this time will be really special,” said Fagerson. “It will be great for the family as well. Hopefully we can make some memories over there together.”

Stuart McInally’s rugby career is over after the long-serving Edinburgh hooker was one of four players cut from Scotland’s 33-man World Cup squad.

The 33-year-old, who captained the national team at Japan 2019, announced at the end of last season that he would retire after this autumn’s showpiece in France to become an airplane pilot but, after being part of the training squad this summer, he has not made the final selection.

Scrum-half Jamie Dobie, tighthead prop Murphy Walker and back-row Josh Bayliss are the other three players who have been released from the squad.

The omission of the latter trio was not a major surprise given they have only accumulated 10 caps between them so far.

McInally won his 49th and final cap in last Saturday’s 30-27 defeat by France in Saint-Etienne.

First-choice number nine Ben White is in the squad, indicating that he has been given the all-clear after seeing a specialist this week about the ankle injury that forced him off against France a week past Saturday.

Fourteen of the 33 players Gregor Townsend has selected were also in his squad for the last World Cup, while four of them – Grant Gilchrist, WP Nel, Richie Gray and Finn Russell – will be going to the tournament for a third time.

Huw Jones is adamant Scotland are not fazed by sharing a heavyweight World Cup group with the might of Ireland and South Africa.

The fact the draw was made in 2020 has led to a top-heavy pool B containing three of the five best teams in the world on current form.

With Ireland ranked number one, and world champions South Africa fourth on the list, the burgeoning Scots – despite being up to fifth themselves – will be up against it to reach the knockout phase.


However, three tightly-contested games against second-ranked France this year – including last Saturday’s agonising 30-27 defeat in Saint-Etienne – allied to strong periods against the likes of New Zealand and Ireland over the past year – have given the Scots genuine hope that they can finish in the top two in their section and progress to the latter stages.

“It is a tough pool, and if people see us as underdogs we don’t mind that,” said centre Jones. “We know how good we can be and a game like Saturday’s, against a side ranked second in the world, gives us a lot of confidence.

“We think we can beat anyone, it’s just about putting together a complete performance. We’re not fazed by the group, we’re really looking forward to it, but we know we need to be at our best to beat the top teams and get out of our pool.”

The Scots have lost 32-21 and 30-27 in their two away matches against the formidable French this year, while they defeated Les Bleus 25-21 at Murrayfield earlier this month.

All three matches against the highly-fancied World Cup hosts incorporated strong fightbacks from Gregor Townsend’s side and Jones feels if they can cut out the minor issues that are leaving them trailing in the first place, they are playing well enough to fancy their chances against any opposition.

“We weren’t really happy with our first-half performance at home to France but we were a lot better in the second half,” said Jones.

“Then in Saint-Etienne, against France’s strongest team, it was a more complete performance in terms of the full 80 minutes, although it’s still about those small margins for us.

“We feel like we’re there and thereabouts but there’s also stuff we can work on. I think Saturday will spur us on to improve even more.

“We always want to win but I think a narrow loss like that away to one of the top teams in the world is good for the confidence. We know we can go toe-to-toe with the best and we feel we can win those games.

“We take confidence from that but we also know there are areas we have to tighten up in and not make a couple of silly errors that can cost us close games.

“Going out to France twice this year and running them so close in those games gives us real confidence, especially as the World Cup is out there.”

As long as there are no slip-ups against Georgia in their final warm-up match at Murrayfield a week on Saturday, the Scots will head out to France at the start of September on the back of an encouraging summer campaign in which they have already defeated Italy and France in Edinburgh.

“We’re feeling good,” said Jones. “It’s been a tough pre-season.

“The fitness is there and the game fitness is coming along. We’ve got one more game against Georgia to really sharpen up and then we’re into the tournament.

“I think we’re in a really good place but we want to win that game against Georgia and put in a really good performance, which will give us confidence going into that first game against South Africa.”

Gregor Townsend is adamant Scotland are equipped to go toe-to-toe with any side they encounter at the upcoming World Cup after giving formidable France another fright on Saturday.

The Scots lost 30-27 to Les Bleus in front of a partisan home support in stifling Saint-Etienne heat, a week after they defeated Fabien Galthie’s side 25-21 at Murrayfield.

Both of those warm-up matches involved rousing fightbacks from Townsend’s team, as was also the case in their Six Nations meeting in Paris in February when the visitors recovered from 19-0 down to close within four points of their hosts before a late French try secured a 32-21 win.

Given France are ranked second in the world and joint-favourites alongside New Zealand to win the tournament on home soil this autumn, the way Scotland have competed against Les Bleus this year has enhanced their head coach’s belief that his team are ready to vie for qualification from a heavyweight World Cup pool that also includes world champions South Africa and the world’s top-ranked side, Ireland.

“We’re fit enough, we’ve got the game and we’ve got the players to take on any team we come up against, and this was a preparation for what is likely to happen in the World Cup: noisy atmospheres, powerful forwards, especially when we play South Africa, and hot conditions,” said Townsend.

“Our players thrived in that environment. There were elements where we can improve and that will come, and it has come because we’ve seen improvement right throughout the season.

“Our belief has been shaken at times in games, but against France the belief was there. Whether it was as individuals or collectively, we knew we were coming back.

“It is a big disappointment that we didn’t get anything out of that game whether it is a draw or a win.

“We know if that was a World Cup match we’d be sitting here absolutely gutted, but it is a build-up to the World Cup so there are lots of positives out of that performance.”

Scotland made a strong start to lead 10-6 at the half-hour mark and then staged a stunning fightback from 27-10 down to level the match at 27-27 before Thomas Ramos – who kicked 15 of France’s points – sealed a narrow win with a late penalty.

On a night when the visitors outscored their hosts by four tries to three, Scotland were effectively left to rue a 29th minute yellow card for Ali Price and a disastrous start to the second half as the French ran in two tries within four minutes of the restart.

“That’s one way to look at it,” said Townsend when asked how he can eliminate such costly phases of drop-off from Scotland. “The other way to look at it is these top teams are going to have their moments and they are going to score points.

“A lot of what happened in that five minutes after half-time was down to our errors, we were unable to gather a pass from the kick off and gave France some dominance in our 22.

“We’ll look at all the game. I think we could have done more in the first 15-20 minutes when we were playing so well.  There was some opportunities there that we could have taken with a bit more ambition and accuracy.

“The period when we were a man down was really good defensively, but I feel we could have done better when we had ball. And the final quarter when we came back, there is maybe not much to improve there because there was some outstanding play, but it would have been nice to have a chance with that line-out at the end and there was that scrum where France won the penalty.

“So there is always areas to improve, but I am so proud of not just the effort but that resilience and collective belief the players have built over the last few weeks and last few months.

“This team will not be beaten. We’ll keep going and we’re a very dangerous team to play against, and we believe the more time we spend together the more accurate we’ll get.”

Townsend feels spoiled for choice as he prepares to trim his 37-man training squad to 33 for the World Cup, with the announcement to be made this Wednesday.

The head coach was encouraged that he was able to make six changes to the starting XV from the Murrayfield victory over the French and still send out a team strong enough to challenge Les Bleus on their own patch.

The strength in depth at Townsend’s disposal was highlighted by the fact Kyle Steyn, who is generally a substitute when fellow wings Darcy Graham and Duhan Van Der Merwe are fit, chipped in with two of the Scots’ tries. The others came from Van Der Merwe and Rory Darge.

“The bench is worth commenting on,” said Townsend. “The depth we have in our squad means we can mix things up at times, rest players or bring players in because of form or because they are suited to a certain game, Kyle Steyn being a good example.

“In the last three games now the bench has made a real change in our energy, helped take the game to the opposition, so it is encouraging that the 23 is being utilised and helping us play better at the end of games, and the final quarter is probably the most important time in a game to play well.

“There will be a difficult selection coming up with the squad, but also when we have to pick our 23-man squad game to game.”

Gregor Townsend is confident Ben White will be fit for the Rugby World Cup even though the Scotland scrum-half has not travelled to France for this Saturday’s warm-up match in Saint-Etienne.

The 25-year-old, who started each of the Six Nations matches earlier this year, was forced off in clear discomfort with an ankle injury in the first half of last weekend’s victory over Les Bleus at Murrayfield.

White stayed in Scotland while the rest of the squad flew out on Sunday to their World Cup training base near Nice. His number nine jersey has been taken by Ali Price for Saturday night’s Test at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard.

“Ben is doing alright,” reported Townsend as he faced the media on Thursday following his team announcement. “He is not part of our group just now, he has stayed at home to continue with rehab.

“Given the fact we’ve got two flights, one out here to our training camp, then one up to Saint-Etienne, and obviously some full-on training sessions, we decided it would be better for Ben to stay back home, get physio and rest up.

“We’re confident Ben will return to training next week or the following week. We do have an appointment booked for him on Monday with a specialist to see how it’s progressing.

“That gives us clarity ahead of announcing our World Cup squad (on Wednesday) but from chatting to the medics last night, he seems to be progressing positively, like we thought he would.”

Another player who misses out this weekend is Zander Fagerson, but Townsend is relieved that he will be able to call on the Glasgow prop for the World Cup opener against South Africa after he was effectively banned for just two matches following his red card for a high challenge on France hooker Pierre Bourgarit last weekend.

“I was part of the group that presented Zander’s case alongside Zander and our team manager (David Edge) and I thought the way the panel approached it, they understood Zander’s actions were mistimed rather than any intent to hurt his opponent,” said Townsend, reflecting on Tuesday’s hearing.

“He was in control of his actions, so with Zander pleading guilty to the charge, we got a sanction that obviously could have been worse but what we believe was befitting of an unlucky incident rather than intentional foul play.

“It’s a huge boost for Zander that he can now focus on being available for the first game against South Africa. Any longer ban would have taken him out of that game or potentially taken him out of the World Cup so he’s now got four weeks before we play South Africa to make sure he’s in great physical condition.”

Townsend has made six changes to the team that started against the French last weekend, with Kyle Steyn, Price, WP Nel, George Turner, Rory Darge and captain Jamie Ritchie taking over from Darcy Graham, White, Fagerson, Ewan Ashman, Hamish Watson and Matt Fagerson.

Ritchie missed the previous two warm-up matches with a minor calf issue.

“Jamie’s probably in the best shape I’ve seen him in the last few years,” said Townsend. “He’s had a couple of injuries that have curtailed his progress but he’s built on what he did in the Six Nations and I think he’s fitter, stronger.

“We’ve had a few lively sessions and we had a full hit-out on two occasions and Jamie stood out really well. He trained fully this week in hot conditions and looked good so we can’t wait to see him play.

Graham and Matt Fagerson have both been given the weekend off after being the only two players to start the previous two warm-up matches.

“They’re both fine physically and both wanted to play but there’s an increased risk when you start people in three Test matches in three weeks so that’s the reason they’ve missed out this weekend,” said Townsend.

Townsend trimmed four players from his provisional squad last weekend and must cull another quartet by Wednesday when he names his final 33-man squad for the World Cup.

“We’re closer because we’ve got a smaller squad out here so there’s less decisions to make,” he said. “In terms of what that final squad will be, this weekend will go a fair bit to making sure we make the best decision.

“The players that are getting an opportunity to play this weekend can leave a lasting impression but it’s what they’ve done throughout the World Cup camp and the games that’s in our minds just now.

“We know it’s going to be very tough getting from that 37-man squad down to 33 and obviously we’re hoping there are no injuries to factor into our selection debates on Sunday and Monday.”

France have restored most of their big hitters for this weekend’s match after fielding a largely second-string side at Murrayfield and Townsend expects a formidable test in the Saturday night heat, with the temperature forecast to hit 32 degrees during the day in Saint-Etienne .

“France are one of the best teams in the world, they have a first team that has played a lot of rugby together over the last few years, and equally importantly they are playing at home,” said Townsend.

“The French crowds have been very noisy this year, whether it’s at Stade de France, an under-20s game, a women’s international, or a top club game, so we’re sure we’re going into a very noisy, hostile environment in Saint-Etienne.

“And with that we’ll also have to deal with the weather conditions. It’s been very hot over here and it will probably be around 20 degrees when the game kicks off at 9pm.

“They don’t have many games left before they open the World Cup so I’m sure they will want to put out their best performance, just like we do.”

Captain Jamie Ritchie is back in the Scotland starting XV for Saturday’s World Cup warm-up match against France in Saint-Etienne.

The inclusion of the skipper, who has missed the previous two Tests with a calf issue, represents one of six changes to the team that started last weekend’s 25-21 victory over Les Bleus.

There is no place in the squad, however, for Ben White, who was forced off in the first half last weekend with an ankle issue. The scrum-half is replaced in the number nine jersey by Ali Price.

On the wing, Kyle Steyn takes over from Darcy Graham, who has been given the weekend off after scoring tries in each of the previous two warm-up matches.

Veteran prop WP Nel, 37, will fill in for Zander Fagerson, who is suspended following his red card against the French last Saturday, while George Turner replaces fellow hooker Ewan Ashman.

There are two changes to the back three, with flankers Ritchie and Rory Darge coming in for Matt Fagerson and Hamish Watson.

Stuart McInally, Rory Sutherland, Javan Sebastian, Scott Cummings, Sam Skinner and Josh Bayliss are the six forwards named on the bench, while George Horne and Ollie Smith are the replacement backs.

Celtic striker Oh Hyeon-gyu could be out for up to six weeks with a calf problem.

The 22-year-old South Korea international originally picked up the injury in James Forrest’s testimonial match against Athletic Bilbao but did not declare it before taking his place on the bench for the cinch Premiership opener against Ross County at Parkhead on Saturday.

“Oh will probably be out for a few weeks,” said Hoops boss Rodgers, who refused to elaborate on Celtic’s interest in Swedish centre-back Gustaf Lagerbielke, which had been revealed by Elfsborg manager Stefan Andreasson.

“He hurt his calf against Athletic Bilbao but no one knew and he trained on.

“He was involved in the game at the weekend and then he trained on the Sunday and afterwards he spoke to the medical team to say he felt his calf and it has ended up that he has a calf problem which might put him out for four to six weeks. So that’s where he is at.

“Apart from that, the injured guys are doing really well.

“Ali Johnston is back on the grass, running, working, he is increasing his intensity so that is really good news for us.

“Marco Tilio is also now out on the grass and moving well so we expect him to be another month or so away.”

Swedish central defender Carl Starfelt has been linked with a move to Celta Vigo after Rodgers confirmed at the weekend he was keen to move on, but the manager said: “It is progressing but nothing definitive to add on that.”

Asked if he could say reveal anything on Lagerbielke, the Northern Irishman said: “No. Clearly if we lose a centre-half I want to bring in another one, but I have got nothing to add.

“There’s probably be a few other names that will be mixed in there and if I spoke about every one we might be here for a little while.

“There is a number that we are looking at, but nothing definitive.

“There are other areas I would like to improve on.”

Scotland prop Zander Fagerson could play in his country’s opening World Cup match after receiving a reduced ban for his sending-off against France.

Fagerson was dismissed following a high challenge on Pierre Bourgarit in the 50th minute of Saturday’s World Cup warm-up match at Murrayfield.

The Glasgow forward was effectively handed a two-match suspension following a hearing in front of an independent judicial committee on Tuesday.

That rules him out of this Saturday’s return against France and the meeting with Georgia on August 26 but potentially frees him up for the World Cup meeting with South Africa on September 10.

He has officially been banned for three weeks – a schedule that includes the Springboks game – but he has been given the option to replace the last match by joining the “Coaching Intervention Programme” to work on his technique.

Fagerson’s initial citing for charging was amended to “dangerous play in a ruck or maul”, for which World Rugby’s minimum punishment is four weeks, but this was reduced to three after the player admitted guilt “at the earliest opportunity” and showed “remorse”.

Stand-in Scotland captain Finn Russell expects France to restore their big-hitters for next weekend’s rematch in Saint-Etienne.

A second-string Les Bleus side were ripped apart by the rampant hosts in the second half of Saturday’s World Cup warm-up match at Murrayfield.

French head coach Fabian Galthie started debutant trio Paul Boudehent, Emilien Gailleton and Louis Bielle-Biarrey in Edinburgh, while Antoine Dupont, Gael Fickou and Romain Ntamack were among a raft of established players given the day off.

The experimental nature of the team did not hinder the visitors in the first half as they raced into a 21-3 lead at the interval.

But Scotland, despite having prop Zander Fagerson sent off in the 50th minute, roared back to win the second half 22-0 and claim a morale-boosting 25-21 victory five weeks ahead of their World Cup opener.

“It was not their strongest team, a lot of their players will come back next week,” said Russell. “It will be a different team we face.

“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.”

Despite the fact it was not against France’s strongest side, Russell feels Scotland’s relentless second-half performance – in which Darcy Graham, Pierre Schoeman and replacement Dave Cherry got the game-changing tries – will stand them in good stead ahead of the World Cup.

The Scots will spend this week at their tournament training base near Nice before travelling to Saint-Etienne on Thursday for their next warm-up match against the hosts.

“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.

“From last week it was a step forward and we go to France next week. It will be a very different French team we face but it will be a very good challenge for us heading towards the World Cup.”

Russell was captain in the absence of injured skipper Jamie Ritchie, who hopes to return in Saint-Etienne following a calf issue. The 30-year-old stand-off enjoyed leading his country for the first time.

“It was good fun,” he said. “As a 10 on the pitch you tend to talk a lot and chat with other leaders.

“In terms of speaking on the pitch and having leadership, it was similar to previous occasions.

“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 head coach Gregor Townsend is braced for the possibility of losing Zander Fagerson for at least a portion of the World Cup after his red card in Saturday’s exhilarating 25-21 warm-up victory over France.

The Scots produced a magnificent second-half fightback to overturn a 21-3 deficit at the break and record a morale-boosting 25-21 victory despite having the Glasgow prop sent off following a high challenge on Les Bleus hooker Pierre Bourgarit in the 50th minute.

Fagerson was initially yellow carded before having his punishment upgraded to a red a few minutes later after a review via the newly-implemented bunker system.

With just two warm-up matches remaining – away to France and at home to Georgia – the Scots fear any suspension for Fagerson could carry over into the World Cup.

“Yes, of course there’s concern when someone picks up a red card,” said Townsend. “It’s a difficult one. The contact area is so fiercely competitive.

“France are a team that like to jackal and the hooker that Zander collided with is one of the best jackalers in world rugby.

“If it’s a timing issue or a height issue, yes, we have to make sure that we don’t get those head knocks, head collisions but there was no malice or foul play. It’s more from the rugby incident of mistiming on a ruck clear so we just have to hope that the judiciary see it the same as what we see.”

Fagerson was handed a four-game ban after being sent off following a similar incident against Wales in the 2021 Six Nations, but Townsend does not believe this offence was as severe.

“I’ve seen the incident again and he does adjust his feet,” said the head coach. “The one from the Wales game he comes in very quickly and at the time it was very understandable because someone else hadn’t gone to the ruck clearance so he knew if he didn’t come in quickly, Wyn Jones would have got the jackal.

“On this occasion he did adjust his feet so there’s nothing reckless in wasn’t as much speed, it wasn’t reckless, he just didn’t get underneath the French hooker’s chest area which can happen in all the 200 ruck clears there are in a game.

“What I hope for Zander and for us as a team is that they see there is nothing reckless in there, nothing was out of control, it’s just a timing issue that he couldn’t get underneath the jackaller.”

Townsend expects to find out Fagerson’s fate before their rematch against the French in Saint-Etienne next Saturday.

“Automatically any red card would go to a hearing and we’d expect that to be done by Tuesday or Wednesday,” he said. “It would affect our plans for next weekend and our World Cup squad is announced a week on Wednesday so we’ll need to know before then.”

Scotland lost another key man in the shape of Ben White, who limped off in the first half with an ankle injury, but Townsend is hopeful that it will not cause the scrum-half to miss the World Cup.

“He’s much more positive now,” said the head coach. “He got his foot trapped under him when they kicked through, he got high tackled and got his foot trapped under him.

“It was an area where he had an issue at the beginning of our World Cup camp but he’s been training fully now for the last six weeks and in initial testing (after the game) it seems OK.

“He’s off to hospital just to make sure there’s nothing in the scan so fingers crossed that he’s OK. It might be that he struggles to train this week but hopefully he’ll be available for the World Cup.”

Townsend was proud of the way his 14-man team recovered to win the second half 22-0 after being outclassed by a second-string French side in the first half.

“Even though these are not Six Nations or World Cup games, it is a Test match in front of almost 60,000 people, so we know our job is to win,” he said.

“And when you are defending your line at the end, thoughts go through your head about whether we are going to hold out for the win.

“It was such an encouraging second-half performance and victory that it would have been a big blow if we hadn’t got that win.

“We showed much more of who we are in that second half, both in attack and defence. To do it with one less player for the majority of the second half is going to be really positive for the players’ level of belief.”

Scotland overcame the loss of key duo Ben White and Zander Fagerson to stage a stirring second-half fightback and defeat France 24-21 in an exhilarating World Cup warm-up match at Murrayfield.

Les Bleus, who fielded a largely second-string side, looked on course for a comfortable victory as they eased into a 21-3 half-time lead.

But the Scots, despite having Fagerson red-carded early in the second half, roared back to record a morale-boosting win with tries from Darcy Graham, Pierre Schoeman and replacement Dave Cherry.

The shine was taken off the triumph, however, by the sight of scrum-half White limping off with a worrying-looking ankle injury just four weeks out from their World Cup opener against South Africa, while they will also face an anxious wait to learn the fate of prop Fagerson following his dismissal.

Scots head coach Gregor Townsend made 13 changes to the experimental team that defeated Italy a week previously, with most of his big-hitters restored.

Finn Russell was handed the captaincy for the first time in the absence of regular skipper Jamie Ritchie, who missed out with a minor calf injury which medical staff hope will subside in time for next weekend’s rematch between the teams in Saint-Etienne.

The French starting line-up featured three debutants in Paul Boudehent, Emilien Gailleton and Louis Bielle-Biarrey, with Antoine Dupont, Gael Fickou and Romain Ntamack among a raft of established players given the weekend off.

The team selections meant Scotland – despite being ranked three places beneath the French – went into the match as favourites with bookmakers.

The hosts got the scoreboard up and running in the fourth minute when Russell kicked a penalty between the posts.

However, Les Bleus seized the initiative in scintillating fashion in the 14th minute when Baptiste Couilloud was set free to bound over the line after a brilliant break-away down the right involving Bielle-Biarrey and Matthieu Jalibert. The latter made no mistake with the conversion.

The visitors remained in the ascendancy and stretched their advantage after 24 minutes when debutant Bielle-Biarrey found a gap on the left and darted majestically through it after being fed by Jalibert, who duly converted.

Scotland’s woes deepened when White was forced off with an injury after half an hour, replaced by George Horne.

The scrum-half looked dejected as he made his way off the pitch and punched the bench in frustration before having his ankle bandaged up by medics and limping down the tunnel.

The Scots thought they had reduced the deficit in the 33rd minute when Duhan Van Der Merwe found his way over the line, but play was pulled back for a French scrum following a forward pass.

A disastrous first half for the home side was compounded in the last action before the break when Cameron Woki picked the ball up at the back of a ruck and plunged over the line from close range. Jalibert again added the extras.

Scotland started the second period in brighter fashion, with Graham running on to a cross-field kick from Russell and just doing enough to plant the ball down under pressure from Ethan Dumortier. Following a TMO review to approve the score, Russell kicked the conversion.

Just as the hosts looked to be finding their way back into the match, though, they suffered another blow in the 50th minute when Fagerson was sin-binned for a high challenge on Pierre Bourgarit. Following a bunker review, the offence was subsequently upgraded to a red card.

However, the 14 men further reduced the French lead in the 54th minute as Pierre Schoeman bulldozed his way through to touch the ball down, with Russell converting.

The Scots were rampant and they thought they had got their noses in front when Blair Kinghorn bolted in behind the posts, but it was ruled out for a knock-on by Graham.

Remarkably, however, they did get themselves ahead in the 67th minute when substitute Cherry pushed his way over. This time Russell hit the post with his conversion attempt.

The captain was more accurate six minutes later as his penalty gave the Scots a four-point lead before they withstood some late French pressure to see out the win.

Burgeoning Scotland scrum-half Ben White is determined to make a big impact in France for both club and country in the months ahead.

The 25-year-old is set to go to the upcoming World Cup as his nation’s first-choice number nine after starting each of the Six Nations matches earlier this year.

And following the global showpiece in France, he will join up with his new colleagues at Toulon after he signed for the Top 14 outfit last month following the recent financial demise of his previous club London Irish.

“It was a tough time and it’s very sad for a lot of the players and fans and people who have been at the club a long time,” said White, reflecting on his pre-World Cup change in circumstances at club level.

“I guess a lot of the players have been lucky but for the fans their club is gone so from that side of it, it’s very disappointing. But when one door closes, another one opens and to get the opportunity to go to Toulon is one I’ll be very grateful for.

“I want to hopefully have a good World Cup and a good run of games to go to Toulon and put my best foot forward and to play well for them.

“It’s kind of weird how it’s happened, to sign for a club and then not go there (immediately), but (Toulon director of rugby) Pierre Mignoni has messaged me a couple of times to check up on how things are going with me and it’s great to have that communication straight off the bat.

“I’ve been trying to do my French lessons in my downtime and it’s going ok. It’s an awesome opportunity and I’m really excited for it.

“The French absolutely love their rugby, the grounds will be absolutely rammed at the World Cup and the atmosphere they have at the stadiums is one of the things that drew me to Toulon. Getting the opportunity to play for Scotland out there, hopefully, will be amazing.”

White explained that he was always keen on the idea of playing abroad and he feels his move to France will bring out the best in him.

“The Top 14 is one of the best leagues in the world,” he said. “French nines over the years have been nines that have controlled the game and slightly different to England where the 10 would call a lot of things.

“In France, the nines call things and Pierre was a scrum-half so to have the opportunity to work with him was something that excited me. Having a fresh challenge abroad is going to be amazing for me.”

After being rested last weekend as an experimental Scotland side defeated Italy 25-13, White and the rest of Gregor Townsend’s big guns return to the starting XV for this Saturday’s World Cup warm-up match at home to France, just five weeks before the Scots’ first match at the tournament against holders South Africa in Marseille.

“It’s a really exciting period and if we can get a good result against France it gives you a lot of confidence going into the World Cup,” said White. “They’re a tough team with great players so it’s a really exciting challenge for us.

“I absolutely love every minute in a Scotland shirt. Running out at Murrayfield is probably one of the most special things I’ll ever do in my life so when you get the opportunity to do that, you want to make sure you play to the best of your ability.

“I’m very excited to be back doing it this weekend.”

Gregor Townsend is confident Scotland captain Jamie Ritchie will recover from injury in time for next weekend’s World Cup warm-up match away to France after sitting out this Saturday’s Test against Les Bleus at Murrayfield.

The Edinburgh flanker has sustained a minor calf strain and will play no part in this weekend’s match in Edinburgh, with stand-off Finn Russell handed the skipper’s armband in his absence.

However, Townsend is optimistic that Ritchie will be back in contention for the rematch against the French in Saint-Etienne the following Saturday.

“I would hope he will be back next week,” said the head coach. “He’s confident he will be back in full training next week.

“It was a calf strain that has required more time off. He got a scan on Tuesday just to make sure there was no more damage done, and it was felt that this week there was no need to push the injury.

“He’s confident he will be running by the weekend and back to full training next week.”

Talismanic stand-off Russell – who will join Bath from Racing 92 after the World Cup – will lead the national team for the first time, less than 10 months after being omitted from the initial squad for the autumn series.

Asked what has changed in the intervening period for the 30-year-old to go from outsider to leader, Townsend said: “Finn has played really well since he got back into the squad.

“He has always been a leader for us in terms of attack. He is older, has more experience and an opportunity has opened up where he’s the right man to lead us this week.

“It’s the right time to give him that opportunity, and it will be interesting to see how he goes. Being vice captain and our most important attack leader gives him a real confidence and I’m hoping that being captain gives him confidence too.

“The players that do most of the talking on the field are your 10, your captain and maybe one other player. Finn has certainly done that for us over the last couple of years.”

Townsend believes Russell is in his prime.

“He’s in really good physical shape and was when he came back in last November and during the Six Nations too,” he said.

“He’s hitting that sweet spot where, after playing the game for 10 years in that one position and playing against some of the best teams around, he has an understanding of where space might open up.

“If you’ve got that physical side right too, you can exploit those opportunities. That’s what he is doing. He’s really motivated about playing for Scotland and playing club rugby for the next few years.

“If you can get that mix for the next two or three years, and it’s important to note he is improving all the time, you’ve got one of the best players in the world in that position with us, which is great.”

Townsend has made 13 changes to his starting XV for this weekend’s clash with the French, restoring the majority of his big-hitters after fielding a largely experimental side for last Saturday’s win over Italy.

Ritchie and hooker George Turner are the only notable absentees from the starting line-up, with Ewan Ashman – capped seven times – the least established international in the line-up.

Townsend is hoping Scotland can show over the next two games that they have built on a strong performance in their 32-21 Six Nations defeat by France in Paris in February when they roared back from 19-0 down and threatened to pull off a famous victory.

“We want to show we are a better team than that day,” said Townsend. “I feel that what the players are showing in training is at a lot higher level than what we produced in the Six Nations. That gives us a lot of encouragement and excitement.

“We did play well and the character in the team was outstanding, but we didn’t finish off nearly enough opportunities to win the game. Three times we were over the try-line and didn’t score, and there were another four times where great creative play didn’t get rewarded.

“It’s great that France have committed to home and away fixtures like they did last time. It suits us that we were able to mix up our team last week and we now have two very tough Test matches home and away.”

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