Hamish Watson will replace his Edinburgh team-mate Luke Crosbie in the only change to Scotland’s starting XV for Sunday’s Six Nations showdown with France in Paris.
Gregor Townsend has kept faith with the majority of the team that began the emphatic victory over Wales at BT Murrayfield a fortnight ago, but Crosbie has dropped out of the 23-man squad altogether.
Watson, a member of the 2021 British and Irish Lions squad, has been a regular starter for the national team but sat out the opening two matches against Wales and England as he had been short of game time since the autumn due to concussion issues.
Changes were always expected to be kept a minimum, although it had been speculated that Blair Kinghorn, who came off the bench against the Welsh to make a positive, try-scoring impact, might get the nod over Stuart Hogg who was forced off early with a head injury.
Hogg has been passed fit to play, however, and the Exeter full-back retains the number 15 jersey, with Kinghorn again listed among the substitutes.
Glasgow scrum-half Ali Price and Edinburgh lock Sam Skinner, who have not been in the match-day 23 for either Six Nations match, have both been named among the replacements.
Price, a regular starter throughout Townsend’s reign, was a notable omission for the first two matches of the campaign after a dip in form, but he has been restored to the squad at the expense of his fellow Glasgow scrum-half George Horne, who drops out.
Gloucester centre Chris Harris, another regular of recent seasons, has not made the 23 after being a substitute in the first two matches.
— Scottish Rugby (@Scotlandteam) February 24, 2023
Scotland team to play France
Forwards: 1 Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh Rugby), 2 George Turner (Glasgow Warriors), 3 Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors), 4 Richie Gray (Glasgow Warriors), 5 Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh Rugby), 6 Jamie Ritchie (CAPTAIN, Edinburgh Rugby), 7 Hamish Watson (Edinburgh Rugby), 8 Matt Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors)
Backs: 9 Ben White (London Irish), 10 Finn Russell (Racing 92), 11 Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh Rugby), 12 Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors), 13 Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors), 14 Kyle Steyn (Glasgow Warriors), 15 Stuart Hogg (Exeter Chiefs)
Replacements: 16 Fraser Brown (Glasgow Warriors), 17 Jamie Bhatti (Glasgow Warriors), 18 WP Nel (Edinburgh Rugby), 19 Jonny Gray (Exeter Chiefs), 20 Sam Skinner (Edinburgh Rugby), 21 Jack Dempsey (Glasgow Warriors), 22 Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors), 23 Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh Rugby)