SCOTS ARE NO PUSHOVERS

VERN COTTER will order his Scotland team to derail the French ‘juggernaut’ at the Stade de France tomorrow. And he intends making the Bleus bruisers regret their trash talk about outmuscling the visitors. The Scots, who kicked off their Six Nations with a hugely impressive home win over Ireland last weekend, take on Guy Noves’ superheavyweights with history beckoning. Seeking a first win over France in Paris since 1999, Cotter’s boys expect a backlash from hosts who threw away a lead in their opening loss at Twickenham. But Cotter’s background in the French club game means he knows exactly what old pal Noves has in mind. ‘They believe they can overpower us,’ said the Scotland head coach. ‘You can see that reflected in their team selection. There was even talk of Mathieu Bastareaud being involved in the midfield to really steamroll us. ‘They believe this is the game that will set their Six Nations alight. We’ve heard the noises coming out of their camp. It’s pretty clear what’s coming: “They’re a big juggernaut that’s going to roll over the top of us. We’re the type of team they like to play against”. ‘They’re very powerful going forward. We’d like to see how they look going backwards. Turning them round will be key.’ French counterpart Noves made it clear he intends outmuscling the Scots. His sole change is in the back-row, with Loann Goujon handed a berth in place of Damien Chouly, while the brawny hooker Christopher Tolofua and 6ft 6in lock Julien Le Devedec are introduced to the bench. ‘We wanted to beef up our pack,’ said Noves. ‘Loann brings an extra dose of power to our forwards. Our objective is to win through power.’