Scotland beat France at BT Murrayfield for second straight win
Scotland returned to winning ways at a packed BT Murrayfield with a vengeance this afternoon, dismantling French Grand Slam hopes through a combination of trenchant defence, breakdown savvy and some ruthless finishing.
Scotland thus doubled their GUINNESS Six Nations try tally for the season through a brace from Sean Maitland and a last quarter counter from Stuart McInally. They also built on their victory last time out against Italy and secured their fourth consecutive BT Murrayfield victory against France.
Much has been written about France rediscovering their joie de vivre, but it was their discipline that reverted to the habits of old with Francois Cros yellow carded in the early stages and Mohamed Haouas sent off before half-time.
France lost their substitute hooker Camille Chat to injury during the warm-up. He was replaced by Peatu Mauvaka.
Scotland were led out by hooker Fraser Brown who became the 43rd Scot to win 50 or more caps for his country and only the fourth hooker following in the footsteps of Ross Ford, Gordon Bulloch and Colin Deans to reach that landmark.
France kicked off towards the railway end with Stuart Hogg getting an early touch. Anton Dupont threatened from a breakdown and Scotland were penalised but from 45 metres Romain Ntamack’s effort drifted wide.
Grant Gilchrist was upended in a tackle by Francois Cros after four minutes and after TMO Brian McNeice was called to adjudicate the French flanker was sin binned.
Brown’s lineout throw from the penalty to touch was, sadly, not straight, but after Sean Maitland had a scamper, Stuart Hogg’s up and under was spilled by Romain Ntamack who departed the field moving somewhat gingerly, not to return.

After a reset scrum, France were penalised and from just outside the 22, centre field, Adam Hastings gave Scotland the lead (3-0, 11 mins).
Matthieu Jalibert, the substitute French stand-off escaped up the narrow side from a guddled French lineout but Blair Kinghorn and Hogg saved the day.
Scotland went through the phases with Hogg and Maitland integral and when France didn’t roll away at a ruck eight metres inside their half, Hastings was on target again (6-0, 18 mins).
Into the second quarter and the game was blighted by a series of reset scrums. Scotland seemed to be enjoying the better of proceedings but, from a breakdown penalty awarded against the hosts, France stormed upfield. Maitland had to make a saving tackle on Gael Fickou, but France retained possession and Dupont’s beautifully weighted diagonal kick was grabbed by Damian Penaud for the game’s first try. Jalibert struck a fine conversion (6-7, 33 mins).
Scotland were awarded penalties in quick succession inside the French 22. From the first, Hogg opted for the touchline. Gilchrist caught and though Nick Haining made a dunt in midfield, Ali Price’s pass was intercepted by Penaud. The referee had been playing an advantage and brought play back for a Scotland penalty, at which point there was an outbreak of sustained handbags between the packs, which was marred by a haymaker from Mohamed Haouas right on Jamie Ritchie’s chin.
After much detailed analysis, referee Williams red-carded the French tight-head and Hastings regained the led for the home team with a penalty from under the posts (9-7, 37 mins).
Scotland were awarded a penalty as half-time neared and from the lineout, Hastings made a glorious break, recycled Gilchrist attacked right and Sam Johnson’ pass was perfectly timed to send in Sean Maitland for his 14th try for Scotland and his third at BT Murrayfield in successive matches against the French. Hastings pulled the conversion wide from the touchline. (14-7, HT)
Half-time: Scotland 14 France 7

France launched wave after wave of percussive attacks but then conceded a penalty under the sticks. A vital moment perhaps.
A brief period of kick tennis ensued before Maitland brought the sequence to an end by feeding inside to Hogg.
The captain put on the afterburners and found Chris Harris, who broke and then gave a lovely inside pass to Price at full pace. The scrumhalf was clawed down, but Scotland kept their poise, Jamie Ritchie gave a superb delayed pass and Hastings sent Maitland in for his second try of the match. Hastings converted majestically from the touchline. (21-7, 44 mins)
France had nothing to lose now and threw the ball about with abandon, however, a neck roll by substitute prop Gros on Jamie Ritchie saw Scotland awarded a penalty and take play to the French 22 from Hogg’s boot.
Hamish Watson had to make a vital tackle to thwart another dangerous French attack as the game neared the final quarter with rain now sweeping over the stadium.
Jalibert kicked a penalty to reward another stirring sequence of French handling (21-10, 60mins).
Scotland hit back, as from territory manufactured by Hogg’s kick and chase, France got hands to the lineout but only succeeded in directing it into Stuart McInally’ s path and the hooker blazed in from the 22 for his eighth try for Scotland. Hastings converted as if to underline there was a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. (28-10, 64 mins).
Kyle Steyn was introduced to win his first cap and soon showed his aerial skills all but unleashing Scotland for the bonus point try, only for George Horne to knock on.
France pulled back their second try, inspired by Fickou’ s promptings on the West Stand touchline and duly finished by captain Charles Ollivon. Jalibert converted (28-17, 75mins).
Scotland had one last throw at the dice searching for the try bonus point but Kinghorn’s kick ahead defied even BT Murrayfield’s vast in-goal area.
Full-time: Scotland 28 France 17

Scotland: Stuart Hogg (Exeter Chiefs) CAPTAIN; Sean Maitland (Saracens), Chris Harris (Gloucester), Sam Johnson (Glasgow Warriors), Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh Rugby); Adam Hastings, Ali Price (both Glasgow Warriors); Rory Sutherland (Edinburgh Rugby), Fraser Brown, Zander Fagerson, Scott Cummings (all Glasgow Warriors), Grant Gilchrist, Jamie Ritchie, Hamish Watson, Nick Haining (all Edinburgh Rugby).
Subs: Stuart McInally (Edinburgh Rugby) for Brown (58 mins), Allan Dell (London Irish) for Sutherland (58 mins), Willem Nel (Edinburgh Rugby) for Fagerson (66 mins), Sam Skinner (Exeter Chiefs) for Cummings ((71 mins), Magnus Bradbury (Edinburgh Rugby) for Haining (58 mins) George Horne (Glasgow Warriors) for Price (58 mins), Duncan Weir (Worcester Warriors) for Johnson (78 mins), Kyle Steyn (Glasgow Warriors) for Maitland (66 mins).
France: Anthony Bouthier; Damian Penaud, Virimi Vakatawa, Arthur Vincent, Gael Fickou; Romain Ntamack, Antonie Dupont; Jefferson Poirot, Julien Marchant, Mohamed Haouas, Bernard Le Roux, Paul Willemse, Francois Cros, Charles Ollivon CAPTAIN, Gregory Alldritt.
Subs: Peatu Mauvaka for Marchant (63 mins), Jean-Baptiste Gros for Poirot (50 mins), Demba Bamba for Cros (48mins), Romain Taofifenua for Willemse (48 mins), Dylan Cretin for Penaud (59 mins), Baptiste Serin for Dupont (77 mins), Matthieu Jalibert for Ntamack (7 mins), Thomas Ramos for Bouthier (71 mins).
Referee: Paul Williams (New Zealand). Assistant referees: Wayne Barnes (England) and Frank Murphy (Ireland). TMO: Brian MacNeice (Ireland).
GUINNESS Player of the Match: Jamie Ritchie (Scotland)
Attendance: 67,144
live commentary 3:00 PM Sunday 8 Mar 2020
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Scotland
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Kyle Steyn
23. Replacement0metres gained
14MINUTES PLAYED
2TACKLES MADE
1COMPLETE PASSES
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Duncan Weir
22. Replacement0metres gained
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George Horne
21. Replacement9metres gained
22MINUTES PLAYED
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Magnus Bradbury
20. Replacement0metres gained
22MINUTES PLAYED
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Sam Skinner
19. Replacement0metres gained
10MINUTES PLAYED
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WP Nel
18. Replacement0metres gained
14MINUTES PLAYED
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Allan Dell
17. Replacement0metres gained
22MINUTES PLAYED
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Stuart McInally
16. Replacement21metres gained
22MINUTES PLAYED
2TACKLES MADE
0COMPLETE PASSES
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Nick Haining
8. Number 816metres gained
58MINUTES PLAYED
9TACKLES MADE
5COMPLETE PASSES
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Hamish Watson
7. Back-row8metres gained
80MINUTES PLAYED
21TACKLES MADE
2COMPLETE PASSES
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Jamie Ritchie
6. Back-row4metres gained
80MINUTES PLAYED
10TACKLES MADE
3COMPLETE PASSES
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Grant Gilchrist
5. Second-row4metres gained
80MINUTES PLAYED
18TACKLES MADE
2COMPLETE PASSES
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Scott Cummings
4. Second-row2metres gained
70MINUTES PLAYED
14TACKLES MADE
0COMPLETE PASSES
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Zander Fagerson
3. Tighthead prop0metres gained
66MINUTES PLAYED
14TACKLES MADE
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Fraser Brown
2. Hooker4metres gained
58MINUTES PLAYED
13TACKLES MADE
4COMPLETE PASSES
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Rory Sutherland
1. Loosehead prop1metres gained
58MINUTES PLAYED
11TACKLES MADE
0COMPLETE PASSES
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Ali Price
9. Scrum-half22metres gained
58MINUTES PLAYED
7TACKLES MADE
32COMPLETE PASSES
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Adam Hastings
10. Stand-off24metres gained
80MINUTES PLAYED
8TACKLES MADE
9COMPLETE PASSES
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Blair Kinghorn
11. Wing45metres gained
80MINUTES PLAYED
4TACKLES MADE
2COMPLETE PASSES
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Sam Johnson
12. Inside-centre17metres gained
78MINUTES PLAYED
6TACKLES MADE
5COMPLETE PASSES
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Chris Harris
13. Outside-centre37metres gained
80MINUTES PLAYED
8TACKLES MADE
2COMPLETE PASSES
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Sean Maitland
14. Wing42metres gained
66MINUTES PLAYED
1TACKLES MADE
3COMPLETE PASSES
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Stuart Hogg
15. Full-back84metres gained
80MINUTES PLAYED
5TACKLES MADE
9COMPLETE PASSES
France
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Anthony Bouthier
15. Full-back43metres gained
70MINUTES PLAYED
2TACKLES MADE
2COMPLETE PASSES
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Damian Penaud
14. Wing36metres gained
58MINUTES PLAYED
1TACKLES MADE
0COMPLETE PASSES
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Virimi Vakatawa
13. Outside-centre31metres gained
80MINUTES PLAYED
3TACKLES MADE
4COMPLETE PASSES
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Arthur Vincent
12. Inside-centre34metres gained
80MINUTES PLAYED
5TACKLES MADE
3COMPLETE PASSES
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Gael Fickou
11. Wing39metres gained
80MINUTES PLAYED
4TACKLES MADE
2COMPLETE PASSES
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Romain Ntamack
10. Stand-off0metres gained
7MINUTES PLAYED
1TACKLES MADE
3COMPLETE PASSES
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Antoine Dupont
9. Scrum-half21metres gained
76MINUTES PLAYED
3TACKLES MADE
67COMPLETE PASSES
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Jefferson Poirot
1. Loosehead prop9metres gained
50MINUTES PLAYED
3TACKLES MADE
0COMPLETE PASSES
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Julien Marchand
2. Hooker17metres gained
63MINUTES PLAYED
6TACKLES MADE
3COMPLETE PASSES
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Mohammed Haouas
3. Tighthead prop0metres gained
36MINUTES PLAYED
1TACKLES MADE
0COMPLETE PASSES
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Bernard Le Roux
4. Second-row11metres gained
80MINUTES PLAYED
6TACKLES MADE
2COMPLETE PASSES
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Paul Willemse
5. Second-row6metres gained
48MINUTES PLAYED
7TACKLES MADE
1COMPLETE PASSES
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François Cros
6. Back-row2metres gained
37MINUTES PLAYED
3TACKLES MADE
0COMPLETE PASSES
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Charles Ollivon
7. Back-row19metres gained
80MINUTES PLAYED
11TACKLES MADE
4COMPLETE PASSES
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Gregory Alldritt
8. Number 864metres gained
80MINUTES PLAYED
6TACKLES MADE
4COMPLETE PASSES
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Peato Mauvaka
16. Replacement0metres gained
17MINUTES PLAYED
2TACKLES MADE
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Jean-Baptiste Gros
17. Replacement2metres gained
30MINUTES PLAYED
3TACKLES MADE
2COMPLETE PASSES
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Demba Bamba
18. Replacement7metres gained
33MINUTES PLAYED
0TACKLES MADE
1COMPLETE PASSES
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Romain Taofifenua
19. Replacement10metres gained
32MINUTES PLAYED
3TACKLES MADE
2COMPLETE PASSES
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Dylan Cretin
20. Replacement8metres gained
22MINUTES PLAYED
1TACKLES MADE
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Baptiste Serin
21. Replacement0metres gained
4MINUTES PLAYED
0TACKLES MADE
6COMPLETE PASSES
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Matthieu Jalibert
22. Replacement62metres gained
73MINUTES PLAYED
5TACKLES MADE
21COMPLETE PASSES
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Thomas Ramos
23. Replacement17metres gained
10MINUTES PLAYED
0TACKLES MADE
1COMPLETE PASSES
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