TOMMY Seymour and Sean Maitland will make their first start of the summer on Saturday against France - a team that Vern Cotter, Scotland’s head coach, believes is capable of winning the Rugby World Cup. Both Seymour, who is on the right wing, and Maitland, who comes in at full-back, have been making their way back from injury. Tim Swinson, who pulled out of the squad in June because of injury but played for Glasgow in Canada last weekend, is on the bench.
Josh Strauss, who does not become eligible to play for Scotland until later this month, is now the only member of Vern Cotter’s 31-strong squad for the Rugby World Cup who will not have played in the series of four warm-up games.
There are three other changes, beside Seymour and Maitland, from the team that began last week’s 48-7 win over Italy. Matt Scott comes in at inside centre to replace Peter Horne, and in the pack Richie Gray replaces Grant Gilchrist in the second row, while John Hardie replaces John Barclay at openside.
“They’re both raring to go,” Cotter said of Seymour and Maitland. “They went through a pretty long rehab process - for Sean it was touch and go until pretty much three weeks ago. We were unsure at times of just how much he would be involved, but he came through and he starts at full-back. He could possibly finish the game.”
Maitland replaces Stuart Hogg, who in common with Horne has a foot injury. Both should be available for the World Cup opener against Japan, as should Ryan Grant, who injured an ankle against Ireland.
“The doctors have confirmed it’s a ten-day, two-week turnaround,” Cotter said of Hogg. “We think he and Peter will be back on their feet this time next week. Ryan scrummaged this morning, so if he’s doing that he’s not far away.”
Cotter also explained that Jim Hamilton, who was left out of the World Cup squad, had revealed his decision to retire from international rugby to the coaching staff before making it public. “I said to him that it wasn’t over” - as injuries to others might mean he was still needed - “but he’d made up his mind. He’d obviously thought long and carefully about it.”
Asked if France could win the tournament, the coach replied: “Absolutely. They’ve been finalists three times and I think they’re better prepared this year than for a number of years. Obviously the loser [ie runner-up] in their pool plays the All Blacks in the quarter-final. . . . Well, you’d think that.”
Scotland (v France at the Stade de France, Saturday, kick-off 8pm BST): S Maitland; T Seymour, M Bennett, M Scott, T Visser; F Russell, G Laidlaw; A Dickinson, R Ford, W Nel, R Gray, J Gray, R Wilson, J Hardie, D Denton. Subs: F Brown, G Reid, J Welsh, T Swinson, A Strokosch, S Hidalgo-Clyne, D Weir, S Lamont.
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