Match report
Here’s Michael Aylwin’s verdict on a dramatic and controversial afternoon at Murrayfield.
Here’s what Finn Russell had to say on BBC One after the final whistle…
“The whole game was an arm wrestle. Personally, I believe that was a try at the end, but the referee didn’t, so that’s what he’s there for — it’s his job.
“It’s up to us to make sure these matches are victories. We need to be better off the back of that. The way I believe that we scored shows the character we’ve got, to still believe at four points down with under three minutes to go.”
“I’m proud of the boys but we need to learn from it before the England game,” he concludes.
Well, at least we know what all the post-game chat will be about!
What a finish!
I’m off to cover England vs Wales, see you over there.
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FULL TIME!
80+4 mins. NO TRY! FRANCE WIN!
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80+1 mins. The home pack heave over the line by a matter of inches. Ref Berry calls held up, but the video ref is looking!
The ball is on a boot, but then it looks like it’s grounded. Brian McNeice is having a good look in the TMO truck. AGONISING WAIT INCOMING…
(for what it’s worth, it looks down to me)
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80 mins. France win the scrum but the ball is nicked back. SCOTLAND ARE HAMMERING THE FRANCE LINE WITH THE BALL!
78 mins. Kyle Rowe decides it’s time to do it himself setting off on a stepping, glorious run up into the French 22. He turns Ramos three times as the fullback attempts to cover him, but that does enough to allow the scramble to catch the winger and he agonisingly spills the ball as he hits the turf!
77 mins. Scotland have the ball in the halfway line, attempting to defeat the French blitz defence. No dice thus far.
PENALTY! Scotland 16 - 20 France (Thomas Ramos)
76 mins. A big maul from France makes a mess of the Scotland pack, who infringe. Ramos kicks an easy three from just right of the posts.
74 mins. Penny for Russell’s thoughts now as that zero points return from the scrum option at the end of the first half looms large in the outcome of the game.
In other bad news Gilchrist is penalised for grabbing Ollivon’s arm in the lineout. France are in the Scotland half and on the ball.
TRY! Scotland 16 - 17 France (Louis Bielle-Biarrey)
69 mins. This is a simple as you like, the ball moves left from Le Garrec to Bialle-Biarrey who angles a kick infield off his left peg that he Roadrunner meep-meeps after and scorches onto it to score.
Ramos nails the conversion.
What was that I just said? Ignore it, France are in front!
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68 mins. Christie wins a clean lineout around halfway that allows Russell to chip and chase the ball. Penaud covers across on his own 22 but spills the ball what looks forward but Ref Berry calls it sideways. Play on!
More kicking commences, which is baffling from France as they are simply booting away their chance to score which Russell is fielding and returning with aplomb.
64 mins. A sequence of kicks leads to the Murrayfield crowd loudly chuntering. The Scotland players won’t and shouldn’t care as this advantages them.
63 mins. Finn Russell has just attempted a drop-goal from Berwick-upon-Tweed it was so far out. And to be fair, it had the legs but it was about ten metres wide of the right post.
61 mins. Scotland should congratulate themselves on managing not to concede within two minutes of scoring. The game has settled into some phased possession followed by a kick, with each side taking turns with that pattern.
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“A fullback named Paterson and Scotland preparing to chuck it away at home after a promising start? It’s like the 2000s all over again, except my knees hurt more now.” guffaws James Humphries.
PENALTY! Scotland 16 - 10 France (Finn Russell)
57 mins. On a penalty advantage, Scotland are back on the attack around the French 22. There’s not much ground being made and in the end Ref Berry blows for the penalty. It’s 20 metres out and central so Russell doesn’t turn these points down.
53 mins. It’s a tidy lineout for once from France, but as the ball is released to the backs a poor pass is just short of Danty and the big centre muffs it forward.
There’s an unexpected flatness to France, with their much vaunted first phase patterns completely absent. It’s predictable and simple for the Scottish defence to cover.
Having said all that, there remains only three points in it, which will trouble Scotland more than the visitors as the last quarter looms into view.
51 mins. France have some phases, and a kick clever through from Penaud after a big Tuilagi carry is very nearly reached by Bialle-Biarrey, but Paterson just beats him to it. Scotland recycle and clear, but not very far and there will be another Les Bleus attack to contend with
49 mins. Alldritt is down after winning a good turnover from Christie at the breakdown, there’s a worry about his neck by the looks of it and France waste no time getting Boudehent on as a sub. Alldritt is awake and talking, so the treatment appears to be sensible caution rether than urgent and acute, thankfully.
France take the break as opportunity to replace Lucu with Le Garrec.
48 mins. Jalibert fluffs a catch above his head in his 22 to give Scotland an unexpected attacking scrum. It’s won handily for Tuipulotu to rumble it up but the ball is loose and running towards the French in-goal.
White is this close to grounding it, but is beaten to it by Ramos.
46 mins. More decent possession from Scotland around half way looks to be gathering some excitement with Huw Jones having a darting run. As the ball is recycled, however, Russell overcooks his kick and Ramos can comfortably mark it to relieve the pressure.
Andy Christie has come on for Matt Fagerson.
Atonio is out of the bin and Posolo Tuilagi is on for Woki
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44 mins. France decide it’s time for some nonsense to creep in as they mess up a lineout that allows Schoeman to steal possession as the ball breaks loose. The home side can’t do much with it as the ball with the ball dropped a few phases later.
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42 mins. Possession for both teams in the opening minutes is tidy and by the book. A few phases and carries followed by a kick, repeat. 0% nonsense.
SECOND HALF!
40 mins. Jalibert drop-kicks the game into action once more.
Forgot to update earlier that George Turner passed his HIA and he’s back on in place of Ewan Ashman.
@bloodandmud Scotland getting it launched and testing French back three in the air, in the style of the Springboks at the RWC
— Luke McLaughlin (@LukeMcLaughlin) February 10, 2024
The kicking game from Scotland has been excellent, Luke, I agree – both White with his box kicks and Russell with his, well, every type of kick.
Scotland would do well not to panic here or feel pressured that they are not further ahead; if they keep playing like this while tightening up their restarts, the game is there for them to take.
HALF TIME!
40 mins. PEEEEP. A disappointing end to a decent half for Scotland.
39 mins. In a rather inevitable conclusion, France get a shove on and win a penalty to relieve the pressure.
38 mins. It takes a while for White to scoop the ball out of the base of the scrum under ferocious attention from Lucu. As a result the ball is dollied to Russell and some of the zip on the attack is lost, allowing Jalibert to drop Van Der Merwe with a wonder ankle clamping tackle. But France are offside again and Scotland opt for another scrum.
YELLOW CARD! Uini Atonio (France)
37 mins. Scotland are again tidy from the lineout and this puts them on the attack near the French line. The visiting defence is desperate and that is manifested in lots of offsides and then Atonio shoulder charging Dempsey as he drove from the back of the ruck.
Scotland opt for as scrum in the shadow of the France posts.
34 mins. Some solid phases from Scotland in the French half are fizzling out so Russell dinks a testing grubber into the corner that Ramos has to play and boot to touch. He makes very little ground such was the pressure he was under from Russell and Van Der Merwe.
TRY! Scotland 13 - 10 France (Gael Fickou)
30 mins. Again, Scotland are their own worst enemy immediately after they score! Cros is onto the Scottish ruck from the restart, nicks and flicks it to Lucu who has France on the attack. A few phases later the ball is worked right to Fickou who dives in the corner.
Ramos converts from way out.
Townsend will be fuming, this should not be a three point game.
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PENALTY! Scotland 13 - 3 France (Finn Russell)
29 mins. More possession dreck from France has them infringing and Russell is in no mood not to punish them.
28 mins. France are spluttering here, the latest example being a mangled lineout that goes to ground which Dempsey dives on. There’s not much on from the possession so Russell pings a wonderful touchfinder over the head of Bialle-Biarrey to pin France back in their half.
This really is very impressive by Scotland so far, France are not great but much of that is because Townsend’s men are containing them brilliantly.
25 mins. Numerous phases from France off the scrum are repelled on repeat by the Scotland defence to such an extent that Les Bleus take ten phases to go precisely nowhere on the 22. Eventually, the visitors spill it forward, mostly in frustration I reckon.
Fabulous defence by the home side.
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23 mins. Once again, immediately after they score Scotland put themselves back under pressure, this time via a Russell knock-on while attempting to gather a Jalibert chip to the Scots’ 22. France have a scrum in a decent position.
PENALTY! Scotland 10 - 3 France (Finn Russell)
21 mins. Scotland catch and drive a lineout on the France 5m line that they struggle to get moving before it legally crumples to the ground. They are working phases near the line and the blue defence are offside at least twice. The previous kickable penalty was put to the corner by Russell, but this one is pretty much in front and he sensibly extends the lead.
16 mins. Ewan Ashman replaces George Turner. No-one is sure why, but we think it’s an HIA triggered by the new smart gumshield that players are now wearing.
15 mins. The latest Scottish attack, started by the quietly impressive Paterson from a kick return, comes to nowt as Huw Jones flings an aimless pass into touch.
France go from the lineout via a lovely scissor line from Fickou who gallops into space, ignores Bialle-Biarrey outside him to drive to the line and is stopped short by they scrambling Scots defence. Pass it Gael! As the offload is finally attempted, Van Der Merwe yoinks it and drives an impressive kick long and into touch back in the Les Bleus half.
PENALTY! Scotland 7 - 3 France (Thomas Ramos)
11 mins. Some loose work from Scotland on the restart allows Ramos to fly up the left wing via a missed tackle by Rowe. They are quickly up into the 22 and hammering the line before Gilchrist is caught offside. Ramos wastes no time putting his side on the board from the tee.
TRY! Scotland 7 - 0 France (Ben White)
8 mins. More solid work from the home side has White putting up a box kick that Jalibert spills under pressure in his own half. Scotland pounce and move the ball right at pace through hands before young Paterson pops up in the line to offload to White, who had looped on a glorious support line to slide over the line despite the attention of two French tacklers.
Russell converts. A great start for Scotland all round is given just reward.
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6 mins. Everything that can be controlled is broadly going well for Scotland, especially the lineout, and the latest is won in the France half to set Huw Jones off on a run into the 22. As the centre takes contact the ball is offloaded to Darge but it’s spilled forward, allowing Lucu to boot clear to touch.
4 mins. White dithers a bit gathering the ball from the back of a ruck, which allows France to nick it but as the ball comes out to Fickou, Rowe reads it and rushes up to snuff the attack out. A couple of phases later Darge is on the ball to win a penalty for Scotland.
2 mins. So far, so textbook. A tidy kick-off return and exit via Ollivon and then Lucu’s boot gives Paterson the chance to claim a settling catch, and on the return Jalibert marks Ben White’s kick in his 22.
Solid and uneventful.
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Kick Off!
Finn Russell whomps the ball long into French territory and we’re underway
The teams are out and lined up for the enforced Royal glad-handing. Kick off soon,
Pre match musings for your reading pleasure
Late team change!
Kyle Steyn is off to support his wife who is currently in labour and that will bring young Harry Paterson in at fullback while shifting Kyle Rowe to the wing. Here’s how Scotland line up now.
Harry Paterson; Kyle Rowe, Huw Jones, Sione Tuipulotu, Duhan van der Merwe, Finn Russell (co-capt), Ben White; Pierre Schoeman, George Turner, Zander Fagerson, Grant Gilchrist, Scott Cummings, Matt Fagerson, Rory Darge (co-capt), Jack Dempsey.
Replacements 16 Ewan Ashman, 17 Alec Hepburn, 18 Elliot Millar-Mills, 19 Sam Skinner, 20 Andy Christie, 21 George Horne, 22 Ben Healy, 23 Cam Redpath.
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Tell me all your troubles and doubts on the email or via the Xitter
Teams
Gregor Townsend moves Jamie Ritchie out of the squad to bring co-captain Rory Darge into the backrow. Luke Crosbie and Richie Grey miss out due to injury.
France welcomes Cameron Woki into the second row, replacing Paul Willemse – banned after his red card v Ireland. Louis Bielle-Biarrey replaces Yoram Moefana on the wing.
SCOTLAND Harry Paterson; Kyle Rowe, Huw Jones, Sione Tuipulotu, Duhan van der Merwe, Finn Russell (co-capt), Ben White; Pierre Schoeman, George Turner, Zander Fagerson, Grant Gilchrist, Scott Cummings, Matt Fagerson, Rory Darge (co-capt), Jack Dempsey.
Replacements 16 Ewan Ashman, 17 Alec Hepburn, 18 Elliot Millar-Mills, 19 Sam Skinner, 20 Andy Christie, 21 George Horne, 22 Ben Healy, 23 Cam Redpath.
FRANCE Thomas Ramos; Damian Penaud, Gaël Fickou, Jonathan Danty, Louis Bielle-Biarrey; Matthieu Jalibert, Maxime Lucu; Cyril Baille, Peato Mauvaka, Uini Atonio, Cameron Woki, Paul Gabrillagues, François Cros, Charles Ollivon, Grégory Alldritt (capt).
Replacements 16 Julien Marchand, 17 Sébastien Taofifénua, 18 Dorian Aldegheri, 19 Posolo Tuilagi, 20 Alexandre Roumat, 21 Paul Boudehent, 22 Nolann le Garrec, 23 Yoram Moefana.
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Preamble
In the words of Joey “The Lips” Fagan, “I believe in starts. Once you have the start, the rest is inevitable”.
That was certainly the mood in the Scotland camp at this point a year ago and Townsend’s men will want to repeat back to back opening wins this time around (as well as working on the inevitable bit, obviously). The opening win over Wales was somehow simultaneously more and less convincing than the 35-7 walloping they dished out in 2023. However, repelling that resurgent second-half from Wales will serve them well; France roll into Edinburgh to restore some dignity and haul themselves off zero points and the foot of the table.
Les Bleus won on their previous visit to Murrayfield as part of their march to the 2022 Grand Slam. It is fair to point out that today’s squad is some way short of that imperious state in terms of personnel and form, but even with that they surely cannot play as poorly as they did v Ireland.
Scotland will recall that it was the France match 12 months back that derailed that start they were so keen to believe in. This is the test they must pass before they welcome England in a fortnight.
