Scotland face Les Bleus with Paterson on bench
Chris Paterson took his place on the bench for Scotland’s opening game of this year’s RBS 6 Nations Championship against France at Murrayfield.
The utility back and premier goal-kicker has featured only sporadically for his new club Gloucester since the World Cup and his place on the wing was taken by Nikki Walker, while Rory Lamont played at full-back and Dan Parks at stand-off.
Nick de Luca won his first cap in midfield while John Barclay got the nod over Ally Hogg at openside flanker and Dave Callam filled in for Simon Taylor, who has a broken thumb, at number eight.
New France coach Marc Lievremont had selected four debutants – Francois Trinh-Duc, Julien Malzieu, Lionel Faure and Julien Brugnaut – with two more uncapped players, Arnaud Mela and Morgan Parra, on the bench.
David Marty was a late replacement at centre for Florian Fritz – who will miss the whole of the championship with a fractured leg – and only six players from the World Cup squad were in the starting XV.
