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John  Hardie
New Zealand-born John Hardie has only played 57 minutes for Scotland but made Vern Cotter’s World Cup squad. Photograph: David Gibson/REX Shutterstock
New Zealand-born John Hardie has only played 57 minutes for Scotland but made Vern Cotter’s World Cup squad. Photograph: David Gibson/REX Shutterstock

Scotland bank on John Hardie proving his worth in France warm-up

This article is more than 8 years old
New Zealand-born flanker has played only 57 minutes for Scotland
Coach Cotter defends his decision to pick forward for World Cup

Under the lights in Paris on Saturday night two flankers will be centres of attention. Thierry Dusautoir, who has won 75 French caps, is back after injury to lead his side. John Hardie, after 57 minutes on the field for his newly-adopted country, will be facing him in Scotland’s back row.

This week’s selection in Vern Cotter’s World Cup squad of Hardie, who has left Otago Highlanders to pursue an international career, has caused a few ripples in Scotland. Hardie has jumped the queue that included John Barclay, scorer of a try in his comeback against Italy last weekend, and another Kiwi Blair Cowan. Neither will play in the World Cup.

The 27-year-old Hardie qualifies to play for Scotland through a grandmother from Culross in Fife and his brother Grant played for the Peebles club six years ago. Scotland’s Kiwi coach, Cotter, is nothing if not a pragmatist and believes Hardie is a major asset despite being in the country for little more than six weeks.

Scotland’s supporters would not care if Hardie had flown in from Mars if he could do what another New Zealand-born flanker did in 1999, the first time Scotland played at Stade de France.

Martin Leslie scored two tries and his brother John helped galvanise Scotland’s backline in a thrilling 36-22 victory, the last time Scotland triumphed in Paris. It may be beyond Hardie and his new team-mates to reverse a trend that has seen Scotland win only one of their past 17 games against France since that magical springtime afternoon but Cotter is looking for signs Scotland are ready to make an impact in the World Cup which for them starts with a game against Japan at Kingsholm on 23 September.

Hardie’s elevation may have come extraordinarily quickly but the flanker is thought to have been on Scotland’s radar for the past two years and Cotter defends his selection. “It’s people’s right to disagree. Everybody has got an opinion. We are just focusing on what is best to move forwards.

“I don’t expect everybody to agree but we’ve got ideas on how we would like to play and who are the best people to allow us to do that,” said the coach.

Certainly there are signs Scotland are stirring themselves after another doleful Six Nations campaign. Sean Maitland, another “Kilted Kiwi”, and Tommy Seymour are back after the pair missed the warm-up defeat by Ireland and two wins over Italy and they will need to be at their sharpest against a strong France side who beat England in Paris two weeks ago.

France have made two changes from the side who defeated England 25-20, Dusautoir replacing Bernard Le Roux in the back row and Alexandre Flanquart in for Yoann Maestri at lock.

Richie Gray of Castres, who will form a second-row partnership with his younger brother Jonny on Saturday night, said: “France is a huge game for us but off the pitch we’ve got an incredibly fit squad and we’re making gains on the pitch, as you saw last weekend.”

France are hitting their straps at the right time, as they usually do when the World Cup is approaching.

Their coach, Philippe Saint-André, said the side, with Frédéric Michalak resuming at fly-half, will be pretty much how his team line up when they play their first World Cup match against Italy at Twickenham in a fortnight.

“I am very pleased with the progress of the team,” Saint-André said. “But we have to play with the intensity we showed in Paris against England because we know how dangerous Scotland can be.”

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