Scotland demolish France to blow Six Nations title race wide open
Scotland produced what many observers were calling the finest performance in their Six Nations history on Saturday, dismantling a previously imperious France side 50-40 at Murrayfield to end Les Bleus' Grand Slam ambitions and ensure the championship will not be settled until the final round of matches next weekend.
In a staggering contest of 13 tries and 90 points, Gregor Townsend's Scotland ran in seven scores against a French team that had not trailed at any point in their previous three matches this season. By the time the game was effectively over, Scotland led 47-14 after just over an hour, leaving France to gather what scraps they could in a frantic late period that ultimately yielded a try-scoring bonus point but little else of consequence.
A record-breaking afternoon in Edinburgh
Darcy Graham opened the scoring inside five minutes, capitalising on a Thomas Ramos fumble that Scotland turned into a free-kick at the scrum. Finn Russell appeared to drop the ball backwards, but the confusion it sowed in the French defence was enough to release Graham, who scored what proved to be his record 36th international try for Scotland.
France responded swiftly and with their customary authority. Louis Bielle-Biarrey, scoring in his ninth consecutive Six Nations match, finished after Antoine Dupont dispossessed Sione Tuipulotu near his own line, before Bielle-Biarrey turned provider, grubber-kicking for Theo Attissogbe to score and put France 14-7 ahead.
Scotland, however, did not blink. A clever lineout move allowed Sione Tuipulotu to get the ball to Steyn, who timed his run to perfection to beat Dupont to the left corner. Minutes later, patient phase play in the French 22 ended with Pierre Schoeman driving over, and Russell's conversion put Scotland ahead 19-14. France's indiscipline compounded their difficulties when Mathieu Jalibert was sent to the sin bin.
Second-half annihilation
The second period brought no relief for Fabien Galthie's side. Scrum-half Ben White darted over from the side of a ruck to secure Scotland's bonus-point try just after the restart. Steyn then galloped 45 metres to score his second, out-pacing Yoram Moefana with the kind of high-tempo running that had come to define the afternoon. Blair Kinghorn drew defenders before releasing Graham for his second try, making it 40-14, and when a second French yellow card was shown to Lenni Nouchi, Scotland extended to 47-14. Replacement Tom Jordan added a seventh try from a scrum, completing the rout in 63 minutes.
France's late burst, featuring tries from Dupont, a brace from Ramos and one from Oscar Jegou, narrowed the final margin and secured the bonus point that may yet prove crucial in the title race, but by that point the tie had long since been decided.
Title race enters final day in extraordinary shape
The result leaves France and Scotland level at the top of the Six Nations table on 16 points, with France holding a points-difference advantage of plus-79 against Scotland's plus-21. Ireland, on 14 points, remain in mathematical contention. France face England in Paris on the final day, while Scotland travel to Dublin to face Ireland.
"The tournament is not over for us yet. We have got ourselves an opportunity next week," said Scotland captain Sione Tuipulotu. "We have an air-tight change-room. We stuck together after that tough first round. Anything is possible now. A lot of people wrote Ireland off too at the start of the tournament, but both of us are still in the championship."
France lock Emmanuel Meafou was measured in his assessment, conceding that his side had been outplayed but pointing to the title race remaining alive. "The Grand Slam was the goal, but we are still looking to win the competition," he said. "Scotland got on top of us early in the first half, and then carried that on in the second. We gave ourselves too much of a hill to climb at the end, but credit to Scotland."
For Townsend's team, the performance recalled a richness of ambition and execution seldom seen in Scottish rugby. Scotland had not scored four tries against France in a Six Nations match since the final game of the 1999 Championship, the last time they won the title. They managed seven on Saturday. Dublin awaits.
