Vern Cotter followed his first squad announcement with a match-day 23 that was a lot less controversial, and a lot easier to guess. The main area of debate was in the centre where for once a positive problem meant having to pick two out of Matt Scott, Alex Dunbar and Mark Bennett. In the end a training injury to the shoulder took Scott out of contention and handed Bennett his first Six Nations start. Likewise injury to Sean Maitland made the back three choice easier with Tim Visser brought in to try and keep the tries flowing.
The only other difficult call came at tighthead with Euan Murray chosen over Geoff Cross on this occasion, although Cross will most likely start in the Wales game next Sunday.
It’s a strong looking first XV, but the quality of the bench has undoubtedly been hampered by injury with Scott alongside Henry Pyrgos and Sean Lamont all likely candidates left out through injury. It does give a chance to the in-form Sam Hidalgo-Clyne to earn a first cap should he be called upon, but outside him Horne or Fife are unlikely choices as game changers if some inspiration is needed late on.
One key tactic for the Scots maybe (against a big French side) may be to run them out of steam – can we do that and keep the first XV on the park?
Scotland team to play France: Stuart Hogg; Tommy Seymour, Mark Bennett, Alex Dunbar, Tim Visser; Finn Russell, Greig Laidlaw (capt); Alasdair Dickinson, Ross Ford, Euan Murray, Richie Gray, Jonny Gray, Rob Harley, Blair Cowan, Johnnie Beattie. Replacements: Fraser Brown, Gordon Reid, Geoff Cross, Jim Hamilton, Alasdair Strokosch, Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, Peter Horne, Dougie Fife.
(RB: likely team from Hogg, Seymour, 2 from Dunbar/Scott/Bennett, Visser, Russell, Laidlaw(c); Dickinson, Ford, Murray, Gray, Gray, Harley, Cowan, Beattie)
Not considered through injury: Adam Ashe (neck), Chris Cusiter (knee), Chris Fusaro (ankle), Grant Gilchrist (arm), Tyrone Holmes (face), Ruaridh Jackson (knee), Sean Lamont (calf), Henry Pyrgos (knee), Matt Scott (shoulder), Tim Swinson (calf), Duncan Taylor (hamstring), Duncan Weir (arm).
France meanwhile have named a strong team – with one or two project players of their own. The tussle between Rory Kockott and Laidlaw should be something to savour.
France team: Scott Spedding, Yoann Huget, Mathieu Bastareaud, Wesley Fofana, Teddy Thomas, Camille Lopez, Rory Kockott; Alexandre Menini, Guilhem Guirado, Rabah Slimani, Pascal Pape, Yoann Maestri, Thierry Dusautoir (capt), Damien Chouly, Bernard Le Roux. Replacements: Benjamin Kayser, Uini Atonio, Eddy Ben Arous, Romain Taofifenua, Loann Goujon, Morgan Parra, Remi Tales, Remi Lamerat.
Stade de France, Paris, 7 February, kick-off 6pm local, 5pm GMT – TV coverage live on BBC1.