Blair gets scrum-half chance

Scotland head coach Frank Hadden has handed Mike Blair the scrum-half berth ahead of Chris Cusiter for the opening RBS 6 Nations Championship game with France on Sunday.

The Edinburgh Gunners number nine is one of three changes to the team defeated by New Zealand in the autumn Test series in November.

Dougie Hall replaces Scott Lawson at hooker, while Alastair Kellock makes his Six Nations debut at lock in place of Craig Hamilton.

But Hadden admits the choice of scrum-half had been a difficult one.

He said: “We are in a most fortunate position to have some real talent there and, as ever, it was a close call.

“Mike will start against France because he’s in good form.

“He came on for Chris in the game against New Zealand and did well, so deserves a start.

“It is very much a case of horses for courses and I am sure that Chris will have an opportunity at some point in the championship.”

Scotland team to play France in the RBS 6 Nations on Sunday, February 5 at Murrayfield is:

H Southwell (Edinburgh Gunners); C Paterson (Edinburgh Gunners), M Di Rollo (Edinburgh Gunners), A Henderson (Glasgow Warriors), S Lamont (Northampton Saints); D Parks (Glasgow Warriors), M Blair (Edinburgh Gunners), G Kerr (Leeds Tykes), D Hall (Edinburgh Gunners), B Douglas (Border Reivers), A Kellock (Edinburgh Gunners), S Murray (Edinburgh Gunners), J White (Sale Sharks), S Taylor (Edinburgh Gunners); A Hogg (Edinburgh Gunners)

Substitutes: S Lawson (Glasgow Warriors), C Smith (Edinburgh Gunners), S MacLeod (Border Reivers), J Petrie (Glasgow Warriors), C Cusiter (Border Reivers), G Ross (Leeds Tykes), S Webster (Edinburgh Gunners)