Edinburgh (AFP)

Captain Guilhem Guirado called on the Blues on Friday to "put a lot of pressure on the Scottish hinge", made up of Greig Laidlaw and Finn Russell, to prevent them from "reciting their game" on Saturday in Edinburgh for the second match preparation for the World Cup.

Guirado expects the XV thistle, at home and with the return of its holders (including Laidlaw and Russell), proposes a challenge of a scale other than Nice last Saturday (32-3 for France) . Coach Gregor Townsend "had to work hard".

"Without wanting to reveal too much, we have changed a little bit of gear (in defense) We will try to put a lot of pressure on the hinge to prevent them from reciting their game and win the advantage line, because we know that they are very dangerous, "continued the captain at Murrayfield, where he will return after being spared last Saturday because of rib pain.

"They've added a pretty middle-ground player (Chris Harris-Peter Horne), wingers (Seymour and Maitland) who are going to go into the + line, and their pack is completely changed, that's another match, that's for sure. "added Guirado, without listing the 14 changes made by Townsend (only the back Stuart Hogg retains his place).

The hooker was nevertheless confident about the ability of the Blues to repeat their defensive performance of Nice (no trial cashed), even if they have experienced some "small worries": "If we keep our aggression, our pretty good climb defensive, the fact of consuming very few players in the rucks area ... One is never safe from a flash of brilliance but I think we will respond present in rigor. "

He finally called the XV of France to "better finish the actions" in attack, evoking "five or six actions that could have put in the bottom" in addition to the five tests registered.

"But we still found a lot of the systems we worked in. We would like everything to be perfect but we know that in a match there are always things to improve," he said.

© 2019 AFP