France vs. Scotland: Score and Reaction from 2017 Six Nations Round 2
France dented Scotland's hopes of winning the 2017 Six Nations on Sunday, as Les Bleus grabbed a 22-16 win in Paris in Round 2.
Camille Lopez was the key man for France, kicking four penalties and a conversion after Gael Fickou's try. He added a late penalty goal as well.
Stuart Hogg and Tim Swinson scored tries for the Scots, and Finn Russell added two conversions, but key misses from the tee made the difference.
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France made a bright start, forcing an early turnover at the ruck. The Scots forced a turnover of their own after a penalty, with Sean Maitland making up plenty of ground, before Les Bleus hit back again and Huw Jones nearly came away with an interception.
Nick Eardley of BBC Scotland was entertained by the frantic start to the match:
Finn Russell tried to penetrate France's defence with a clever kick, but the hosts defended well and took the lead through Lopez after seven minutes. Josh Strauss was called for a knock-on at the ruck, and Lopez converted the penalty.
The Scots tried to hit back almost immediately, winning a scrum deep in French territory. Cyril Baille put in a tremendous shift, however, denying the visitors the first try of the match.
Still, Scotland kept pushing, and despite several great defensive plays, a try seemed inevitable. It was the in-form Hogg who broke through, scoring his third try of this year's Six Nations after a great pass from Jones.
Per the Sunday Times' Mark Palmer, Sunday's match was a special occasion for the full-back:
Greig Laidlaw's extra hit the crossbar, and just two minutes after that miss, Lopez restored France's lead with another penalty goal. Les Bleus were happy to keep attacking with risks, and it paid off.
Laidlaw was substituted with an ankle injury after just 25 minutes, a big blow for Scotland, who lost their primary kicker. Replacement Ali Price gave away a penalty just two minutes after coming on, but Lopez couldn't convert, nailing the post.
The hosts kept attacking thereafter, and Fickou split Hogg and Sean Maitland to score Les Bleus' only try of the afternoon. Following the conversion, the score was 13-5.
Scotland decreased the deficit before half-time, however, as Russell converted two more penalties. The second came just before the half and from a long way out, making the score 13-11.
The second half started with a bang, as Swinson scored a marvelous try to give the visitors the lead. A failed kick somehow landed up back with Tommy Seymour, who isolated Swinson for the score.
Per BBC Rugby Union, it was the substitute's first touch of the ball, but Russell missed a routine conversion:
That failure meant Lopez's penalty early in the second half tied things up at 16-16. Scott Spedding then tried his luck from a long way out, but he didn't come close to scoring. Hogg didn't have better luck shortly after.
Scotland were unfortunate with injuries, and things got even worse when Strauss went down, with no replacements left on the bench.
Les Bleus twice spurned seemingly easy attempts at three points in order to have a scrum deep in Scottish territory, and as the half wore on and the score remained tied, the home fans started to worry.
A massive scrum seemed to signal trouble for the Scots, but fortunately for the visitors, they were saved by a big penalty. Remi Lamerat thought that he had scored the host's second try, only to be denied by TMO Peter Fitzgibbon for losing control.
Maxime Machenaud won a penalty at the ruck that allowed Lopez to give his side the lead with eight minutes left to play.
France kept dominating the scrum, and a late penalty goal from Lopez saw the lead increased to six points. Scotland needed a converted try to win, but France's defending was on point, and a clearance from Lopez sealed the deal.
Per James Gray of the Daily Express, Scotland coach Vern Cotter weighed in on the injury concerns of his team: "John Hardie and John Barclay have had their head assessments so we'll have to see how they come through their protocols. There's bumps and bruises all over—I think Barclay hurt his shoulder as well. We're hoping that everyone will be OK for the next one."
Scotland will host Wales in Round 3, while France visit Ireland.
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