Highlights: The Blues travel to Scotland this Saturday, August 5 to play the first match of a series of four before the World Cup in France. Fabien Galthié's men are at the stage of the last adjustments. The announcement of the list of 33 players summoned for the competition, on August 21, there are still a few places to take. The preparation will conclude with a fourth match, a record for the XV of France before a World Cup, against Australia on the 27th.

Rugby: places to win for the first preparation match of the Blues against Scotland

The Blues travel to Scotland this Saturday, August 5 to play the first match of preparation of a series of four before the World Cup in France. A series of matches where there will be places to take before August 21, and the announcement of the list of 33 who will play the World Cup at home

The preparation matches, the time of choice for Fabien Galthié before the World Cup. AFP - GLYN KIRK

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Eighty minutes to convince. The France XV kicks off its preparation for the World Cup against Scotland on Saturday in Edinburgh, with a largely overhauled squad where there will be chances to seize for the World Cup (8 September-28 October). Fabien Galthié speaks of the announcement, scheduled for August 21, of the list of 33 who will play the World Cup (the group currently has 42 players) as a "non-event", not sure that his men see the deadline with the same eye.

With three neophytes in the starting XV, the Blues advance partly masked, but, a little more than a month before the kick-off of the World Cup, with a gala poster against the All Blacks, Fabien Galthié's men are at the stage of the last adjustments.

Before the announcement of the list of 33 players summoned for the competition, on August 21, there are still a few places to take, especially since, for this first test, the main executives have been left to rest. Exit Damian Penaud, Charles Ollivon or Gaël Fickou. Make way for Louis Bielle-Biarrey, Pierre Boudehent and Emilien Gailleton.

Scotland to field 'best possible team'

The Blues had already faced Scotland twice in 2019 to prepare for the Japanese World Cup. With a mixed record since Jacques Brunel's men, future quarter-finalists, had won in Nice (32-3) before taking their feet in the carpet at Murrayfield (17-14) a week later.

The Scots have, in any case, displayed their ambitions. A week after doing the job against Italy (25-13) with a hybrid team, Gregor Townsend recalled the cavalry. "We will field the best possible team over the next two weeks," Scotland coach Gregor Townsend said. "There is no bigger challenge right now than playing against France: they are one of the best teams in the world, they are host of the World Cup and full of confidence," he added.

A busy schedule before the World Cup

With Antoine Dupont, Grégory Alldritt or Romain Ntamack, Galthié's Blues remain on two consecutive successes at Murrayfield, 22-15 in November 2020 and 36-17 in February 2022. But, without its stars, and with the back Brice Dulin in the role of captain, the XV of France is wary of a team that "poses a lot of problems for four years", as Arthur Vincent recalls. The only one who beat the Blues at home during the Galthié era.

While waiting for the famous list of 33, the Blues will continue with a second confrontation against the XV of the Thistle in Saint-Etienne on August 12, before challenging Fiji on August 19. The preparation will conclude with a fourth match, a record for the XV of France before a World Cup, against Australia on the 27th.

Rugby: places to win for the first preparation match of the Blues against Scotland

Rugby: places to win for the first preparation match of the Blues against Scotland

Scotland to field 'best possible team'

A busy schedule before the World Cup

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