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What a game; here\u2019s hoping for something as entertaining in Rome. Follow it with my colleague Dan Gallan here<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n Here is the full report from Murrayfield<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a012.48 EST<\/p>\n Victorious captain, Sione Tuipulotu<\/p>\n \u201cConsidering how this tournament started all I asked was the boys to believe, and we have put it right. I can\u2019t thank the supporters enough for coming out to see us. We have a changing room that believes in each other; times were tough after the first round in Italy, but we\u2019ve given ourselves a chance next week. Anything is possible, and we know the challenge Ireland is, and it makes for an awesome final week.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Kyle Steyn in Player of the Match<\/p>\n \u201cWe knew we couldn\u2019t rest on the first half, we had to fire the first shot on the second. We had to stick to our guns, and not consolidate too much. I didn\u2019t want us to celebrate too much even when we were ahead, we had to keep our feet on the ground. [Defence coach] Lee Radford worked really hard this week to get us working on stopping the French offloads, and it worked.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Take a breath everyone!<\/p>\n What does this mean for the tournament? That late rally of tries from France meand both are on 16 championship points now, with Les Bleus boasting a far better points difference. If France match the Scots\u2019 result on Super Saturday they lift the (non-melted) trophy.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>FULL TIME! A SCOTLAND VICTORY AT MURRAYFIELD<\/p>\n PEEEEEP! A ridiculous, barely believable game comes to an end with an equally unbelievable scoreline.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>TRY! Scotland 50 – 40 France (Thomas Ramos)<\/p>\n 80 mins. France are still playing with the clock in the red and Jalibert breaks the line after some offloading. He passes inside to Ramos who canters over unopposed.<\/p>\n Conversion added.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>YELLOW CARD! Josh Bayliss (Scotland)<\/p>\n 79 mins. A cynical act by the sub in the build up is punished.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>TRY! Scotland 50 – 33 France (Oscar J\u00e9gou)<\/p>\n 78 mins. Some lovely interplay in a 10 metre channel on the left eventually finds Jegou to ground in the corner.<\/p>\n Ramos converts<\/p>\n France’s Oscar Jegou scores their fifth try. Photograph: Russell Cheyne\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.01 EST<\/p>\n PENALTY! Scotland 50 – 26 France (Finn Russell)<\/p>\n 77 mins. Nouchi, a disciplinary nightmare since coming on, is offside and Tuipulotu asks his number 10 to bring up the 50 and kill some clock time. He duly obliges.<\/p>\n Scotland’s Finn Russell right boot does the business. Photograph: Jane Barlow\/PAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.01 EST<\/p>\n TRY! Scotland 47 – 26 France (Thomas Ramos)<\/p>\n 74 mins. The pressure tells eventually, Ramos hammering on a short angle close to the line is found by Serin.<\/p>\n He converts his own score.<\/p>\n France’s Thomas Ramos (left) scores his sides fourth try. Photograph: Andrew Milligan\/PAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a010.59 EST<\/p>\n 72 mins. France are having more of the ball, but four converted tries in eight minutes is beyond them even on a good day. And this ain\u2019t a good day.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 71 mins. France break from a scrum in the Scotland half, Jalibert aiming a diagonal grubber towards Attissogbe, but Graham covers across and grounds it in-goal.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 68 mins. Flament nicks a Scotland lineout in the French half and they start to move the ball, working up to halfway with an Attissogbe run. They come back to the left and enter the Scots\u2019 half, Bielle-Biarrey attempting a trademark chip and chase that slices off his left foot and into touch.<\/p>\n Sums France up that even that particular banker of a skill isn\u2019t working today.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>TRY! Scotland 47 – 21 France (Antoine Dupont)<\/p>\n 66 mins. Jalibert drifts across the line with the ball in hand and the Scotland defenders are a little slow on the drift, which creates an overlap out wide for Attissogbe to run into. He moves the ball inside to Dupont in support who has enough legs to reach the line with Steyn in pursuit and making a tackle.<\/p>\n Ramos converts.<\/p>\n Steyn was injured in the tackle attempt and is off to a standing ovation; he\u2019s been magnificent.<\/p>\n Antoine Dupont (centre) runs in to score France\u2019s third try. Photograph: Andrew Milligan\/PAThat looks painful. Photograph: Andrew Milligan\/PAApplause rings round Murrayfield as Steyn leaves the field. Photograph: Andrew Milligan\/PAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a010.57 EST<\/p>\n TRY! Scotland 47 – 14 France (Tom Jordan)<\/p>\n 62 mins. A simple big run by Jordan is found by Tuipulotu and he crashes over close to the right goalpost.<\/p>\n Another two points from Russell and the record scoreline continues to increase.<\/p>\n Tom Jordan of Scotland scores his team’s seventh try whilst under pressure from Antoine Dupont of France. Photograph: Ian MacNicol\/Getty ImagesJordan celebrates. Photograph: Ian MacNicol\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.09 EST<\/p>\n 61 mins. Oh dear, France are completely falling apart. Dupont fields a Russell kick in-goal, and instead of grounding it under pressure instead attempts to fling it 20 metres left to Bielle-Biarrey, but is goes forward! Scotland scrum five is coming.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>YELLOW CARD! Lenni Nouchi (France)<\/p>\n 59 mins. The action to collapse the maul was cynical as you like and he\u2019s given 10 minutes to reflect on it.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>TRY! Scotland 40 – 14 France (Darcy Graham)<\/p>\n 58 mins. Another lineout maul has France in trouble and Nouchi collapses it. The penalty advantage is given, so Russell calls for the ball to move it to Kinghorn in the 13 channel who offloads out of the tackle to Graham to break a tackle and slalom over.<\/p>\n Russell adds two, and this is officially a complete pasting.<\/p>\n Scotland\u2019s wing Darcy Graham dives over the French try line to score their sixth try and his second of the match. Photograph: Andy Buchanan\/AFP\/Getty ImagesGraham (left) celebrates with teammates. Photograph: Jane Barlow\/PAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.11 EST<\/p>\n 57 mins. Scotland have taken a long term lease in the French half, repeating a pattern of strong and fast tempo carries and recycling that gets them in behind; and when the possession returns to France the visitors have very little to offer other than motion with no action.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 55 mins. France are back on their own 22 and trying to play out but there\u2019s not much on so Jalibert chips and runs after his own kick. He\u2019s in acres of space but the bounce is cruel, sending it back over his head and to Dempsey to tidy up.<\/p>\n Scotland find Kinghorn in space on the 22, but his attempt to find Graham on the wing is wild and into touch.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a010.28 EST<\/p>\n TRY! Scotland 33 – 14 France (Kyle Steyn)<\/p>\n 51 mins. Jalibert is back on and is trying to make something happen with a run to the right. The trouble is the only thing that happens next is Dupont flaps a flabby pass that Steyn intercepts and gallops 50 metres to score, leaving a retreating Moefana in his wake.<\/p>\n It\u2019s all happening here!<\/p>\n Russell converts it.<\/p>\n Kyle Steyn of Scotland runs with the ball to go on and scores his team’s fifth try. Photograph: Ian MacNicol\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a010.38 EST<\/p>\n 48 mins. More aimless flinging by France with not much result, and this is made worse by Meafou clearing out a Scotland player about three nautical miles behind the ruck. Meafou is an obvious presence on a field and that was an even more obviously stupid penalty.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 46 mins. France start emptying their bench as Galthie attempts to stem the unfolding nightmare before him. They have started chucking the ball about a bit, but the timing remains off and Scotland contain it on halfway.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>TRY! Scotland 26 – 14 France (Ben White)<\/p>\n 44 mins. It was in kickable range, but Scotland only have eyes for the corner and the lineout. The catch and drive is executed with precision and France give away a penalty for obstruction in the ruck, but Scotland continue to play on the advantage and it takes only three more phases for White to dart from the base of the ruck from 5 metres.<\/p>\n The defence from France was very lazy, but Scotland have made them that way. They are shellshocked.<\/p>\n Russell converts.<\/p>\n Ben White celebrates his try with Pierre Schoeman (left). Photograph: Jamie Johnston\/Focus Images Ltd\/ShutterstockShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.14 EST<\/p>\n 42 mins. Cummings puts Dupont under pressure as he attempts to boot it to touch and is rewarded by the French captain not making much ground. The home side are back on the attack and as confident as they were in the first half, moving it right then left before Tuipulotu is taken high. More French indiscipline, another Scotland penalty coming.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Second Half!<\/p>\n A huge second forty has commenced.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cGreat half from Scotland.\u201d says Ben-Rus on Bluesky. \u201cThe scoreline is flattering to France, Scotland have spent two weeks on the training pitch and have nullified most of France\u2019s weapons.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Well, there was always a chance that a side finally getting at France would have them wobbling, and credit to Scotland that is what they have done. There has been nothing earth shattering about the play, but instead a focus on high pace and direct running, with a functioning set piece thrown in.<\/p>\n France\u2019s tournament long tactic of not putting people into the breakdown is allowing Scotland the pace in the attack they need, and Les Bleus are paying the price. For their part, France\u2019s attack hasn\u2019t bothered offloading at all, as they focus more on a kicking strategy to little avail. This will change very quickly in the second half, I expect.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Half Time! Scotland 19 – 14 France<\/p>\n 40 mins. It\u2019s Scotland\u2019s turn to infringe at the scrum, Schoeman driving upwards instead of level. Dupont decides that\u2019s enough for this half, so taps and kicks the ball out.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 39 mins. Scotland are on the ball again and near the French 22 once more. They move it right towards Graham\u2019s wing and there\u2019s a tiny overlap that they cannot exploit as the ball goes behind the runners. Graham regathers, but the momentum is lost and a knock-on follows from the little winger.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 36 mins. A scrum in the Scottish half takes a little while to complete, and when it does Scotland win a penalty by forcing the French front row to pop up.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>YELLOW CARD! Mathieu Jalibert (France)<\/p>\n The French 10 pays the price for being the latest one pinged of the recent repeated infringements in the build up to the try.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>TRY! Scotland 19 – 14 France (Pierre Schoeman)<\/p>\n 32 mins. Tuipulotu tell Russell to out the penalty into the corner, and from the lineout Scotland put on a regulation maul for a five metre gain in the 22 before the backs have a go. Russell races up to the line and is inches short and still in possession; so the phases and carries come again with another advantage for offside being played, which they don\u2019t need as Schoeman forces over.<\/p>\n Russell converts.<\/p>\n Scotland\u2019s Pierre Schoeman celebrates scoring their third try against France. Photograph: Russell Cheyne\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.54 EST<\/p>\n 30 mins. This is the first time the French defence have been tested consistently and they are not coping well. Scotland do nothing more than put the ball through hands and recycle at pace and Les Bleus are infringing all over the place as they scramble against an attacking dynamism they are not used to.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>TRY! Scotland 12 – 14 France (Kyle Steyn)<\/p>\n 26 mins. A delightful try this. From the catch and drive at the lineout, Turner breaks right like a scrum-half running with the ball. He throws a switch pass to Stern, who is off his wing like a bullet train to sprint a diagonal line back against the defensive drift and into the left corner. A really clever move<\/p>\n Russell misses the extras<\/p>\n Kyle Steyn (right) runs in to score Scotland\u2019s second try. Photograph: Andrew Milligan\/PASteyn celebrates. Photograph: Andrew Milligan\/PAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.56 EST<\/p>\n 25 mins. That dispiriting few minutes has not dampened Scotland\u2019s commitment as they immediately come back hard in the middle of the park. This pressure forces some poor discipline in defence from France, and the home side have a lineout in the 22.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>TRY! Scotland 7 – 14 France (Theo Attissogbe)<\/p>\n 22 mins. From the lineout the ball moves towards the left wing via a grubber kick. Bielle-Biarrey carresses it with his left foot, first touch like a gorgeous soccer through ball, for Attissogbe to run onto and ground in-goal.<\/p>\n Ramos again adds two more points.<\/p>\n Theo Attissogbe of France scores his team’s second try. Photograph: Ian MacNicol\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a010.03 EST<\/p>\n 20 mins. Jones takes the ball from lineout possession and kicks to touch, a decent option that is then ruined by Graham being penalised for being in on the wrong side of the maul.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>TRY! Scotland 7 – 7 France (Louis Bielle-Biarrey)<\/p>\n 18 mins. Tuipulotu has the ball ripped off him in the tackle by Dupont, who decides now is the time to remind everyone he has the strength of ten bears. This happen on the Scottish 22 and the ball is flung quickly to Bielle-Biarrey who swan dives into the corner to ground it.<\/p>\n Ramos booms the conversion over from way out wide.<\/p>\n Louis Bielle-Biarrey of France dives over the line to scores his team’s first try. Photograph: Ian MacNicol\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a010.05 EST<\/p>\n 16 mins. The first proper visit for France to the opposition 22. A few short carries from the forwards, with Marchand leading from the front, before Jalibert calls for it and chips towards Attissogbe\u2019s wing. He get a hand to it, but he\u2019s surrounder by three defenders and can only slap it forward. Scotland will have an awkward defensive scrum near their own line.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 14 mins. France work the ball to the right from the scrum and there\u2019s enough sophistication in the first phase pattern to free Attissogbe into the Scotland half on the wing. He looks inside to pass to Bielle-Biarry, but it goes slightly behind the flier and to ground. In Attissogbe\u2019s defene, his team-mate had overrun it a tad.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 11 mins. Tuipulotu is carrying like a monster so far, and he has another that splinters a couple of defenders on the French 10m metre line. It presents a platform, but there\u2019s a knock-on by a Scottish hand soon after.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 9 mins. Kinghorn was forced to run the Bielle-Biarrey kick into touch, but France make a mess of their maul at the lineout, can\u2019t get the ball out and lose possession. This is compounded with them giving a penalty away on the next play, which means Russell can clear the ball and the pressure to touch.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 7 mins. Ramos decides it\u2019s time for France to assert themselves and with a flat pass he finds Bielle-Biarrey in enough space to break on the left. He chips over Russell to chase and ricochets off the Scotland 10 to the ground. The howls from the French fans can be heard in Lille, but Ref Gardner reckons there\u2019s nothing in it.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>TRY! Scotland 7 – 0 France (Darcy Graham)<\/p>\n 5 mins. Ben White goes quickly from a free kick given at the scrum to send Tuipulotu rampaging into the defensive line and forcing them backwards. The ball is recycled quickly and via Jones and Russell makes it\u2019s way to Graham to open the scoring.<\/p>\n Russell converts.<\/p>\n Darcy Graham escapes the French defence \u2026 Photograph: Russell Cheyne\/ReutersBefore going over to score. Photograph: Andrew Milligan\/PAGraham (right) celebrates with Ben White (left). Photograph: Andrew Milligan\/PAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.32 EST<\/p>\n 4 mins. It\u2019s advantage Scotland as Ramos fumbles a Russell kick forward off his chest. He was under no pressure at all, but the sun is fierce on that side of the pitch and hindered him. Scotland scrum coming in the France half.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 2 mins. Some textbook take, recycle, kick periods from both sides; each probing for an opening via the boot and kick chasers. So far nothing doing for either.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.14 EST<\/p>\n Kick Off!<\/p>\n Jalibert chips us into action with a deep kick into Scottish territory.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cAs much as I\u2019d like to say as a Scotland fan there is always hope, and for all the talk of the attacking merits of both sides, I think the real question is one of defence.\u201d posits Matt Sumption.<\/p>\n \u201cScotland have struggled to keep games truly tight, especially since Steve Tandy left, and you can see the team has a different focus to the 2019-22 era. On the other hand, the French defence in this tournament has looked ferocious. Cannot see Scotland being able to withstand long periods of pressure against a team with the best try scoring record in the tournament. \u201c<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n It\u2019s a glorious day in Edinburgh as the teams head out of the tunnel and onto the sun dappled grass. The formalities will be completed and then we\u2019ll have a game to take in.<\/p>\n Clear blue sky above Murrayfield as the fans make their way into the stadium. Photograph: Jane Barlow\/PAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.16 EST<\/p>\n Pre match reading<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Please get in touch with your thoughts and frustrations both pre-match and throughout. on the email<\/a>. I look forward to reading them.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Team news<\/p>\n Gregor Townsend makes five changes to the side that squeaked past Wales, opting for a full overhaul of the front row and a reshuffle in the pack. Pierre Schoeman, George Turner, and D\u2019Arcy Rae all step into the starting front row, replacing Nathan McBeth, Dave Cherry, and Zander Fagerson. In the back row, Jack Dempsey is fixed from injury and returns at number eight, prompting Matt Fagerson to shift to blindside flanker and Gregor Brown to move into the boilerhouse alongside Scott Cummings. It\u2019s as you were in the backline.<\/p>\n France field the same side that overpowered Ireland back in round one. Matthieu Jalibert is back at fly\u2011half and with centre pairing of Yoram Moefana and Nicolas Depoort\u00e8re reunited after injuries. Whether this would have happened without the finger injury to Fabien Brau\u2011Boirie we will never know.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Teams<\/p>\n Scotland France
Blair Kinghorn; Darcy Graham, Huw Jones, Sione Tuipulotu, Kyle Steyn; Finn Russell, Ben White; Pierre Schoeman, George Turner, D\u2019Arcy Rae, Gregor Brown, Scott Cummings, Matt Fagerson, Rory Darge, Jack Dempsey.
Replacements: Ewan Ashman, Rory Sutherland, Zander Fagerson, Grant Gilchrist, Freddy Douglas, Josh Bayliss, George Horne, Tom Jordan.<\/p>\n
Thomas Ramos; Th\u00e9o Attissogb\u00e9, Nicolas Depoort\u00e8re, Yoram Moefana, Louis Bielle\u2011Biarrey; Matthieu Jalibert, Antoine Dupont; Jean\u2011Baptiste Gros, Julien Marchand, Dorian Aldegheri, Charles Ollivon, Micka\u00ebl Guillard, Fran\u00e7ois Cros, Oscar J\u00e9gou, Anthony Jelonch.
Replacements: Peato Mauvaka, Rodrigue Neti, Demba Bamba, Thibaud Flament, Emmanuel Meafou, Lenni Nouchi, Baptiste Serin, Pierre\u2011Louis Barassi.<\/p>\n