6N: France v Scotland: six talking points from Gregor Townsend's team selection

Yesterday at 06:00 PM

GREGOR Townsend was in a relaxed and expansive mood at his team-announcement press conference this morning, perhaps because the pressure is off Scotland to an extent as they prepare to face a France side who will be crowned the Six Nations champions if they win on Saturday night. And, while he is in no doubt at all about the scale of the challenge facing his team in the Stade de France, the head coach also genuinely appeared to be relishing the prospect of taking on opponents for whom he has always felt an affinity – even if, as he explained, those opponents are currently playing some of the best rugby he has ever seen from them.

However, before waxing lyrical about the French, Townsend began by answering questions about his selection of a starting line-up in which there are two changes, with Gregor Brown replacing Jonny Gray at lock and Matt Fagerson coming in for Jack Dempsey, who was ruled out because of a hamstring strain sustained in last weekend's win against Wales. Glasgow No 8 Dempsey addressed the press on Tuesday afternoon, normally a sign that a player is in the starting line-up, so Townsend was first asked …

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1. When did you decide that Jack Dempsey wouldn't make it – in other words, when was the final team selection?

"About 45 minutes ago! We had two or three players in this morning to have a fitness test. Jack had trained on Tuesday but we knew he wasn't going to push himself hard that day.

"Yesterday we were keen to push a little bit further and he didn't feel comfortable, so we got him scanned last night. The scan is OK, but it's just not going to be right in time for the game."

2. There was a time not too long ago when Gregor Brown seemed to be a reluctant convert to second row from the back row. What have you seen in his game that has persuaded you to go with him at lock?

"I think we've seen with Glasgow the times he's come off the bench and played in the second row and then started. Over in South Africa was when we were saying this is a guy going up against big South African packs – the middle part of last season and then in the final. This is someone that can come up against some of the biggest players you can face.

"We've seen that again this year. In the 1872 Cup games, I thought he was very good.

"You've got to get a balance as well with size and technical ability of making your size be as effective as possible, whether that's his technique in the scrum or his technique around maul defence.

"Then it's about you as a rugby player. Can you carry hard and get us over the gainline? Can you tackle and defend the way we want you to in our system?

"He does that really well and he's probably one of the most skilful players in our squad. His passing decisions to tip or pull back are outstanding. He now gets the opportunity to do that for longer on the field."

3. How do you get France to play the kind of game that you want?

"We definitely don't want it loose, because that's where they thrive. I think we want to be high-paced, and that's a lot about what you do in the contact area. We want it slow-paced for them as much as possible. So it comes down to how quickly you're producing ball. Our team has done that really well this year.

There are times you'll lose rucks because we move the ball more than other teams to the width. But if we can produce that quick ball, that gets us into better positions. But also it moves their pack around. And they've got a heavy pack.

"Whether it's the guys at the start or the guys coming off the bench, they are some of the heaviest players we will come up against. So we're going to make it uncomfortable for them. What they want to do is to get any mistakes from you and get that ball to their very fast players really quickly. So we've got to be accurate.

"They also want to get their power game out. A lot of that power game comes not so much through the set-piece. Yeah, they've got a really strong set-piece. But it's about playing off nine and pick and goes.

"Toulouse have done this really well. Over the last couple of years we've worked closely with Toulouse. They've sent coaches over to us. We've gone to them.We know about their DNA and how they play and how they practice it. And we've learned from that as well. There's been a stylistic change in how we've played this year. Bringing our forwards into the game a bit closer.

"For us this will be the ultimate challenge of a team that has got players who have been doing that regularly this season. Not as a coach but a supporter, I'm really looking forward to that challenge. And seeing how we go counteracting that this week."

4. Tell us more about that Toulouse connection …

"Well, I played with Hugo [Mola, Toulouse head coach] at Castres. I'm good friends with him.

"We've had players there, Richie [Gray] before Blair [Kinghorn]. They've said to us that they've studied us and they would like to send coaches over to see what we do. We made that connection again during covid. And since Blair's been there, Pete Horne's been over, John Dalziel, I went over this year.

"It's an exchange of ideas. It's not the only club we have that relationship with. But obviously Toulouse is a very different type of rugby that it's good to learn from. And also pick the brains of Blair when he comes back.

"We've got a few players now that have had experience of French rugby. Three in our squad are currently playing there, and Finn [Russell] played a few seasons there, so just having that knowledge spread throughout the group, where it's Jonny in the front five to Blair in the back three, they're aware of what the opposition are trying to do, and also when maybe they've struggled to get that type of game in place with their clubs – and the reasons for that."

5. You're playing in the last game on the final day of this year's Six Nations. Will the results of the Italy v Ireland and Wales v England  games have any effect on how Scotland or France play?

"I wouldn't have thought for us. I wouldn't have thought for France either. Every team is set out to get a win – that's all you're focused on during the week.

"It shouldn't affect France. If Ireland and England were to lose, then they could be already – technically maybe not, because there is still one other scenario, isn't there? – crowned Six Nations champions before we start.

"But they'll want to finish their season at home, nine o'clock on a Saturday night, with their best performance. And that's what we're preparing for. We're preparing for the best version of France. They've been showing it throughout the championship. They're playing some of the best rugby I've ever seen from them, as a supporter, player and as a coach.

"Our job is to make sure they aren't able to get into the game easily. They've got some great players and really good power. But we've got to stop them delivering that and we've got to bring our game too. We're going to have to score some tries this week to win this game, but our team are capable of doing that.

"I think it would be a really exciting time if you're a French rugby supporter right now. Their performances in the Six Nations have been the best I've seen from a French team. They're playing a game of rugby that really suits their strengths.

"Sometimes when you've got a massive pack, some teams in the past have slowed down the game, when you try and make it a set-piece battle and a power battle. They're able to get that power linked to an attacking style of rugby that means it's going to be high speed; there's going to be off-loads, and there's going to be backs that get on ball.

"Maybe what's even more encouraging for France is the age profile of their team. They're bringing younger players into their team, their under-20s are obviously delivering a lot of players into the national team. The way the clubs are performing too – Bordeaux and Toulouse have put 70 and 80 points on top English teams this year.

"So it's encouraging for the future for France. It'll be a challenge for other teams over the next few years, in the Six Nations and in European club rugby."

6. You mentioned that other, far-fetched scenario which would make Scotland champions – if Italy beat Ireland, Wales defeat England, and you win by at least 52 points while picking up five match points to France's nil.  Have you even taken that into consideration at all? 

"No, we've not talked about that with the players. I didn't even know until someone mentioned it to me on Saturday night.

"Our focus is a lot about how we get our game out, but also how we stop France from getting any easy ways into the game, stop them getting momentum through their carries and through other parts of the game.

"It's one of the biggest challenges anyway, to go to the Stade de France and win. We know that it's been very tough for us over the decades with Scotland. This is going to be even more of a challenge, just because of the form that France are showing.

"But it's also a really exciting opportunity. You're going to Paris with the eyes of the rugby world watching this game, maybe because they see France as a team that's going to win. What a great opportunity for us to show our best version of ourselves over the 80 minutes."

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