Scotland braced for French juggernaut

Vern Cotter has urged his Scotland players to force the French “juggernaut” into a U-turn in Paris.

The Scotland head coach senses France expect to “steamroll” his side into submission tomorrow and has spent the week trying to ensure his defence is as tight as possible in preparation for the physical test.

But he suspects his opponents might not be as clever on the back foot as they are pushing forward in front of a demanding crowd at the Stade de France. France lost 19-16 to England in their RBS 6 Nations opener while Scotland surprised many by brushing off Ireland’s second-half comeback to win 27-22 at BT Murrayfield with the help of two late Greig Laidlaw penalties.