Times Sport

Four changes for Scotland

© Press Association 2011

1:16pm Wednesday 22nd February 2012

Scotland head coach Andy Robinson has made four changes in personnel for Sunday's RBS 6 Nations clash with France at Murrayfield.

Stuart Hogg is to make his first Test start at full-back, with his Glasgow Warriors team-mates John Barclay and Graeme Morrison recalled at blindside flanker and inside centre, respectively.

Mike Blair has been called up at scrum-half, with two positional switches - Sean Lamont moving from inside to outside centre and Rory Lamont from full-back to the right wing.

Two of the changes were enforced, with Barclay replacing Alasdair Strokosch, who has been ruled out of the tournament with a fractured hand, and wing Max Evans unavailable for selection due to an ankle injury.

Strokosch and Evans joined London Irish centre Joe Ansbro and Saracens back-row Kelly Brown in being unavailable for selection.

Hooker Ross Ford has been retained as captain and is joined in the front row by Edinburgh team-mates Allan Jacobsen and Geoff Cross, who lines up at tighthead with Euan Murray unavailable for Sunday games for religious reasons.

Richie Gray is joined in the second row by Jim Hamilton, who has shaken off a throat infection, while the back row is comprised of Barclay, Ross Rennie and David Denton.

Blair, who replaces Chris Cusiter at scrum-half, joins fly-half Greig Laidlaw at half-back, having combined effectively for Edinburgh this season.

Scotland team to play France in the RBS 6 Nations match at Murrayfield on Sunday, February 26 (kick-off 1500): S Hogg (Glasgow Warriors); R Lamont (Glasgow Warriors), S Lamont (Scarlets), G Morrison (Glasgow Warriors), L Jones (Edinburgh); G Laidlaw (Edinburgh), M Blair (Edinburgh); A Jacobsen (Edinburgh), R Ford (capt, Edinburgh), G Cross (Edinburgh), R Gray (Glasgow Warriors), J Hamilton (Gloucester), J Barclay (Glasgow Warriors), R Rennie (Edinburgh), D Denton (Edinburgh).

Replacements: S Lawson (Gloucester), E Kalman (Glasgow Warriors), A Kellock (Glasgow Warriors), R Vernon (Sale Sharks), C Cusiter (Glasgow Warriors), D Weir (Glasgow Warriors), N De Luca (Edinburgh).

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