GIVEN that he'd already burned through 13 different half-back combinations in less than three years in the job, it will likely have came as no huge shock for Scottish management to see Philippe Saint-Andre find another new axis for Saturday's Six Nations opener in Paris.
The under-pressure coach yesterday plumped for South African-born scrum half Rory Kockott over the much more experienced Morgan Parra to start alongside Camille Lopez at the Stade de France. It's a combination that boast just eight caps between the two of them with Saturday evening's showdown marking a first-ever start in a blue jersey for Castres No.9 Kockott, naturalised last year and a replacement in all three of France's autumn internationals. Saint-Andre's preferred scrum-half, Toulon's Sebastien Tillous-Borde is missing through injury.
"It's logical given our organisation in November," insisted the head coach yesterday. "Rory has been able to work on his combination with Camille Lopez these last two weeks. He's a competitor by spirit who is very good in contact."
Kockott, born in East London in South Africa, has spent the last four years of his career in France and was one of a number of break-out performers in their November internationals, when in true Saint-Andre fashion, they destroyed Fiji, stunned the Wallabies and then collapsed against Argentina. Other autumn eye-catchers retained starting slots with full back Scott Spedding and Racing Metro's electrifying wing Teddy Thomas - expected to be one of the break-out stars of this year's championship - in the starting XV.
Scotland travel to Paris, looking for a first opening weekend win in almost a decade but they are likely to face an emotional French public given that the clash is the first major sporting events in the city since the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attacks. Vern Cotter will be hoping his familiarity with those in blue from his years coaching in France will pay off. Two of his most trusted Clermont lieutenants, centre Wesley Fofana and back row powerhouse Damien Chouly are starters.
France: S Spedding; Y Huget, M Bastareaud, W Fofana, T Thomas; C Lopez, R Kockott; A Menini, G Guirado, R Slimani; P Pape, Y Maestri; T Dusautoir (capt), D Chouly, B Le Roux. Reps: B Kayser, U Atonio, E Ben Arous, R Taofifenua, L Goujon, M Parra, R Tales, R Lamerat.
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