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HALF-TIME: France 22-7 Scotland
Phew. What a game of rugby. It’s easy to over hype the Six Nations but there’s no exaggerating when I say that was outstanding. Some sloppy errors – two red cards and a terrible pass from Russell for Ramos’ intercept try – will hog the headlines, but between that there was some outstanding play from both teams.
Apart from his blunder, Russell has been magnificent and daring. He’s taking the ball flat at the line and working it for runners on the angle, which he did for Jones to score. France are immense up front with Ollivan having a great game himself.
Scotland are a long way adrift but they’ll back themselves to do something miraculous.
40 mins: Scotland back on the ball. Schoeman gets his head down and bustles into contact. Jones darts left but is met with a meaty hit. Richie, on the righgt wing can’t work a gap and White, under pressure coughs up possession.
France have the chance to counter if they can work it left. Dupont sees thew opportunity so kicks a diagonal for Penaud to chase. Jones mops up except he doesn’t and is pushed out. France take the line-out quickly and Olivon dives over to score! What’s that? Half time has already been called. France protest, the fans boo but that is the end of the action for now.
39 mins: Ramos calls for a mark. He signals to his teammates to calm down (at least that’s how I interpreted those hand gestures).
38 mins: Scotland with the ball soon after their restart the game. Russell’s short pass to Mat Fagerson allows the No 8 to get over the gain line. Short exchanges from the big men has the ball snaking back in field. Russell sees van der Merwe in space out left and loops a pass his way. He finds him, but the ball drifts forwards. Scrum for France.
PENALTY! France 22-7 Scotland (Ramos, 36)
Yup. Ramos slots that over, just to the right of the poles about 30 metres out.
35 mins: France so clean off the top of their line out. Ramos joins the line but is snaffled before he cam make the decisive pass to his left and release Durmotier. So the ball goes back into the tighter channels. France inch their way forward so Scotland look to stifle their progress any way they can. Matt Fagerson, perhaps sensing the threat of another seven pointer, goes off his feet and willingly concedes the penalty. Should be an easy three for Ramos.
33 mins: Cros, off the French line-out, wriggles past three challengers which allows for a better angle on the clearing kick. It’s not a great one so Scotland have the feed to the line-out on the 22. They drive before spinning it left. Tuipulotu makes some metres before White goes even further. But France turn it and have the advantage as well. Scotland off their feet. Schoeman the guilty man.
31 mins: First Russell and then Ramos fumble deep kicks. Neither are knocked on so it’s a Scottish lineout 10 metres in the French half. Jonny Gray off the top before Jones carries it up. Russell stabs a grubber that puts the ball out close to the French line. Scotland’s line-out has been faultless.
30 mins: Ntamack’s drop goal attempt dribbles below the post. The crowd didn’t like that.
28 mins: Gray is lifted high to catch the restart. White hoists a box kick to Ramos on the right win. Fickou’s short ball finds Ollivon who marches over the gain line. France sharp in possession. Penaud carries three tacklers with him. France putting on a show. Fickou drives close but, BUT!!! Scotland have turned it five from their own line. White hoofs it out. Skill, power. All 28 men have all of it in abundance today.
TRY! France 19-7 Scotland (Jones, 25)
Scotland will not go away! In fact, they believe they can do anything. And why not? Another superb lineout drive after a penalty gets them on the front foot. Turner breaks and goes to ground. Price fizzes it and Russell plays a flat line pass for Jones on a scything angle and he darts over under the posts. Russell nudges the easy conversion over and, oh wow, I’m just loving this!
25 mins: Scotland are on fire here. They’re held up over the line in the left corner after some delicious interplay. Pop pass of the shoulder, runners on the angle. White at No 9 is having a stonking game.
Jelonch is off for Cros. Two big hitting loose forwards are off for France.
Brilliant break from Russell that. He might cost you an intercept but he can rip any game apart.
23 mins: France are so calm in everything they’re doing. Scotland are frantic. Van der Merwe joins the line and charges into traffic.
But it opens when Russell drops a shoulder and finds open ground in front of him. Scotland are in here, they just need to move it right. Ritchie’s ball to van der Merwe on the wing is a little loose so the burly winger has to halt his run. He catches and darts for the corner but is shunted in to touch. It’s only a toe that’s out, but he’s out, even though he wormed the ball on the ground.
What a game this is!
22 mins: France have to throw the ball in inside their own 22 as Dupont’s box kick is charged down. They’re not bothered, though, as they consolidate before Dupont box kicks again, this time finding touch 10m inside his own territory.
TRY! France 19-0 Scotland (Ramos, 19)
Ramos has picked Russell’s pocket! Scotland were building momentum. Russell was finding runners with every pass. But he’s chanced his arm one too many times. It was a poor pass and was never on as he went for a miracle ball to his right. Ramos read his mind and snatched it at its apex around the half way line. He slides over and then converts his own try.
18 mins: Scotland collect the clearance from France and are attacking with zeal. Russell zipping it this way and that. They fancy it.
NO TRY! Zander Fagerson splinters from another perfectly set maul. He reaches for the line but knocks on.
16 mins: Scotland’s line-out drive is working well. They have one of the best mauls in Europe actually and they win another penalty from this one. Confident, they go to the corner, and the maul, again.
16 mins: That is an inch perfect kick from Russell who wins a 50-22 about seven metres from the French line. They’ll have the feed and momentum behind them.
15 mins: Jelonch returns to the field after passing his HIA. France don’t go anywhere with their line-out from their penalty. Scotland have one of their own and kick deep. Dumortier takes a mark. And we all take a breath.
13 mins: France win a scrum penalty five metres from their own line. Is that Falatea’s immediate impact? He’ll have to last almost 70 minutes. A tough ask for any tighthead.
RED CARD! France (Haouas, 12)
It’s 14 against 14. Mohamed Haouas has been shown yellow for what can only be described as dirty play. He’s launched his head straight into the head of a Scot (I didn’t catch who, give me a sec). The Scottish player was on the ground and not involved in the play but the French prop, I guess in an attempt to clear the ruck, did it in a way we don’t want to see. A lifeline for Scotland.
France have to make a change to rebuild their front row. Aldritt is sacrificed for Falatea.
Another red card incoming!!! This one’s for France. Standby.
11 mins: Scotland get a line-out within striking distance and form a cohesive maul. They’re shoving with all they’ve got but are repelled. Illegally though and so get the penalty.
Scotland have made a change. Jonny Gray is on to bolster the tight five. Hamish Watson is the man to go. What a shame for him personally.
“Goodbye hope. Hello despair. Normal service is resumed. Just how I like it.”
Simon McMahon speaking for many Scots.
TRY! France 12-0 Scotland (Dumortier, 10)
So good. France are so clinical. Dupont with a huuuge pass down the left to Ollivon as he knew he had numbers. Fickou involved as well with Ntamack playing the final pass. It’s seconds after the red card. Ramos misses the conversion but he’ll have plenty more chances, I’m sure.
RED CARD! Scotland (Gilchrist, 7)
What a shame. It was unquestionably the correct decision but with no mitigation, that shoulder hit to Jelonch’s face left the referees with no choice. That’s Gilchrist’s first card in Test rugby. It might have killed this game already.
The referee is Nika Amashukeli, by the way. I think a red card is coming.
Oooo, a replay of Gilchrist’s hit on Jelonch has caught the eye of the referee. The Scottish lock not only came in from a questionable angle but it seems his shoulder has caught the Frenchman’s head.
In fact, no question about it. Definite head contact. Could be trouble here for Scotland.
7 mins: France gather the restart and kick it straight out. Maybe they fancy their chances against the Scotland line-out. Or maybe they don’t want to risk a counter from Scotland’s back three. One to keep an eye on.
TRY! France 7-0 Scotland (Ntamack, 5)
It started with the line-out and Marchand’s break from the back. From there it was just momentum. Willemse with a big carry. Penaud on the angle. They went left then right and sucked in defenders. With the advantage they moved it quickly and Dupont found Ntamack who straightened from five metres out to go round Steyn and score.
Ramos with the extras.
Clinical.
4 mins: France win the penalty and release Marchand from the back. They get within five of the Scottish line. Ntamack pops short to Penaud. The forwards get close. Advantage is theirs.
2 mins: The line-out is won by Richie Gray. Ball goes left then right. France, big in the contact, win it back and kick to Russell. Van der Merwe is also nailed in the tackle by Jelonch and France win a penalty on the ground. Big defence from the hosts in white.
1 min: Peeeeeeeeeeep! The 100th meeting between the two gets under way with Scotland kicking off. France gather and hoof it up field. Line-out for Scotland on the half way line.
Hearing “La Marseillaise” in Paris before a rugby match is right up there. I got to experience it in Marseille last year when the Springboks were in town. It really is special.
They’ve just finished up. Almost time…
Five minutes to go. The teams are getting ready for the anthems. There’s a moment to think of the people in Ukraine a year on from an invasion of their homeland. France in white jumpers, Scotland in blue. Flower of Scotland blasts out via bagpipes.
Because this is getting a bit of buzz on the socials, and because I like to stir, what do you make of this? Forward pass or no?
This, from Alexandre [no last name attached], is lovely so here it is in full:
“Hello Daniel,
First of all thank you for your coverage of today’s match. As a Frenchman I will hope for the hosts winning it, even if the title is gone now. Scotland do look very much up for this though and who can win at Twickenham can win in Paris.
“I was just wondering. You know, a lone Six Nations title can be won by a fairly average team. If you get lucky enough to host 3 times, have some of the weakest teams away and have an open field with other teams being average you can win without being exceptional. Which makes back to back titles quite a lot more exceptional - it means you have won titles while having to go to Dublin, London, Edinburgh, Paris or Cardiff depending on who you are (sorry Italy, but even with the notable improvements you’re still a way off winning this short term).
“But if you extend the reasoning a bit.... There’s clearly nothing more exceptional than back to back grand slams, which means you won everywhere. But now one grand slam.... If lucky enough, this can be done without being that good. Raising the question: who do you think it’s the better team, the one managing to win a grand slam or the one winning back to back titles (but obviously no slams in either) ?
“Sorry I’m in the train in the south of France, it’s raining as if to make the Promenade des Anglais look like a South English resort town, and I’m very obviously bored.
“Have a good match!”
Thanks for that. And you’re right. There’s a reason no team has won back to back grand slams in the Six Nations era. I really thought France would do it, or at least I hoped they’d do it. No anti-Ireland sentiment, just really like this France outfit.
Shaun Edwards, France’s genius defence coach, is chatting on the screen now:
The fact that Scotland were the only team to have beaten us here in the last three years, that is a huge part of [the scale of this match].
We want to regain momentum. We went 14 games unbeaten.
We made nearly 250 tackles [against Ireland] but there were one or two tries we could have stopped. With the discipline, having made all those tackles, we only gave away five penalties. We’re back to being one of the most disciplined teams in world rugby.
I’m on ITV and listening to Sir Ian McGeechan talking about Gregor Townsend and Finn Russell’s relationship and how they’re now on the same page.
I’m with the good Knight. Russell is too good to be left in the cold and Townsend is too pragmatic to not find a way to make it work. Glad those two stubborn Scots could find a way. They clearly bring out the best in each other and the whole rugby ecosystem, even beyond the borders of Scotland, is better for it.
A quick recap of yesterday’s events.
Ireland beat Italy to keep their grand slam hopes alive. England and Wales played out a game that wasn’t exactly a thrill a minute, but Project Steve Borthwick has another win at least.
Read those reports below:
Scotland are daring to dream. Bryan Palmer says it would be a “heist” but it’d be more Oceans 11 than a smash and grab, if you know what I mean.
Anyway, enough of my nonsense, read this cracking piece instead:
“Afternoon Daniel.” Hey there Simon McMahon. Good to have you on board.
“Your preamble has given me hope and, like Brian Stimpson, I don’t like it. I can stand the despair, it’s the hope. Things were much simpler when we were rubbish all the time.”
As a South African, currently with one eye on the Women’s T20 World Cup final, I know all about the dangers of hope. But how much better is hope thatn abject despair? Scotland genuinely have a chance, and not just a puncher’s chance, of doing something special.
Scotland welcome back Watson to a dynamic back row
A fit again Hamish Watson rejoins the team and just look at that those loose forwards. They’ll need to be sharp to combat their counterparts with a rooster on their chests. Keep your eyes on Finn Russell (duh) who is in his home away from home. For those who aren’t aware, the Scotland 10 plays his club rugby for Racing 92 in Paris. That’s got to count for something.
Scotland: Hogg; Steyn, Jones, Tuipulotu, van der Merwe; Russell, White; Schoeman, Turner, Z Fagerson, R Gray, Gilchrist, Ricthie (c), Watson, M Fagerson
Replacements: Brown, Bhatti, Nel, J Gray, Skinner, Dempsey, Price, Kinghorn.
France roll out the big guns
Just the one change for the home team as the suspended Uini Atonio – absent after a dangerous tackle in the defeat in Dublin – is replaced by the equally imposing Mohamed Haouas at tighthead. Otherwise, it’s the plethora of household names throughout.
France: Ramos; Penaud, Fickou, Moefana, Dumortier; Ntamack, Dupont (c); Baille, Marchand, Haouas, Flament, Willemse, Jelonch, Ollivon, Alldritt
Replacements: Barlot, Wardi, Falatea, Taofifenua, Cros, Macalou, Couilloud, Jalibert
Preamble
Let’s start with a disclaimer. Scotland will probably lose in Paris this afternoon. The French are an imposing outfit, one filled with hot-steppers and behemoths, a team of individual superstars knitted together in a cohesive unit. Sure, Ireland will likely win this year’s grand slam, but you’d be a fool to doubt the credentials of Fabian Galthié’s juggernaut.
Notice, though, that I said ‘probably’. That in itself is noteworthy. Because today’s result could turn either way and for that Scotland deserve immense credit.
They possess a backline that can cut any team to shreds. Duhan van der Merwe has beaten more defenders (20) than anyone else in the Championship and Finn Russell leads in try assists (three), metres kicked and is second only to France’s Thomas Ramos with 19 points scored.
Their forward pack, now with a back row that’s as good as any in the competition, poses a real threat either side of the ball. And though they won’t have the grunt of the French heavies, they’ll provide enough guile to work the space.
In short, we’ve got a game on our hands. Scotland won the last time they were in the French capital two years ago. But that was in front of empty seats due to the pandemic. They’ll receive a hostile welcome here. Russell will get booed every time he takes a shot at goal. If Gregor Townsend’s troops leave the mainland with a victory, they’ll reach a place they’ve never gone before.
You’d be a fool to doubt them.
Kick off at 3pm.
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