Scotland’s Russell out of France tie
LONDON: Scotland fly-half Finn Russell has been ruled out of Saturday’s Six Nations match away to France with a head injury, Scottish Rugby announced yesterday.
The influential playmaker was substituted before half-time play for Parisbased club side Racing 92 in Sunday’s loss to Toulouse and failed the initial head injury assessment.
Russell had six days in which to satisfy protocols for returning from a head injury.
A Scottish Rugby statement said he had “not satisfied the requirements of today’s component of the graduated return to play protocol... meaning there is insufficient time for him to be considered for this weekend’s action.”
Scottish Rugby added that Russell would now return to the care of Racing’s medical team.
Full-back Stuart Hogg had earlier been ruled out of the Six Nations fixture after suffering a shoulder injury in Scotland’s defeat by Ireland last time out, but team management will hope to have him available for their final two matches of this season’s Six Nations, against Wales and England.
Meanwhile France head coach Jacques Brunel dropped scrum-half Morgan Parra and fly-half Camille Lopez for Saturday’s match.
They have been replaced by the Toulouse pair of Antoine Dupont, 22, and the 19-year-old Romain Ntamack, who rarely plays at fly-half with his club.
As a result, Yoann Huget shifts back to the wing after playing full-back in London and Gael Fickou is back at inside centre after playing at the wing.
Thomas Ramos, 23, will start at fullback and will be the main kicker in the absence of Parra and Lopez.