'Conditions will be difficult as it’s going to be around 30°C'

Richie Gray is savouring every moment of the Rugby World Cup build-up after re-establishing himself as a key player in the Scotland squad. The Glasgow lock only made three international appearances between 2017 and the start of last season, partly because of injuries and family commitment, but has since shown his worth to Gregor Townsend after earning back his place.

The 33-year-old could win his 75th cap in Scotland’s warm-up game against World Cup hosts France in Saint-Etienne on Saturday and the former Castres and Toulouse man would relish the chance to return to his former home country next month.

“It would be great,” he said. “Obviously I missed the last one and this one is back in France where I have spent a lot of time, so I would be quite chuffed.

“It’s about appreciating the moments and being together with the boys with a chance to have a crack at another World Cup in France, which is a great place to play rugby. So I appreciate that a lot.

“At club games, you get 20-25,000 every week, so having the World Cup in France will be pretty special. We will see full stadiums with a great atmosphere both in the stadiums and outside. It will be an enjoyable one.”

Scotland beat France 25-21 in Edinburgh last weekend, but Gray expects a stronger French side to line up on Saturday and believes the game will be a good marker. “It will show us where we are at,” he said. “I’m not sure what French team they will put out, but they will want to start with a bang.

“Conditions will be difficult compared to what we have been training in as it’s going to be around 30°C and they will also have the French crowd behind them. So it’s a good stepping stone for us and we want to continue to build momentum.”