Scotland have made five changes for the visit of France in the Autumn Nations Cup as they seek a record-equalling sixth win in succession.
It will also be the final pool stage game for the Scots as the scheduled match with Fiji has been cancelled due to the ongoing Covid-19 outbreak in the Pacific Islanders’ squad.
Oli Kebble will make his first start at loosehead prop after the ankle injury to Rory Sutherland, while Darcy Graham drops out of the squad altogether to allow Edinburgh club mate Blair Kinghorn to return to the starting team while Sean Maitland is on the bench.
Maitland, who scored two tries in the 28-17 win over France in the Six Nations in March, has not played since being disciplined for breaking coronavirus protocols while with the Barbarians last month.
Elsewhere vice captains Fraser Brown and Jamie Ritchie have recovered from head knocks to take their places in the starting team, while Simon Berghan is given the run at tight-head in place of Zander Fagerson, who drops to the bench.
Fagerson’s younger brother Matt, injured against Georgia in the opening game of the autumn campaign, returns at no 8.
The game has become effectively a qualifier for the final of the Autumn Nations Cup tournament after the much-anticipated cancellation of the game against Fiji. 29 players in the squad tested positive for Covid-19 last week, and their games against France and Italy had already been cancelled.
France, as expected, have replaced the injured Romain N’tamack with Bordeaux stand-off Mathieu Jalibert for their visit to Murrayfield.
Scotland: Stuart Hogg (Exeter, capt); Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh), Chris Harris (Gloucester), Sam Johnson (Glasgow Warriors), Duhan Van der Merwe (Edinburgh); Duncan Weir (Worcester), Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors); Oli Kebble (Glasgow Warriors), Fraser Brown (Glasgow Warriors), Simon Berghan (Edinburgh); Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors), Jonny Gray (Exeter); Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh), Hamish Watson (Edinburgh), Matt Fagerson (Glasgow).
Replacements: George Turner (Glasgow Warriors), Jamie Bhatti (Edinburgh), Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors), Sam Skinner (Exeter) Blade Thomson (Scarlets), Sam Hidalgo-Clyne (Exeter), Duncan Taylor (Saracens), Sean Maitland (Saracens).
France: Tomas Ramos (Toulouse); Teddy Thomas (Racing 92), Virimi Vakatawa (Racing 92), Gael Fickou (Toulouse), Vincent Rattez (Montpellier); Mathieu Jalibert (Bordeaux-Begles), Antoine Dupont (Toulouse); Jean-Baptiste Gros (Toulon), Camille Chat (Racing 92), Demba Bamba (Lyon); Bernard Le Roux (Racing 92), Romain Taofifenua (Toulon); Dylan Cretin (Lyon), Charles Ollivon (Toulon, capt), Gregory Alldritt (La Rochelle)
Replacements: Julien Marchand (Toulouse), Cyril Baille (Toulouse), Mohamed Haouas (Montpellier), Paul Willemse (Montpellier), Cameron Woki (Bordeaux-Begles), Baptiste Couilloud (Lyon), Louis Carbonel (Toulon), Arthur Vincent (Montpellier).
