By Steve Scott, rugby correspondent

CAPTAIN JASON WHITE missed the first day of full training as the Scotland squad gathered to begin preparations in earnest for Sunday’s opening RBS Six Nations Championship clash with France at Murrayfield.

The injury to White, who missed all last year’s cham- pionship with a cruciate knee injury, is not considered likely to put him out of Sunday’s game but he was rested as coach Frank Hadden trimmed his training squad to 23 players from which the final 22 will be named on Wednesday.

Scotland team doctor James Robson said that the injury was similar to one the skipper suffered just prior to the Rugby World Cup last September.

“Jason took a bang on his leg playing for his club on Friday night,” said Dr Robson. “It’s a similar injury to that which he sustained before the World Cup and it took two to three days to settle on that occasion.”

Meanwhile Hadden has opted for 23 players rather than his usual 24 at this stage as he wishes an additional back to be involved with Scotland A as they prepare for their match with Italy A away on Sunday.

The choice for that odd man out would appear to be between Nick De Luca, thought by many to be a strong bet for outside centre, or Ospreys wing Nikki Walker, with Simon Webster and Hugo Southwell the more likely bench candidates if they are left out of the starting XV.

Among those left out to join the A squad ahead of the clash with Italy are Glasgow’s Al Kellock, Johnnie Beattie and Moray Low, Gloucester’s Rory Lawson and Edinburgh open-side Ross Rennie.

Scotland squad v France in the RBS 6 Nations Championship on Sunday, kick-off 3pm—John Barclay (Glasgow Warriors), Mike Blair (Edinburgh), Kelly Brown (Glasgow Warriors), Dave Callam (Edinburgh), Chris Cusiter (Perpignan), Nick De Luca and Ross Ford (both Edinburgh), Jim Hamilton (Leicester Tigers), Andrew Henderson (Glasgow Warriors), Nathan Hines (Perpignan), Allister Hogg, Allan Jacobsen and Gavin Kerr (all Edinburgh), Rory Lamont (Sale Sharks), Scott MacLeod (Llanelli Scarlets), Euan Murray (Northampton Saints), Dan Parks (Glasgow Warriors), Chris Paterson (Gloucester), Hugo Southwell (Edinburgh), Fergus Thomson (Glasgow Warriors), Nikki Walker (Ospreys), Simon Webster (Edinburgh), Jason White (Sale Sharks).