Townsend satisfied with deal on players

GREGOR Townsend has insisted Scotland secured a “satisfactory” deal to have five Englishbased players released for their Six Nations finale against France.

Scotland must do without Saracens wing Sean Maitland and a string of squad players for tomorrow night’s Paris clash, which was delayed due to an earlier coronavirus outbreak in Les Bleus’ squad.

The Scottish Rugby Union finally brokered a deal with English club bosses on Saturday night to allow the release of five players for a match that now sits outside the regular Test window.

Scotland will feel Maitland’s absence most keenly, but Townsend was quick to insist the SRU had managed to achieve the best result from a tricky situation.

“Look, it’s much more satisfactory than I thought it was going to be on Saturday, when none of our players were going to be available, and we were putting together a team of home-based players and Finn Russell,” said Townsend.

“I’m glad we did get a resolution that some of the players would be available – not all of them, but most of them.

“It’s a complex situation that the game was called off and put into a schedule where there are league games going on.

“In the past when Six Nations games were postponed they were played months and months later, or even in the following season. That’s what happened last year and in 2001 with foot and mouth.

“So to get a situation where we’re playing the week after the end of the Six Nations, that’s something the public would want.

“And in a Lions year it’s good that we’re not waiting until September or October for this match.

“So while we’ve not got all our players, everyone in our squad and our public are very keen that this game goes ahead this weekend.

“Sean Maitland was really disappointed, as was Jamie Bhatti, and the players who maybe would have come into contention.

“But the focus is now fully on the 15 and the 23 that are playing this week and are ready for this massive challenge.”

Racing 92 fly-half Russell returns after concussion to take on a host of his Paris clubmates, with captain Stuart Hogg stepping back to his regular full-back role.

Ali Price will start at nine, with Chris Harris into the centres and George Turner starting at hooker.

France are gunning for the Six Nations title having foiled Wales’ Grand Slam bid in Paris last weekend.

But Scotland could still seal their highest-ever Six Nations finish of second, should they win by more than eight points.

“We feel we’re capable of going there and getting a result,” Townsend said.