Thanks for joining Lee for all the action.
Here is Michael Aylwin’s report of the match.
Raphael Ibanez: “We all think it was a pretty good performance with some nice tries. Discipline was key.
“If we have just one reason to be happy tonight is to see the way the fans supported the team.
“We just have to stay focused on ourselves, we know we still have room for improvement. In one or two weeks there will be another big challenge.”
Stuart Hogg: “We are gutted. At times we played some decent rugby and got into decent areas. France played well but did they have to try hard for the first three tries? No, probably not. At times we were far from good.
“There is something decent stuff in there but you have to be on the money for 80 minutes.”
The French players are doing a lap of honour, much to the enjoyment of the travelling fans. They are all having a great time.
I’m off to cover England vs Wales and I leave you in the capable hands of Will Unwin.
Make no mistake, that was a paddling for Scotland that comprehensively despatched France’s Murrayfield hoodoo to the dustbin on meaninglessness.
Scotland were competitive for twenty minutes of the first half, but les Bleus emerged for the second half to give a masterclass in attacking ability and opportunism alloyed to defensive organisation.
They really are very, very good indeed.
FULL TIME! Scotland 17 - 36 France
80+2 mins. Some fitful phases from Scotland end, appropriately, in a knock on. Game over.
TRY! Scotland 17 - 36 France (Duhan van der Merwe)
79 mins. Kinghorn gallops out of his own 22, glides through a gap and opens his legs up to travel further than he goes on his holidays. He’s calmly feeds van der Merwe who canters in.
The conversion is added with seconds left, so we’ll restart again.
Updated
76 mins. George Turner, who has been powerful since he came on, has another good carry but the ball is ripped, allowing Lucu (on for Dupont) to kick clear.
TRY! Scotland 10 - 36 France (Damian Penaud)
74 mins. A catch and drive and the front of a French lineout in the Scotland is released to Ntamack who caresses a cross-kick to Penaud in open pasture to fall over and score.
Ntamack slides the conversion right.
Updated
71 mins. Lots of carries from France in the Scotland 22. The menace is gathering before that man Rory Darge clamps on in the ruck once more, this time on Demba Bamba, and wins a vital penalty.
In a not brilliant day for Scotland, Darge has been a shining beacon of physicality and nous.
Thomas Ramos has replaced Melvyn Jaminet.
Updated
68 mins. Ali Price decides to go left through hands from the scrum and Kinghorn adds to the pressure in the 22 by flinging a horrible pass along the ground to van Der Merwe. When the big winger gathers and carries the ball up the French defence are waiting to gobble up the ruck penalty. Again.
67 mins. France fumble at the lineout and France will have a tricky scrum in their 22 to clear.
Cameron Woki is off for France, replaced by Dylan Cretin.
65 mins. It’s more left and right phases from Scotland in the middle of the park. Again France commit very little to the ruck until there’s a sniff of a turnover and then Alldritt is in and winning the penalty. France will have a lineout on the Scots’ 22.
61 mins. Scotland subs:
Oli Kebble for Pierre Schoeman
Blair Kinghorn for Finn Russell
Jamie Hodgson for Grant Gilchrist
TRY! Scotland 10 - 31 - France (Damian Penaud)
60 mins. The latest ineffective attack from Scotland is ripped by Fickou and France do not waste the turnover opportunity, sending it quickly right to Penaud who scores in the right corner.
Updated
59 mins. Scotland are having some repeat phases when in possession, but it’s all very lateral and France are not having to strain much to contain it. France have lost some intensity since half-time, but perversely that is working for them as they are simply fanning out and forcing Scotland to get around or through them. Neither of which the home side are doing.
56 mins. Scotland subs:
WP Nel and George Turner replace Zander Fagerson and Stuart McInally. Ben White leaves us as Ali Price passes his HIA
For France, Jean-Baptiste Gros replaces Cyrille Baille
Updated
MISSED PENALTY! Scotland 10 - 26 France (Melvyn Jaminet)
54 mins. Slowly, horribly, France are beginning to tighten their grip at set piece. This time it’s a hope-sapping maul that Scotland pull down to make the pain of defending it stop.
Jaminet misses the penalty attempt from out right.
53 mins. Subs for France
Marchand is off for Peato Mauvaka.
Willemse replaced by Romain Taofifenua
Jelonch for Thibault Flament
52 mins. Finn Russell decides it’s time to play more rugby deep in French territory and drills a low kick into the corner. Moefana is first to it but can do nothing but take it into touch.
More frustration follows, however, as the lineout is lost by the home side. France clear deep, and on the next attack from Scotland, Marchand wins a breakdown penalty.
50 mins. Decent possession for Scotland from the lineout and they set some carries from the forwards on the France 5m line. But it’s frustratingly brought to a halt when Christie is penalised for sealing off.
48 mins. Ali Price spots a gap and darts through it from the base of the scrum, he pops the ball to Bennett who is hauled down. But Fickou was offside and Scotland have lineout close to the French line.
Ben White replaces Ali Price.
46 mins. Demba Bamba replaces Atonio for France and his first role will be hold up a Scotland scrum the French 10m line.
44 mins. Scotland sub as Andy Christie is on for Nick Haining
TRY! Scotland 10 - 26 France (Jonathan Danty)
43 mins. Penaud chips the ball on the run over Hogg on the right touchline. It’s an horrific bounce for Scotland as it balloons backwards into Danty’s hands who gathers it at full pelt to run it into the corner.
Jaminet kicks a wonderful conversion from out wide.
You make your own luck, I suppose, but that felt like rotten luck for the home side.
Updated
SECOND HALF!
40 mins. Stuart Hogg boots us back into action.
Mark Bennett had replaced an injured Chris Harris for and HIA. That’s a big loss for Scotland of it becomes permanent.
Updated
Half-time musings
Scotland showing they’ve the game and resources to score against this French team and they forced some poor discipline from them as well. But it’s hard to know how they will contain the visitors in the second half as each time Les Bleus have possession in the Scottish half they come away with something.
If France sensibly kick for territory more in the second period and get set in defence with a bit more urgency, it feels like this is their match.
HALF TIME!
PEEEEEEEP!
What a half of rugby, good Lord!
TRY! Scotland 10 - 19 France (Gael Fickou)
40+2 mins. France do the usual coast to coast from the lineout, this time right to left. The ball is worked back inside to Fickou who gallops on an arcing run towards the right corner and scores!
Jaminet converts it to end the half.
Updated
40 mins. France go wide from the scrum and Moefana finds Jaminet with an offload. He looks to be away before an incredible covering one-armed tackle by Harris stops him.
But Scotland were penalised at the lineout and France will have one last attack.
39 mins. Oh dear, Hogg really really should have held that. Also, he could’ve moved a little closes to Harris to make the necessary pass less enormous.
Either way, horrible few seconds for the captain
38 mins. Van der Merwe runs out of his own 22 and forty metres into space. He pops it to Chris Harris on a lovely supporting scissor angle and the big pass left to Hogg is perfectly into the fullback’s hands, but he spills it forward with a open 20 metre run-in begging!
35 mins. It’s more postive attacking intent and progress from Scotland as they carry left and right in the France half. Russell floats a trademark pass left to Hogg who feeds Haining lurking wide. But the blindside can’t find Van Der Merwe, mainly because the big wing overran it hugely.
33 mins. France have a scrum on halfway and they go via Dupont, Ntamack and more offloading once again. However, all this madcap ball shovelling is exciting to watch but is does lead to a disjointed shape in attack that creates a split second at the ruck for Rory Darge to clamp on and win his team a penalty.
What a 33 minutes the Glasgow man has had in his first start.
31 mins. Scotland are troubling the French defence greatly when they put phases together and the visitor’s discipline is falling apart when under this pressure.
TRY! Scotland 10 - 12 France (Rory Darge)
29 mins. Nick Haining has a drive and is stopped short before Price pops the ball to Darge on a beautiful angle, he steps and is in to score.
Russell converts and it’s a two-point gap as we head towards half-time.
Updated
28 mins. After all that, Scotland win their lineout and drive towards the France line. Ali Price has a dart from a few metres and is tackled high by Baille to prevent him scoring. The home side tap and go again.
26 mins. Scotland manage to nick the ball back and it goes all the way to the Harris who carries forward near the right touchline. Russell then throws a big miss-pass toward Gilchrist and as the ball is high in the air above the second row Jaminet jumps to try and catch it and clashes with the Scotland lock.
The ball looks like Jaminet has headed it forward, so Ref Dickson waves play on. After play breaks down they have a look at the France fullback’s tackle and decide it’s Scotland penalty for a dangerous tackle.
24 mins. A rare set of Scotland phases on the 22 bring Russell to the fore. He slides a angled grubber towards the corner which Jaminet covers and clears to touch. It was touched by a Scotland hand in flight and France will have the lineout.
Scotland compound their bad luck by holding Woki in the air at the lineout and being penalised.
22 mins. France set a maul on halfway which inches forward, but Marchand’s attempt at a pointless catflap pass fails to find Dupont. The visitors really need to guard against too much insouciance.
20 mins. France have a penalty on their own 10 metre line which Alldritt feeds to Dupont to clear. Hogg returns it with the boot and Les Bleus fail to play out of their own half as Bradbury nicks the ball and has Scotland back on the attack.
But progress is stopped dead as Fickou wins a turnover penalty at the ruck.
TRY! Scotland 3 - 12 France (Yoram Moefana)
13 mins. WHAT A TRY THIS IS!
France are in the Scotland 22 after a glorious 50:22 by Jaminet and from the lineout the ball is released quickly to the backs. Danty comes on the crash-ball angle but unexpectedly pops the ball out just before contact. This allows the French backs to fling it all the way right to Penaud who offloads to Baille as he’s held short, then the prop does the same, chucking it inside from the tackle to Moefana who forces over.
France simply would not let the ball die and they’ve been rewarded.
Jaminet misses the conversion.
Updated
PENALTY! Scotland 3 - 7 France (Finn Russell)
11 mins. Scotland make some inroads back by claiming their own kick-off and a few phases later France are offside.
Finn Russell tees it up and slots it.
TRY! Scotland 0 - 7 France (Paul Willemse)
9 mins. I’d like to welcome Antoine Dupont to the match. The French captain gathers the ball on his own 22, steps the chasing tackler and darts between two further tacklers one of which - Rory Darge - he fends off then gasses into the open. He goes a full 50 metres and two phases later Willemse is powering over.
Jaminet converts.
Updated
MISSED PENALTY! Scotland 0 - 0 France (Melvyn Jaminet)
7 mins. It’s was just right of the posts and Jaminet pulls it left.
6 mins. Finally, the ball emerges and it’s France on the attack, going through some phases and up to the Scotland 22 before Rory Darge makes a great start by snaffling the ball in the tackle. But in their attempt to run out of their own 22, the home side concede for holding on.
Jaminet calls for the tee.
4 mins. There’s been approximately 48 scrum resets on halfway. This comes to an end as France win a freekick for early engagement, which the ask is converted to a scrum.
Updated
2 mins. Ntamack immediately rips up some grass and throws it in the air in, I presume, some attempt to explain how he managed to boom the ball out like his foot had an anvil in it. Needless to say, it didn’t blow away very far. At all.
KICK OFF!
1 min. Romain Ntamack sends the ball into the crisp, sun-filled Edinburgh air to set the clash running. And the puts it out on the full!
France are out on the field first and form a tight huddle while they wait for the home side to turn up. It could be a while as Scotland are still in the dressing room.
Eventually, Stuart Hogg leads his men out. Anthems next.
I’m here all afternoon at your convenience, so you can throw some chat my way either by email or on Twitter
Pre-match reading..
Our man Bryn Palmer assesses Scotland’s chances as France step into the stadium that has brought little joy in recent years.
Teams
Injuries have forced Gregor Townsend to make changes in his pack. Magnus Bradbury is in at No 8 for the injured Matt Fagerson, while Johnny Gray’s absence will move Sam Skinner to the second row and usher Rory Darge into his first start at openside. Nick Haining is moved to blindside and Zander Fagerson swaps with WP Nel at tighthead.
A mention also for Mark Bennett, on the bench today after a four year absence from the national team.
Just the one change in personnel for France after their Ireland win as Jonathan Danty replaces the crocked Gabin Villiere in the starting XV. This swap moves the impressive Yoram Moefana out to the wing, while Danty partners Gael Fickou in the centre.
Fabien Galthie has once again plumped for a 6-2 split on the bench, looking to unleash blunt force to shut the game down in the second half.
TEAMS
Scotland: Stuart Hogg (captain); Darcy Graham, Chris Harris, Sione Tuipulotu, Duhan van der Merwe; Finn Russell, Ali Price; Pierre Schoeman, Stuart McInally, Zander Fagerson, Sam Skinner, Grant Gilchrist, Nick Haining, Rory Darge, Magnus Bradbury.
Replacements: George Turner, Oli Kebble, WP Nel, Jamie Hodgson, Andy Christie, Ben White, Blair Kinghorn, Mark Bennett.
France: Melvyn Jaminet; Damian Penaud, Gael Fickou, Jonathan Danty, Yoram Moefana; Romain Ntamack, Antoine Dupont (captain); Cyril Baille, Julian Marchand, Uini Atonio, Cameron Woki, Paul Willemse, Francois Cros, Anthony Jelonch, Gregory Alldritt.
Replacements: Peato Mauvaka, Jean-Baptiste Gros, Demba Bamba, Romain Taofifenua, Thibaud Flament, Dylan Cretin, Maxime Lucu, Thomas Ramos.
Preamble
Welcome to our live coverage of Scotland vs France at Murrayfield.
What do France and the people of Glasgow have in common? It’s not the sizeable Catholic population, nor the outstanding - albeit different - ability to confit foods. The answer is that neither like Edinburgh very much.
Since 2014 France have come to the nation’s capital and left disappointed (much of Glasgow doesn’t bother arriving at all, and those that do leave angry rather than disappointed, probably). Today Les Bleus must overcome whatever strange hoodoo Murrayfield places on their collective psyche, and must also shake off memories of their loss in Paris vs Townsend’s men in 2021.
The visitors could not be in a better position: two from two so far, a mostly settled team in pulverising physical state and enough of both razzle and dazzle should the need arise.
Scotland’s usual Six Nations injury crisis overslept this year but has pressed snooze for the final time to lay waste to large numbers of the forward pack. The final insult being the loss of Hamish Watson to the spiteful armoured ball of a virus that is Covid. But, these absences, plus two weeks to get nice and riled up about the loss in Cardiff should see the Scots with their best fighting trousers on and going for three in a row come kick off.
An intriguing contest awaits.
