Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend assured Jamie Ritchie he still had a part to play in the Six Nations after the recently-deposed captain was omitted from the 23-man squad for Saturday’s Murrayfield showdown with France.
The 27-year-old Edinburgh flanker was informed last month that he would not be continuing as skipper due to no longer being guaranteed a place in the back-row amid intense competition for places, with Rory Darge and Finn Russell taking over as co-captains.
Ritchie started last weekend’s 27-26 victory away to Wales but he is the only player to have dropped out of the team for this weekend’s match, apart from Luke Crosbie and Richie Gray, who both sustained tournament-ending injuries in Cardiff.
Glasgow back-row duo Jack Dempsey and Darge – fit again after six weeks out with a knee injury – replace Edinburgh pair Crosbie and Ritchie, with Grant Gilchrist stepping in for fellow lock Gray. Saracens back-row Andy Christie has got the nod to be the substitute back-row option.
Asked to clarify that Ritchie was not absent due to injury, Townsend said on Thursday: “No, just selection.
“Once we knew Luke was going to be ruled out and Rory was available we had a good look at the back-row and what the best blend would be and we’ve gone with a Glasgow back-row (of Matt Fagerson, Darge and Dempsey).
“The cohesion they have, knowing each other’s games and most importantly the blend they have. Rory’s an out-and-out seven who can carry the ball well – he’s got an all-round game – but we feel the carrying strengths of Matt and Jack give us a better mix this week.
“Andy was close to starting and also close to starting last week. He’s been in really good form but we feel, off the bench, he can cover all three positions and add to our carrying.”
When it was put to him that Ritchie had endured a pretty spectacular fall from grace after going from World Cup captain just six months ago to not making the 23, Townsend pointed out: “He was vice-captain last week and part of a very good performance in those first 45 minutes.
“He helped Finn with his leadership, really helped the team in the week and then played well.
“I felt he wasn’t able to get his strengths out because of the way the game was being refereed. Wales managed to get a number of penalties in the tackle area, we weren’t getting any.
“I’m sure Jamie would have had a bigger influence if the game had been refereed differently.
“It’s really just about the blend this week. Jamie responded outstandingly well as a person and team-mate but also in the way he’s trained and played in the last couple of games. He’ll be in the mix again for the game against England.”
Scotland and France met in three dramatic encounters last year. The Scots have won five of their last seven Murrayfield meetings with Les Bleus.
Townsend is expecting a response from the French following their 38-17 defeat at home to Ireland last weekend.
“We know them as well as any team we’ll come up against,” he said. “This will be the fourth game in a year.
“We’ve had some cracking games with them in the last 12 months and we’ll have to be at our best level physically, in defence and in the contact area, because they have a lot of jackalers in their team.
“They were up against a really good Irish team and they were down a man for the majority of the game.
“From the French perspective, they know they didn’t play their best rugby so I would imagine we’ll get a reaction from that.
“They came back at one stage – even with 14 on the field – but we know that with 15 on the field they are a quality team, still a top-three, top-four team in the world.”
England and Saracens number eight Vunipola fined after arrest in Mallorca
England international Billy Vunipola has confirmed he has been fined after an incident which saw him arrested in Mallorca on Sunday, with his club Saracens set to launch an internal investigation.
On Monday, widespread reports claimed Vunipola had been tasered by Spanish police in the early hours of Sunday morning, with an altercation taking place after he left a club in Palma.
Saracens later confirmed they were aware of an incident and said they would deal with it internally.
The number eight, who was born in Australia but has represented England 75 times, later released a statement of his own via his club, denying that any violence took place and confirming the police investigation was now closed.
"I can confirm I was involved in an unfortunate misunderstanding when I was leaving a club in Mallorca on Sunday, which got out of hand," that statement read.
"Contrary to media reports, there was no violence, no fight and I did not threaten anybody at any stage, with bottles or chairs or anything else.
"I was charged with resisting the law and, following an 'express trial', I have paid a fine of €240. The Spanish police investigation is now closed, and I am flying back to the UK today.
"I will obviously cooperate with the Saracens internal process and unreservedly apologise for any inconvenience to all involved."
Fraser Brown ‘hugely proud’ of Scotland career as he announces rugby retirement
Fraser Brown declared himself “hugely proud” of his Scotland career as he announced his retirement from professional rugby.
The 34-year-old Glasgow hooker has not played since rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament while playing for the World XV against the Barbarians at Twickenham last May and he has now conceded defeat in his bid to return to action.
Brown won 61 Scotland caps, with the first of them coming against Italy in 2013 and the last in the Six Nations match at home to Ireland in 2023, the same game incidentally in which Stuart Hogg won his final cap. The front-rower went to both the 2015 and 2019 World Cups.
“When you have a serious injury like I did with an ACL at the end of your career, it is always going to be hard to come back from,” Brown told Scottish Rugby.
“That probably made it a little easier to announce my retirement but it’s still a surreal and strange feeling.
“I’m hugely proud to have played so many times for Scotland during my career. To get one cap was great, but then my second one came against the All Blacks at Murrayfield which was such a special occasion.
“To reach 50 caps was a big moment as I had to deal with a lot of injuries throughout my career and to be part of the growth process of the team which has resulted in where they are now has been cool.”
At club level, Brown made 141 appearances for Glasgow after joining from Edinburgh in 2011.
The hooker helped them win the Guinness Pro12 in 2015 with victory over Munster in the final in Belfast, while his last appearance for Warriors proved to be last season’s Challenge Cup final defeat by Toulon in Dublin.
Glasgow head coach Franco Smith paid tribute to Brown, saying: “Fraser is the epitome of a modern professional and someone who should serve as a role model to any young player starting their journey.
“The respect with which he is held, not only within the Glasgow Warriors community but within the wider rugby family, should serve to underline the achievements he has earned throughout his career and the manner in which he has achieved them.
“His work ethic and determination to bring the best out of the people and players around him has been clear to all throughout his career.
“I wish him the very best for whatever comes next and I know he will apply that same work ethic and determination that made him one of this club’s most distinguished Warriors.”
Brown becomes the second experienced Scotland front-rower to announce his retirement in the space of a month after Edinburgh prop WP Nel recently revealed he would be hanging his boots up at the end of this season.
England tap into knowledge of Brian Ashton to play entertaining brand of rugby
England have been tapping into the knowledge of veteran attack guru Brian Ashton to achieve their aim of filling Twickenham.
The Red Roses ran in 14 tries in an 88-10 victory over Ireland that places them on the brink of claiming a sixth consecutive Guinness Women’s Six Nations title when they face France on Saturday.
A thrilling attacking performance before a 48,778 crowd was born out of the belief that in order to play in front of a full house of Twickenham at next year’s home World Cup, they must play appealing rugby.
And helping them achieve that aim is Ashton, a former England men’s head coach regarded as a visionary in the game whose expertise has been enlisted by Red Roses boss John Mitchell.
“Brian makes us ask questions. ‘If this is the picture, what is the easiest way that you can take the wins?’” said Dow, who ran in a hat-trick against Ireland.
“I do think it is about asking those questions and having Brian Ashton available throughout the week…I absolutely adore the man.
“The way he phrases things almost makes you re-think the philosophy of rugby. I think in the English brand the philosophy is ‘let’s kick to the corner, let’s take the territory’. But is that the philosophy of all rugby? Can we expand that?
“At the end of the day, professional rugby is a business in its own way. We need to be proving to the whole of England that we can play an exciting brand of rugby.”
While England march on by overwhelming the opposition in front of them, Ireland’s blowout highlights the gulf in class in the women’s game and affects the credibility of the Six Nations.
The Red Roses have accumulated 228 points after four rounds and France are the only European team capable of taking the wind out of their sails when the rivals clash in Bordeaux.
“I 100 per cent think teams will catch up and as much as we may be on top now, it is on us to try and work to keep that place and demand more from ourselves,” Dow said.
“Because as much as we’d love the game to grow, we want to keep the gap ourselves and continue to prove that we can be the best.”
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