Six Nations – Darge And Gilchrist Return For Scotland Hosting France

 

Co-captain Rory Darge and second-row Grant Gilchrist return to international duty on Saturday, as Scotland host France in the second round of the 2024 Guinness Men’s Six Nations at Scottish Gas Murrayfield.

The inclusion of Darge, who will lead the team alongside Finn Russell, and Gilchrist comes on the back of news that Luke Crosbie and Richie Gray will miss the remainder of the championship through injury.

Fresh from a thrilling try brace in the opening week victory against Wales, Duhan van der Merwe joins fellow winger Kyle Steyn and full-back Kyle Rowe in the back three positions.

Sione Tuipulotu, named vice-captain again, forms a centre pairing with Huw Jones for the seventh consecutive championship match.

Russell and Ben White remain the starting half-backs, the former having landed 12 points from the tee in Cardiff on matchday one.

Pierre Schoeman, who scored a fourth Scotland try last weekend, will occupy the loosehead prop berth, with Zander Fagerson again named at tighthead and George Turner completing the front row from hooker.

Gilchrist joins forces with Scott Cummings in the second row, with Matt Fagerson shifting to blindside flanker and Jack Dempsey at number 8 to complete a back row completed by openside flanker Darge.

Propping duo Alec Hepburn and Elliot Millar-Mills, fresh from making their Scotland debuts against Wales, are once more named among the replacements, as are Ewan Ashman and Sam Skinner. Backrow forward Andy Christie is poised for his first Guinness Men’s Six Nations action since facing the same opposition in 2022.

Scotland’s squad is rounded off with back-division options by way of scrum-half George Horne, Ben Healy (stand-off) and centre Cameron Redpath.

Scotland: 15. Kyle Rowe, 14. Kyle Steyn, 13. Huw Jones, 12. Sione Tuipulotu (vc), 11. Duhan van der Merwe, 10. Finn Russell (cc), 9. Ben White, 1. Pierre Schoeman, 2. George Turner, 3. Zander Fagerson, 4. Grant Gilchrist, 5. Scott Cummings, 6. Matt Fagerson, 7. Rory Darge (cc), 8. Jack Dempsey. Replacements: 16. Ewan Ashman, 17. Alec Hepburn, 18. Elliot Millar-Mills, 19. Sam Skinner, 20. Andy Christie, 21. George Horne, 22. Ben Healy, 23. Cameron Redpath.