VERN COTTER, the Scotland head coach, is set for a Paris weekend where he will record two firsts.
The New Zealander revealed last night that his RBS 6 Nations debut as a coach will be followed by his first donning of the national garb.
"I am very excited. I get to wear a kilt. I have that in the bag," said Cotter, who can now be called the Kilted Kiwi with a degree of accuracy. Curiously, Cotter added that he had worn a toga before but not a kilt.
His admission that the kilt will be worn at the post-match banquet added colour to what was almost a routine selection announcement for the match against France tomorrow.
The team features just two changes from the side that defeated Tonga 37-12 in the final autumn test and includes three RBS 6 Nations debutants in Finn Russell, Mark Bennett and Blair Cowan. Bennett started the first two autumn Tests in November but was ruled out of the Tonga game with a hamstring injury. The only other change from then is tight-head prop Euan Murray replacing Geoff Cross, who is on the bench.
The mild surprise was restricted to the bench where Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, the Edinburgh scrum half, is included as back-up to captain Greig Laidlaw.
"He can play several positions. He is a goal kicker, he gives us a little bit flexibility as well. The energy he has been bringing to Edinburgh recently would assist us if we need it at some stage," said Cotter of the 20-year-old who is the only uncapped player in the 23 who will strip for action at the Stade de France.
Cotter, who played and coached in France for a total of 17 years, said he was ''looking forward to returning to Paris, looking forward to seeing the players roll their sleeves up and give a good French team a run for its money".
The match is the first international sporting occasion in Paris since the Charlie Hebdo massacre and Cotter said: "None of us are left without some form of feeling after what happened but the players are focused on the content of 80 minutes of rugby which is important. "
He said of what is likely to be an emotional occasion: "It is a test of your concentration in an atmosphere that could become very loud and hostile, buoyant for the French team, and we want to take that away from them."
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