Scotland hand first cap to Edinburgh second row Grant Gilchrist
Last Updated: March 13, 2013 12:40pm
Grant Gilchrist: Was an unused replacement on the bench when Scotland lost to Tonga
Edinburgh lock Grant Gilchrist will win his first cap for Scotland in Saturday's RBS Six Nations clash with France in Paris.
Gilchrist, 22, replaces the injured Richie Gray and the only other change to Scotland team which lost to Wales in their last match sees fit-again Alasdair Strokosch preferred to Rob Harley at blindside flanker.
"We've got to get our basics right. We've got to win the contact area, be disciplined in our approach, and get some front-foot ball for our backs. We also want to end the championship on a high."
Scott Johnson
Strokosch started the Six Nations at Twickenham but then missed the next three matches through injury.
Gilchrist, who is 6'8", was an unused replacement on the bench when Scotland lost to Tonga in Aberdeen in November and he said: "It's a very special moment. It's a massive opportunity for me and I just can't wait for Saturday."
Scotland interim head coach Scott Johnson said: "I've been impressed with Gilco. I've spoken of form and future and he fits the bill in the latter category but he's also keen as mustard and we want to look at him in the company of a very good French side.
"We have made some progress in this championship and it would be ideal to cement that by a winning performance in Paris. But the needle is stuck in the same groove as far as my view on Saturday's Test.
"We've got to get our basics right. We've got to win the contact area, be disciplined in our approach, and get some front-foot ball for our backs. We also want to end the championship on a high.
"We looked at every position in detail after last weekend and we reckoned that Strokosch's experience gave him the nod in the back-row.
"We're not reading much at all into where France are in the table. France are wounded right now and we expect them to come out all guns blazing on Saturday.
"But the target for us is to concentrate on our game and aim to be as high up the table as possible come full-time in Paris."
Scotland: 15 S Hogg, 14 S Maitland, 13 S Lamont, 12 M Scott, 11 T Visser, 10 D Weir, 9 G Laidlaw, 1 R Grant, 2 R Ford, 3 E Murray, 4 G Gilchrist, 5 J Hamilton, 6 A Strokosch, 7 K Brown, 8 J Beattie.
Replacements: 16 D Hall, 17 M Low, 18 G Cross, 19 A Kellock, 20 R Wilson, 21 H Pyrgos, 22 R Jackson, 23 M Evans
