France v Scotland match preview, coverage & key stats

Guinness Men's Six Nations: France v Scotland

Venue: Stade de France, Paris Date: Saturday, 15 March Kick-off: 20:00 GMT

Coverage: Listen live on Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio Scotland Extra & BBC Sounds, follow live text coverage on BBC Sport app & website; watch on ITV1.

Overview

France are in control of their own destiny and will claim the title with a bonus-point win over Scotland at a sold-out Stade de France on Saturday.

Les Bleus' demolition of Grand Slam-chasing Ireland in Dublin last weekend, in which they racked up 42 points and scored five tries, puts them within touching distance of a second Six Nations title in four years.

Visitors Scotland are mathematically in the title hunt themselves, but require their own bonus-point win and to overturn France's massive points difference, while also relying on unlikely results elsewhere.

Gregor Townsend's side are likely to finish fourth for the second successive year, but they can cling onto the close nature of the past three clashes between the sides and recent performances on French soil.

The absence of France captain Antoine Dupont may also be a factor - the superstar sustained a knee injury in Dublin last week and is is set to miss the next six months.

France team news

France make two changes with Maxime Lucu starting at scrum-half in place of Dupont. Gael Fickou replaces Pierre-Louis Barrassi at outside centre to win a French record-equalling 50th Six Nations cap.

Gregory Alldritt will skipper the side while head coach Fabien Galthie retains a 7-1 split on the bench.

France: 15-Ramos; 14-Penaud, 13-Fickou, 12-Moefana, 11-Bielle-Biarrey; 10-Ntamack, 9-Lucu; 1-Gros, 2-Mauvaka, 3-Atonio, 4-Flament, 5-Guillard, 6-Cros, 7-Boudehent, 8-Alldritt (capt).

Replacements: 16-Marchand, 17-Baille, 18-Aldegheri, 19-Auradou, 20-Meafou, 21-Jegou, 22-Jelonch, 23-Le Garrec.

Scotland team news

Scotland make two changes to their starting XV, with Gregor Brown replacing Jonny Gray in the second row and Matt Fagerson in at number eight for Jack Dempsey, who is ruled out with a hamstring injury.

Lock Marshall Sykes, back-rower Ben Muncaster and versatile back Jamie Dobie come into the squad as replacements, with the former two set to make their Six Nations debuts.

Oyonnax lock Ewan Johnson has been named as a late replacement for Jonny Gray on the bench after the Bordeaux 30-year-old had to pull out with a knee injury.

Scotland: 15-Kinghorn; 14-Graham, 13-Jones, 12-Jordan, 11-Van der Merwe; 10-Russell (co-capt), 9-White; 1-Schoeman, 2-Cherry, 3-Z Fagerson, 4-Brown, 5-Gilchrist, 6-Ritchie, 7-Darge (co-capt), 8-M Fagerson.

Replacements: 16-Ashman, 17-Sutherland, 18-Hurd, 19-Johnson, 20-Sykes, 21-Muncaster, 22-Dobie, 23-McDowall.

View from both camps

France head coach Fabien Galthie on having a title shot in their own hands: "It's our supreme objective, it's what we wanted and what we succeeded in doing.

"It's an ambition that is becoming a reality, it's the goal."

Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend: "It's a great game to go up against one of the best teams in the world at home.

"They're playing a game of rugby that's really producing points and scores. They're physical, they're bringing a fresh pack on at some stage in the second half and they're going for the title.

"It's now just about focusing on our game and bringing that out for as long as we can and beyond. Pushing ourselves physically and being together throughout that 80 minutes. That's going to be very important."

Commentator's notes

Andrew Cotter: "The biggest concern for Scotland has to be how to live with the sheer power of France. Anything close to parity in that department and Scotland's backs will be able to score tries, but that is far easier said than done.

"More injuries mean that Scotland are digging deep into slender reserves up front whereas France have no end of huge men and once more go for seven forwards on the bench. And while Dupont is a loss, Lucu stepped in seamlessly at scrum-half against Ireland.

"Scotland do have a recent history of playing well at the Stade de France but France are flying and Paris will expect and demand victory to give them only their second title in 15 years."

Match facts

January Bleus: The Six Nations started in January this year for the very first time. The last version of this championship to kick off in this month was the 1997 Five Nations and a French side featuring Fabien Galthie and Romain Ntamack's father, Emile, claimed the Grand Slam that year. A good omen for Les Bleus?

Head-to-head

• France have won 20 of the previous 25 Six Nations clashes with Scotland, losing five.

• The Scots have registered just one win 12 Six Nations visits to France, which came behind closed doors in 2021.

France

• France are vying to win their seventh Six Nations title, which would equal England's all-time record.

• Les Bleus have lost just once in 15 Tests at the Stade de France.

• France have scored a national record 26 tries in this year's tournament – four more would set an overall Six Nations record, surpassing England's total of 29 set in 2001.

• Gael Fickou is set to win his 50th Six Nations cap and will equal former centre Philippe Sella as France's most-capped player in this tournament.

• Louis Bielle-Biarrey needs one more try to become the highest scorer in a Six Nations tournament – he's scored seven so far, level with Jacob Stockdale's record total set with Ireland in 2018.

• Thomas Ramos requires seven more points to overtake Frederic Michalak's French record total of 436.

• Damian Penaud equalled Serge Blanco's French record of 38 Test tries against Ireland last week.

Scotland

• Scotland have lost three successive Six Nations away Tests, all by four points or fewer.

• The Scots have made the most carries (624) and beaten the most defenders (123) this year.

• Blair Kinghorn has made 72 carries so far, the most by a Scotland player in any Six Nations tournament. It's 22 more than the next best player this year, France's Gregory Alldritt.

• Huw Jones and Duhan van der Merwe have each scored 16 Six Nations tries – a joint-Scottish record with Stuart Hogg.