Hogg makes first start for Scotland

Scotland's Stuart Hogg (R) runs at Wales' James Hook during the Six Nations International rugby union match between Wales and Scotland at the MIllennium stadium in Cardiff, Wales on February 12 2012. AFP PHOTO/ANDREW YATES RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. (Photo credit should read ANDREW YATES/AFP/Getty Images)

Robinson had earned his first start

Glasgow Warriors teenage full-back Stuart Hogg will make his first start for Scotland in Sunday’s RBS 6 Nations Championship match against France at Murrayfield.

Hogg, a product of the Hawick club, will be joined by his Warriors’ team-mates, centre Graeme Morrison and flanker John Barclay in the starting line-up, while a fourth change in personnel from the team that lost against Wales earlier this month sees Edinburgh Rugby’s Mike Blair preferred to his fellow British Lion, Chris Cusiter at scrum-half.

There are two further positional switches with Rory Lamont moving to the right wing and his elder brother Sean moving to outside centre.

Cusiter and Nick De Luca are now on the bench, where Richie Vernon will be involved for the first time in a match-day 22 since the Rugby World Cup pool match against England last October.

Scotland head coach Andy Robinson said: “Stuart Hogg did well off the bench in Cardiff, stood out in the A team victory over England Saxons and has been one of Glasgow’s most consistent performers this season. He fully deserves his first start.”

Hogg, who comes from a renowned rugby family, said: “It’s a dream come true to play international rugby. When I was a kid we’d play full contact rugby in the street in the Weensland area of Hawick. I’d be about five and there would be kids there up to about 12 or 13-years-old and you’d always think about what it would be like to play for Scotland. Now I’ve got the opportunity to win for Scotland at Murrayfield – brilliant.”

Sunday’s match is a 67,144 full-house at Murrayfield and supporters are again reminded to allow extra time to reach the stadium on account of ongoing road and tram works in Edinburgh, while supporters travelling by train from the north, north-east, Tayside and Fife are also advised of engineering works being carried out by Network Rail which will extend their journey times.

Starting XV:
15 Stuart Hogg
14 Rory Lamont
13 Sean Lamont
12 Graeme Morrison
11 Lee Jones
10 Greig Laidlaw
9 Mike Blair
1 Allan Jacobsen
2 Ross Ford (CAPTAIN)
3 Geoff Cross
4 Richie Gray
5 Jim Hamilton
6 John Barclay
7 Ross Rennie
8 David Denton

Replacements:
16 Scott Lawson
17 Ed Kalman
18 Alastair Kellock
19 Richie Vernon
20 Chris Cusiter
21 Duncan Weir
22 Nick De Luca