Scotland have been forced into an eleventh hour change for their Guinness Six Nations match against France as Hamish Watson returned a positive Covid-19 test.
The 30-year-old back row forward and two unnamed members of the backroom team came back positive in Friday’s round of squad tests. The three went into isolation as per Scottish Government guidelines.
Watson’s Edinburgh clubmate Nick Haining moves up from the bench to start at 6, with Rory Darge moving to open-side.
Haining played in the win against France in Paris last year, also as a late replacement for the injurfed Matt Fagerson.
Scotland flanker Hamish Watson has returned a positive Covid test and will not play in the Guinness Six Nations match against France tomorrow.
— Scottish Rugby (@Scotlandteam) February 25, 2022
Andy Christie, called into the squad for the first time at the start of the Six Nations, is on the bench. The 22-year-old Saracens back rower, who qualifies via his Scottish maternal grandparents, will win his first cap.
Watson was the Six Nations player of the championship in 2021 and his absence will be keenly felt by the Scots. He has not missed a tackle in the Six Nations so far and is on a record run for the championship of tackles made without a miss.
His role in the breakdown and ground game was also probably pivotal to Scotland’s attacking approach. The Scots will have been aiming to attack the French there with Watson and Rory Darge, also a natural openside.
