France run in six second-half tries in Women’s Six Nations rout of Scotland

France scored nine tries, six in the second half, to secure a crushing 55-0 victory over Scotland to make it three successive wins in the Women’s Six Nations.

After a well-contested first period in Vannes, France went into the break 17-0 up courtesy of tries from Pauline Bourdon, Melissande Llorens and Emilie Boulard. The hosts thought they had scored the opening try just five minutes in when Charlotte Escudero crashed over but it was ruled out due to a forward pass in the build-up.

It did not take long for France to finally have their opener after a series of passes allowed Bourdon to race over the line but Jessy Trémoulière missed the conversion. Llorens helped to double the French lead and they scored a third try just before half-time in similar fashion to the first as Boulard broke through to score.

Scotland had offered spirited opposition in the first half, but the hosts ran riot after the break. Boulard completed her hat-trick with the captain, Gaëlle Hermet, also scoring alongside tries from Gabrielle Vernier, Romane Ménager and Maëlle Filopon.

The second-half French procession got underway six minutes after the interval when Boulard touched down for her second, before Hermet collected a pass from Llorens to put them 29-0 up. Vernier forced her way over before Boulard completed her hat-trick after a break upfield from Hermet.

France were not finished, with Ménager set up by her twin sister, Marine, and Filopon rounded off the scoring from Vernier’s pass out wide. France leapfrog Wales and move to within a point of England at the top of the table, with the title likely to be decided when the two sides meet at Twickenham in the final round.