France hold off Scotland for first Six Nations victory

France started their Six Nations Championship with a 15-8 victory Scotland at Stade de France on Saturday evening.

Scotland scored the only try of the match and France had to rely on Camille Lopez’s boot for all of their points through penalties.

The Scots continued their recent improvement under New Zealander coach Vern Cotter with a solid defensive display that frustrated the error-prone French.

The visitors to the Stade de France in Paris even scored the only try of the match right on the stroke of half-time through Dougie Fife’s first international score in only his fourth match.

Greig Laidlaw added a penalty while fly-half Camille Lopez scored all France’s points with the boot.

But it was a disjointed and lacklustre performance from Philippe Saint-Andre’s side despite the occasional searing break.

Too many handling errors scuppered all their best work.

The only fillip being that France maintained their 100 percent record when wearing red — something they did for only the third time in their history.

Saint-Andre, who is yet to win a Six Nations title since assuming the reins after the 2011 World Cup, was left far from satisfied with the victory.

“We won,” the 47-year-old told the BBC.

“However, we weren’t clinical enough especially when we had a one man advantage and didn’t score enough points when we had the chance.

“There was not enough variety in our game. Scotland played with a lot of spirit. For the game with Ireland (next Saturday) we need to show a lot of improvement.”

Laidlaw had said earlier in the week that he believed Scotland could win the Six Nations and in the first half they played like a team who believed it

Scotland stole France’s first lineout but Blair Cowan was penalised for holding on and Lopez kicked a third minute penalty.

Laidlaw replied for the visitors after France were penalised at the scrum.

That seemed to spark the hosts into action and France moved the ball around well with runners breaking through the midfield before Scotland were caught offside and Lopez booted another penalty.

A beautiful dummy from Stuart Hogg set up Six Nations debutant fly-half Finn Russell for a drop goal attempt from the 22, but he put it wide.

Lopez extended France’s lead after the Scots were caught offside, but the visitors finished the half in the ascendancy as Mark Bennett’s show and go down the left helped Hogg carry the ball almost to the French line.

Scotland then swung the ball right for prop Euan Murray to put Fife in to dive over in the corner.

Laidlaw was unlucky to see his conversion hit the post and come away as France went in 9-8 ahead at the break.

Lopez maintained his perfect kicking record 10 minutes into the second half with a fourth penalty to extend the hosts’ lead.

France started to pile the pressure on and they won a penalty after Scotland collapsed a scrum on their own five-metre line but Lopez hit the post with his kick.

The pressure told as Johnnie Beattie was yellow-carded for collapsing a maul as France drove towards the line.

The French kicked the resulting penalty to the corner but once again the Scottish defence held firm.

Scotland survived the sin-bin period without conceding any points, thanks largely to Yoann Huget’s knock-on two yards from the line after he’d exploited Tim Visser’s reckless attempt at an interception.

France did have the last laugh, though, with a late Lopez penalty, although that could not paper over the cracks in a disappointing display.

Final Score France 15 (9) Scotland 8 (8)

Scorers

France
Tries :
Pen : Lopez (5)
Con :
Drop :

Scotland
Tries : Fife
Pen : Laidlaw
Con :
Drop :

Match Officials
Referee : Ngel Owens

Teams

France

Scott Spedding, Yoann Huget, Mathieu Bastareaud, Wesley Fofana, Teddy Thomas, Camille Lopez, Rory Kockott, Damien Chouly, Bernard Le Roux, Thierry Dusautoir (capt), Yoann Maestri, Pascal Pape, Rabah Slimani, Guilhem Guirado, Alexandre Menini

Replacements: Benjamin Kayser, Uini Atonio, Eddy Ben Arous, Romain Taofifenua, Loann Goujon, Morgan Parra, Remi Tales, Remi Lamerat

Scotland

Stuart Hogg, Tommy Seymour, Mark Bennett, Alex Dunbar, Tim Visser, Finn Russell, Greig Laidlaw (capt), Johnnie Beattie, Blair Cowan, Rob Harley, Jonny Gray, Richie Gray, Euan Murray, Ross Ford, Alasdair Dickinson

Replacements: Fraser Brown, Gordon Reid, Geoff Cross, Jim Hamilton, Alasdair Strokosch, Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, Peter Horne, Dougie Fife