Frank Hadden today recalled Thom and Max Evans to the Scotland team for Saturday's Six Nations clash with France. The Glasgow stars were controversially omitted from the starting line-up for last Sunday's opening defeat to Wales, with Thom not even in the 22. Max came off the bench to score Scotland's only try in the 26-13 loss and is one of five changes to the side comprehensively beaten by the Grand Slam champions. Thom replaces Northampton's Sean Lamont on the left wing, with Max coming in for Edinburgh's Ben Cairns at outside centre ? the first time the brothers have been in the same Scotland side. Neither Lamont nor Cairns make the squad for the trip to Paris, with both paying the price for ineffective displays on Sunday. The Evanses will become the 20th set of brothers to play together for Scotland, with Max making his first Six Nations start.
Asked if leaving Max Evans, the Glasgow centre, on the bench last week, was a mistake, assistant coach Graham Steadman said: "I think Max Evans answered that when he came off the bench," said Steadman. "He had a massive impact and looked very dynamic. Thom is very much the same. We may have left out one of our key players and it may have cost us. "Hindsight is a wonderful thing and unfortunately the decisions we made didn't come off at the weekend." Elsewhere, the Ulster winger Simon Danielli comes in for Simon Webster, who has failed to recover from a head injury. The same applies to Geoff Cross, who is replaced by Alasdair Dickinson at prop with the Gloucester tighthead also making his first Six Nations start. Like Lamont and Cairns, the flanker Allister Hogg is dropped with Gloucester's Alasdair Strockosch starting at blindside. The uncapped Glasgow prop Moray Low comes onto the bench ? his first time in a Scotland 22 ? with star tighthead Euan Murray still recovering from a rib injury. Scotland's record points-scorer Chris Paterson also starts among the substitutes again, despite coming on to good effect against Wales. And his Edinburgh teammate Nick de Luca is among the 22 after being omitted last week.
Jason White will continue at lock after making his first Test appearance in that position for more than six years on Sunday. There is still no specialist second row on the bench, despite Nathan Hines looking doubtful for the rest of the tournament with a knee injury. However Glasgow lock Alastair Kellock will travel with the squad, as will his Warriors teammate, fly-half Dan Parks. Hadden said: "We know the supporters demand and deserve better than the performance against Wales and they are determined to do that against France. "I'm happy with the quality of the side who are very aware of the need to perform better given the tough challenge that's facing us on Saturday." *PA Sport
H Southwell (Edinburgh); S Danielli (Ulster), M Evans (Glasgow), G Morrison (Glasgow), T Evans (Glasgow); P Godman (Edinburgh), M Blair (Edinburgh, capt); A Jacobsen (Edinburgh), R Ford (Edinburgh), A Dickinson (Gloucester), J White (Sale), J Hamilton (Edinburgh), A Strokosch (Gloucester), S Taylor (Stade Francais), J Barclay (Glasgow). Replacements: D Hall (Glasgow), M Low (Glasgow), K Brown (Glasgow), S Gray (Northampton), C Cusiter (Perpignan), C Paterson (Edinburgh), N De Luca (Edinburgh). Reserves: A Kellock (Glasgow), D Parks (Glasgow).
