MY ACCOUNT
France gained revenge for two costly Six Nations defeats to Scotland with a stylish 36-17 bonus-point triumph at Murrayfield on Saturday.
Les Bleus maintained their winning start to this year’s tournament against the team who cost them the title in each of the previous two campaigns.
Sublime team moves ended in early tries for Paul Willemse and Yoram Moefana, before Scotland’s hopes of a fightback were all but ended by Gael Fickou on the stroke of half-time.
France scarcely let up in the second period, with Jonathan Danty and Damian Penaud adding to the scoreline, moving Les Bleus eight points clear at the top of the standings ahead of the rest of the weekend’s action.
Antoine Dupont’s stunning run from deep in France territory led to the breakthrough try for Willemse, with his team-mates moving the ball sharply when the captain was belatedly halted.
France worked the ball right to left for their next score, as Penaud and Cyril Baille each smartly offloaded when stopped short to allow Yoram Moefana to get over.
A strong Scotland response was rewarded with Rory Darge’s try, and they should have had another when Chris Hogg failed to gather a routine pass on the counter.
Instead, France stretched their advantage heading into the break as Fickou powered over in the corner, and the bonus point was secured within two minutes of the restart courtesy of a generous bounce for Danty.
Les Bleus controlled the match from there and created opportunities for Penaud to get his name on the scoresheet twice, sauntering in for number five and then gathering a crossfield kick in plenty of space for their sixth and final try.
Duhan van der Merwe got a late Scotland consolation, although unlike when he crossed in the 85th minute in Paris last year, it was France who celebrated at full-time.
Scotland streak stopped short
Two successive wins against an opponent is far from the longest streak one will find in sport, but Scotland’s victories against France had been particularly notable, halting a Grand Slam bid in 2020 and denying them a dramatic title triumph in a rearranged 2021 fixture.
This year, though, Les Bleus have negotiated this hurdle, making it three wins from three. Scotland still have not won three in a row against France in the Championship since the 1956, 1957 and 1958 Five Nations.
Two-try Penaud purring
Penaud had a role in the second France try in the first half but really came to the fore in the second. The wing chased his own kick soon after the restart, although it bounced instead for Danty. He was not to be kept off the scoresheet and appeared to be jogging as he ran in France’s fifth, before a straightforward sixth.
Penaud finished with 85 metres carried, more than any team-mate and trailing only Hogg (100m) for Scotland.
Key Opta Facts
– France’s 19-point victory is their biggest against Scotland in the Six Nations since winning by 21 points in 2008 (27-6), also at Murrayfield.
– This was Les Blues first win at Murrayfield in the Six Nations since 2014, having lost each of their last three matches away to the Scots in the Championship.
– France led by nine points at half-time against Scotland, only once in their last 31 Tests have they trailed at the break (v Scotland in 2020).
– Van der Merwe has scored six tries for Scotland in the Six Nations since the beginning of 2021, more than any other player from any nation in that period.
– Darge made the most carries of any player in the match (14) and the joint most by any Scotland player in a game in this year’s Championship after Hamish Watson (14 v Wales).
What’s next?
France have another huge away match next at defending champions Wales, while Scotland have a slightly gentler fixture with which to recover at Italy.
