Laidlaw and Scott return to BT Murrayfield
Gloucester Rugby make six changes to the line-up that started against Exeter Chiefs last weekend as they name their side to face Stade Francais in Friday’s European Rugby Challenge Cup Final.There are three changes to the back line and three in the pack as Gloucester seek to win the trophy they last won back in 2015 and qualify for the play-offs for the final spot in next season’s Champions Cup.In the back line, Billy Burns and Tom Marshall both return from injury and Willi Heinz replaces Greig Laidlaw at scrum-half and will skipper the side.Meanwhile, former Currie man Matt Scott will return to BT Murrayfield, a stadium he knows well, having represented both Edinburgh Rugby and Scotland there.Up front, Josh Hohneck comes in for Paddy McAllister and Jeremy Thrush replaces Mariano Galarza.Finally, Ross Moriarty returns in the back-row having sat out the Exeter game and will line up alongside Lewis Ludlow and Ben Morgan.Director of Rugby, David Humphreys, said: With a Cup Final, there’s not a huge amount of motivation required, everybody knows how important this game is for the club.Everybody knows that, while we’ve got to win this weekend, we’ve also the opportunity still to get Gloucester back into the Champions Cup.First and foremost, though, it’s been about getting ready to face the challenge that Stade Francais will bring and the quality of player that they have.Players, throughout their careers, don’t always get many opportunities to play in Cup Finals. When it comes along, you’ve got to make sure you’re in the best place you can to win.Gloucester Rugby: 15. Tom Marshall; 14. Charlie Sharples, 13. Matt Scott, 12. Mark Atkinson, 11. Jonny May; 10. Billy Burns, 9. Willi Heinz CAPTAIN; 1. Josh Hohneck, 2. Richard Hibbard, 3. John Afoa; 4. Tom Savage, 5. Jeremy Thrush; 6. Ross Moriarty, 7. Lewis Ludlow, 8. Ben Morga. Substitutes: 16. Darren Dawidiuk, 17. Yann Thomas, 18. Paddy McAllister, 19. Mariano Galarza, 20. Freddie Clarke, 21. Greig Laidlaw, 22. Billy Twelvetrees, 23. Henry Trinder.Stade Français Paris: Hugo Bonneval; Waisea Vuidarvuwalu, Geoffrey Doumayrou, Jonathan Danty, Djibril Camara; Jules Plisson, Will Genia; Heinke Van der Merwe, Remi Bonfils, Rabah Slimani, Hugh Pyle, Paul Gabrillagues, Antoine Burban, Jonathan Ross, Sergio Parisse CAPTAIN. Substitutes: Laurent Panis, Zurabi Zhvania, Paul Alo Emile, Willem Alberts, Raphael Lakafia, Julien Dupuy, Morné Steyn, Jérémy Sinzelle
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