Kelly Brown has been restored to the Scotland team and the captaincy for Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations clash with France at Murrayfield.
The 31-year-old flanker was dropped after the opening defeat to Ireland at the beginning of last month and wasn’t in the matchday 23 for either the Calcutta Cup game against England nor the narrow victory against Italy in Rome two weeks ago.
However Brown is back at openside for France, replacing Chris Fusaro, while Ryan Wilson, at blindside for the first three games, drops to the bench to allow Johnnie Beattie and David Denton to play together.
The back row formation is the same as Scotland fielded in the final autumn test against Australia in November, probably their best performance of this current season before the win in Rome.
Brown’s non-selection for the last two games caused considerable disquiet with Johnson insisting that he was being considered for the open-side flanker slot alone, although he has played the majority of his career at blindside or No 8.
Fusaro’s selectioon against England and italy suggested that Johnson was convinced to go with a specialist open-side, but the ocach was keen to retyain the more mobile Wilson at 6. However now the coach has done a complete about-face by restoring Brown and removing Wilson, but placing Beattie at blindside.
In the front row Geoff Cross is retained at tight-head after performing so well against Italy when he replaced the struggling Moray Low before half-time. Euan Murray, who has made a swift recovery from a thumb injury sustained while chopping wood in January, returns to the squad but only on the bench.
Elsewhere head coach Scott Johnson has seen fit to leave well alone with the same back division for the third match in a row.
Team: Stuart Hogg (Glasgow); Tommy Seymour (Glasgow), Alex Dunbar (Glasgow), Matt Scott (Edinburgh), Sean Lamont (Glasgow); Duncan Weir (Glasgow), Greig Laidlaw (Edinburgh); Ryan Grant (Glasgow), Scott Lawson (Newcastle), Geoff Cross (Edinburgh); Richie Gray (Castres), Jim Hamilton (Montpellier); Johnnie Beattie (Montpellier), Kelly Brown (Saracens, captain), David Denton (Edinburgh).
Replacements: Ross Ford (Edinburgh), Alasdair Dickinson (Edinburgh), Euan Murray (Worcester), Tim Swinson (Glasgow), Ryan Wilson (Glasgow), Chris Cusiter (Glasgow), Duncan Taylor (Saracens), Max Evans (Castres).