Scotland detail Rugby World Cup warm-up programme

EDINBURGH: Scotland will play four warm-up tests in July and August to prepare for the World Cup, including two against hosts France, Scottish Rugby said on Tuesday (Jan 10).

Three of the fixtures will take place at Murrayfield with one in France, at a venue still to be confirmed.

Starting with a home fixture against Italy on Jul 29, Scotland will then welcome France a week later before travelling to face the World Cup hosts on Aug 12.

Scotland will complete their preparatory programme against Georgia on Aug 26.

"All four fixtures will provide invaluable experiences in our preparation for the tournament," said coach Gregor Townsend in a statement on Tuesday.

"Having the opportunity to play at home on three occasions before we depart will enable our players to feel the backing of our supporters ahead of setting off for the World Cup.

"The match against France away from home will be very important as we are going to spend time at our training base for the World Cup in Nice prior to the match and replicate the schedule our players will experience during the tournament itself."

Scotland are in Group B for the tournament, which kicks off on Sep 8. They face defending champions South Africa, Ireland, Tonga and Romania in the group phase.

The Scots begin the year with the Six Nations tournament, where their opening fixture is at Twickenham against England on Feb 4.