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Townsend's take on Scotland being restricted to just five Premiership picks versus France

(Photo by PA)

Gregor Townsend has claimed that the current situation where Scotland have just five Gallagher Premiership-based players available to them for Friday night’s Guinness Six Nations re-fixture versus France is more preferable to the alternative of playing the match later in 2021.

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With Lions tour selection still up for grabs, the Scotland boss is satisfied that the rescheduled Six Nations match versus the French is taking place the week after the championship’s round five finale – even though he has had his selection restricted by the English clubs.

Limited to picking just five players who earn their club wages in the Premiership, Townsend admitted that having five available was better than zero as that was the prospect he faced last Saturday before an agreement was eventually struck between the PRL, the SRU and the Six Nations.

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All Blacks legend Sean Fitzpatrick talks about Eddie Jones’ struggling England team

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All Blacks legend Sean Fitzpatrick talks about Eddie Jones’ struggling England team

It means Townsend can start skipper Stuart Hogg, centre Chris Harris and second row Sam Skinner while having Alex Craig and Scott Steele ready and waiting on the bench at the Stade de France rather than being forced to choose nearly an entirely Scottish club-based team.

“It’s much more satisfactory than I thought it was going to be on Saturday when none of our (Premiership) players were going to be available and we were putting together a team from home-based players and Finn Russell.

“So it’s a much better situation. I’m glad that we did get a resolution that players would be available, not all of them but most of them,” explained Townsend, who had to leave out other English-based players such as Saracens’ Sean Maitland, a starter last weekend versus Italy.

“He [Maitland] was really disappointed, as was Jamie Bhatti who has been on the bench for us for the last two weeks and then other players who might have come into consideration, players like James Lang, Duncan Taylor, Cornell du Preez who have been in our squad. Cornell du Preez was actually supposed to be on the bench when we were playing France the last time (the February 28 postponed game).

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“So yeah, it’s disappointing for them, it’s disappointing for someone like Jonny Gray and others who picked up an injury and is not able to play in this game, but the focus is on the 15 and the 23 that are playing this week and are ready for his massive challenge.

“Look, it’s a complex situation in that the game was called off… in the past when Six Nations games have been postponed they have been played months and months later, sometimes the following season which is what happened last year, and in 2001 with the foot and mouth outbreak.

“So to get us a situation where we are playing the week after the end of the Six Nations, that is something the public would want and in a Lions year, it’s good that we are getting to play now and not wait until September, October. While we have not got all our players everybody in our squad and in our public are very keen that this game goes ahead this weekend.”

Townsend has made four changes to his starting XV following the win over Italy. Fit-again Russell and Ali Price step back in at half-back, Harris returns in midfield while George Turner is chosen at hooker. Meanwhile, fit-again Adam Hastings has made the Scotland bench for a match where the starting France XV shows five changes from the last-gasp victory over Wales which kept alive their Six Nations title chances.

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SK 28 minutes ago
Why England's defence of the realm has crumbled without Felix Jones

The way they are defending is sometime pathetic to be honest. Itoje is usually on the inside of the rush and he is paired with a slower tight forward. Unable to keep up with the rush we have seen the line become disconnected on the inside where the big boys are. How many times have we seen Earl rush past the first receiver almost into no mans land covering no attacker. It looks like a system without any guidance. Tome Wright, Ikitau and a number of Wallabies went back to this soft centre as did Williams, Jordan and several others. Also when the line is broken the multiple lines of defence seems to be missing. The rush is predicated on a cover and recovery system with multiple lines of defence but with England you dont see it any more. Fitness and conditioning seems to be off as well as players are struggling to keep up with the intensity of the rush. Felix Jones has left a huge hole. The whole situation was and is a mess. Why they insist on not letting him go and having him work remotely is beyond me. Its leading to massive negative press and is a hot button issue thats distracting from the squad. Also the communication around Jones and his role has been absolute rubbish and is totally disjointed. While some say he is working remotely and playing a role others are saying theres been no contact. His role has not been defined and so people keep asking and keep getting different answers. England need a clean break from him and need to start over. Whatever reason for his leaving its time to cut the rope before the saga drags the whole Borthwick regime down. As for Joe El Abd well good luck to him. He is being made to look like an amateur by the whole saga and he is being asked to coach a system thats not his and which has been perfected and honed since 2017 by Nienaber, Jones, Erasmus and Co and which was first started by White in 2004. He is literally trying to figure out a system pioneered by double world cup winning coaches at the highest level and coach it at the same time. Talk about being on a hiding to nothing.

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