Whilst the Wales vs England match will be an intense, emotional fixture, it's physicality may limit the flair and stylish tries that we believe the game at Stade de France will provide what the game in Wales may lack. Let's see where the key battles will take place:
Half-back pairings - Kockott & Lopez vs Laidlaw & Russell
The French are giving Rory Kockott, the South Africa-born Castres scrum-half, his first start in the Blue jersey and are pairing him up with Camille Lopez, the Clermont fly-half, an interesting decision considering that both players' club mates are on the bench; Castres fly-half Rémi Talès and Clermont scrum-half Morgan Parra, who has been recovering from a shoulder injury. It will be interesting to see how the two pair up, and the selection of this experimental combination over more reliable, proven partnerships seems to be a bit risky and maybe slight complacency going in to the opening match of the 6 nations against a Scottish team that beat Argentina and Tonga in the November internationals, and they also pushed New Zealand in a hard-fought match. In form internationally and domestically, the Scots are looking to impress in this 6 Nations. It is all about momentum, and the winner of this game will probably find themselves in 4th place come the end of the competition.
The experienced Greig Laidlaw partners inexperienced Finn Russell, but having the accomplished scrum-half inside him will help the fly-half with 5 caps settle, especially after his meteoric rise to international rugby. An intimidating atmosphere will be difficult to acclimatise to for Russell, but if he can keep his cool as he has done so far at this level, then this is a crucial battle on the pitch that the Scots could win, and it could turn the game in their favour.
Papé & Maestri vs Gray & Gray
20 year old Jonny Gray has just 8 caps to his name, but has already shown why he deserves his selection alongside his brother in the national team. Outstanding in the November internationals and consistently good for Glasgow all season, Jonny is one of the men to watch in this tournament. The line out ability of the Gray brothers could be crucial, although they are up two against two formidable opponents in Papé and Maestri. A combined 88 caps, the French duo have all the experience necessary to cope with the Scottish giants, and what is usually a very strong part of the Scottish game and could nullify this part of the game for Scotland, it will be a big test for the brothers from Rutherglen, and one I feel the French have the upper hand in.
Dusautoir vs Harley
The French try scorer in the 2011 World Cup final has bags of experience, and is a revered captain in world rugby for his tenacious work at the breakdown and his commanding leadership. His opposite number is Rob Harley, a Cheshire born 24 year old with just 10 caps. However, after sealing a victory for Scotland with a try on his debut, Harley has impressed pundits and fans alike, and has a fantastic opportunity to build upon his growing reputation in this championship. Peter Wright believes that Harley will be the key man for Scotland in this 6 Nations, and this start against a veteran international will set the tone for a crucial tournament for the Scots.Vern Cotter will be hoping his young flanker can neutralise Dusautoir, and I believe he will minimise the damage Dusautoir can wreak upon even the world champions.
France vs Scotland
This will be a close one. Technically, the French have better players with the likes of Fofana, Huget and Dusautoir, but the experimental half-backs and the international and domestic form will make it a close run thing. If Scotland can unleash their back 3, the game will open up and we could see a lot of tries. They will have deal with the physicality of Basteraud in the midfield and the pace of Fofana inside, and I can see tries coming from the French centres. I think this will be a high scoring game, with France to win at the end, urged on by an emotionally charged Stade de France in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo shooting.
Prediction: France by 3.
Who will win?
The French team will line up like this:
15.Spedding 14.Huget 13.Basteraud 12.Fofana 11.Thomas 10.Lopez 9.Kockott
1.Menini 2.Guirado 3.Slimani 4.Pape 5.Maestri 6.Dusautoir 7.Chouly 8.Le Roux
And the Scots like this:
15.Hogg 14.Seymour 13 Bennett 12.Dunbar 11.Visser 10.Russell 9.Laidlaw
1.Dickinson 2.Ford 3.Murray 4.R Gray 5.J Gray 6.Harley 7.Cowan 8.Beattie
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