Nice welcome: Ben Healy and Scotland welcomed to France ahead of World Cup opener

The Tipperary native is a part of Gregor Townsend's squad.

SUITED AND BOOTED: The Scotland squad braved testing conditions for their official welcome in Nice.

Tipperary’s Ben Healy saw his World Cup dream move ever closer on Monday afternoon when he was part of a Scotland team to receive their official tournament caps at a ceremony in their south-coast base of Nice.

The former Munster out-half, who qualifies for Scotland through his Scottish-born mother Maria, has made the 33-man squad as deputy to Finn Russell at out-half and he is all but guaranteed to feature at a number of points in proceedings in Pool B.

The Scottish squad was afforded the warmest of welcomes at the Villa Massena Musée on the Promenade des Anglais, a stone’s throw from the Mediterranean, and in more ways than one given the nature of the event and its setting.

A flock of local dignitaries, media and representatives from the amateur Stade Nicois rugby club were on hand to embrace Gregor Townsend’s side, but the decision to hold the welcome outdoors and under a burning sun in 29-degree temperatures was odd.

The players sat in their dark suits for over 20 minutes with no protection from the sun as six separate speakers took to the lectern to say their piece before a local band played Flower of Scotland and the occasion ended with some Scottish Highland jigs.

All of the players received not just their official World Cup caps but also medals fashioned from recycled mobile phones that were collected through various local community rugby clubs as a token of the links built up between the team and the city.

Scotland open their tournament with a game against reigning holders and 2023 favourites South Africa at Marseille’s Stade Velodrome on Sunday.