Match Report: France 35-16 Scotland

The hosts got on the scoreboard first, their metronomic full-back Thomas Ramos clipping over a simple penalty after Scotland had come in illegally through the middle of an attacking maul (3-0, 4 mins).

Neither side could be accused of keeping things tight, even in the early minutes, with both Finn Russell and Romain Ntamack attempting cross-field kicks to their wingers with varying levels of success.

Scotland made their first foray into French territory with a nine-phase passage but when the ball was knocked on, France showed in a flash what they can do to teams as Louis Bielle-Biarrey fed Ntamack, who went fully 50m to allay any fears for Les Bleus.

France gradually began to sap the life out of their opponents, often through their sheer defensive workrate. After Jamie Ritchie transgressed on the deck, the same player pulled down the attacking line-out maul in the next act, receiving a yellow card from referee Matthew Carley for his troubles.

Another penalty followed, this time for Tom Jordan having come in at the side of a maul, but some terrific Scottish defence kept their opponents at bay.

The problem was that territorially, France were heavily dominant, and it had to give. Gael Fickou, on his return to the hosts’ XV, stepped his way through the Scottish defence and offloaded to centre partner Yoram Moefana who did well to finish under the sticks with Ramos converting (10-0, 19 mins).

When Darcy Graham put Bielle-Biarrey under severe kick-chase pressure, the young French star knocked on and then quick as a flash, referee Carley gave rapid penalties to either side before play was brought back for potential foul play – hooker Peato Mauvaka was correctly adjudged to have scrapped a bit too enthusiastically with Ben White on the floor. His yellow card fitted nicely with Finn Russell kicking Scotland’s first points from close range (10-3, 21 mins).

White was in the thick of it, this time at the other end when he pipped opposite man Maxime Lucu to the try line with a brilliant piece of cover defence.

Scotland were soon offside from the prevailing 5m scrum and Ramos tended to the scoreboard with the simplest of penalties, in doing so becoming France’s all-time top points scorer (13-3, 25 mins).

Just as Mauvaka’s yellow card was confirmed to stay that, Scotland hit with a magical score. Huw Jones was found on the right wing by Russell with a lovely, looping pass before they trucked up through the middle. In the next phase, Russell popped an inside ball to Graham whose finish was made to look easy, even if his 31^st for Scotland was anything but. Russell converted to bring the difference to three (13-10, 29 mins).

Now it was Scotland who were the dominant force, their 14-man opponents somewhat on the ropes as Stade de France’s cacophony drew down into a quieter murmur. Gregor Brown, on his first championship start, was particularly impressive among a pack who sensed vulnerability in their hosts.

Jean-Baptiste Gros was the next to the sin bin after France gave away no fewer than four penalties, all within the advantage time of the original foul, as Russell tied the scores with another goal on the back of it (13-13, 36 mins).

France steadied the ship when Dave Cherry couldn’t roll away quick enough for the referee and Ramos added his third penalty from right in front (16-13, 38 mins).

There was enough time for Blair Kinghorn to gather and hurtle into French territory with a trademark gallop and in the chaos of France’s retreating defence, Tom Jordan thought he had given his side the lead, only for a check to show that Kinghorn had glanced touch.

Half-time: France 16-13 Scotland

Scotland started the second period with abandon, offloading and sniping their way into French territory, but it came undone in spectacular fashion when Russell’s inside ball to Graham didn’t go to hand and Ntamack scooped. The stand-off almost went the distance before putting in Bielle-Biarrey for the young winger’s full championship set (23-13, 43 mins).

France then energised their pack with the flurry that a 7-1 bench split can afford, but Scotland were unperturbed in their own game plan which was to attack at all costs. Russell once more went half-through before Graham was halted and another penalty came their way for a Frenchman now supporting his bodyweight at a ruck. Scotland opted for the goal and Russell obliged (23-16, 50 mins).

France needed inspiration if they were to realise their title ambitions and the sheer might of their pack did the hard yards before Ramos sped over for his side’s third try as the hour mark approached, his conversion giving room for manoeuvre to the home side (30-16, 57 mins).

If that was one hand on the title, France got both mitts on it a few minutes later when Moefana bulldozed his way over after some more magic from Bialle-Biarrey (35-16, 62 mins).

Duhan van der Merwe took advantage of a gap in the middle of the park to threaten the makings of a typically outrageous end point, but his ball to Graham was easily chewed up by a France team whose capabilities in that department are almost overlooked on account of their attacking genius.

Jamie Dobie, Ewan Ashman and Ben Muncaster then all tried to get over the line from close range but each time the champions elect had the presence to thwart.

France had one last attempt to crown their championship with a fifth try but decided, after a few phases, to get the ball off the park and bask in their Guinness Men’s Six Nations title celebrations at the end of a gripping evening in Paris.

Full-time: France 35-16 Scotland

France: Thomas Ramos, Damian Penaud, Gael Fickou, Yoram Moefana, Louis Bielle-Biarrey; Romain Ntamack, Maxime Lucu; Jean-Baptiste Gros, Peato Mauvaka, Uini Atonio, Thibaud Flament, Mickaël Guillard, François Cros, Paul Boudehent, Grégory Aldritt (captain).

Replacements: Julien Marchand, Cyril Baille, Dorian Aldegheri, Hugo Auradou, Emmanuel Meafou, Oscar Jégou, Anthony Jelonch, Nolann Le Garrec.

Scotland: Blair Kinghorn (Toulouse), Darcy Graham (Edinburgh Rugby), Huw Jones, Tom Jordan  (both Glasgow Warriors), Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh Rugby); Finn Russell (Bath Rugby) (co-captain), Ben White (Toulon); Pierre Schoeman, Dave Cherry (both Edinburgh Rugby), Zander Fagerson, Gregor Brown (both Glasgow Warriors), Grant Gilchrist, Jamie Ritchie (both Edinburgh Rugby), Rory Darge (co-captain), Matt Fagerson (both Glasgow Warriors).

Replacements: Ewan Ashman (Edinburgh Rugby) (for Cherry, 56 mins), Rory Sutherland (Glasgow Warriors) (for Schoeman, 66 mins), Will Hurd (Leicester Tigers), Ewan Johnson (Oyonnax) (for Gilchrist, 72 mins), Marshall Sykes (Edinburgh Rugby) (for Brown, 56 mins), Ben Muncaster (Edinburgh Rugby) (for Darge, 66 mins), Jamie Dobie (Glasgow Warriors) (for White, 66 mins), Stafford McDowall (Glasgow Warriors) (for Jones, 66 mins),

Referee: Matthew Carley (RFU)

Assistant referees: Karl Dickson (RFU) and Eoghan Corss (IRFU)

Television Match Official: Marius van der Westhuizen (SARU)

Fair Play Review Officer: Ian Tempest (RFU)

Guinness Player of the Match: Yoram Moefana (France)

Attendance: 80,000