6N 2018: Scotland v France, 11th February

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SCOTLAND v FRANCE
11 February 2018
KO: 15:00 GMT
BT Murrayfield, Edinburgh

Live on [BBC Jockland]

Referee: John Lacey (Ireland)
Assistant 1: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Assistant 2: Paul Williams (New Zealand)
TMO: Rowan Kitt (England)

A. Head to Head

91 Played 91
35 Won 53
3 Drawn 3
53 Lost 35
1,118 Points 1,302

B. Recent Form

8 March 2014
Murrayfield, Edinburgh
17 – 19 to France

7 February 2015
Stade de France, Saint-Denis
15 – 8 to France

5 September 2015
Stade de France, Saint-Denis
19 – 16 to France

13 March 2016
Murrayfield, Edinburgh
29 – 18 to Scotland

12 February 2017
Stade de France, Saint-Denis
22 – 16 to France

C. Teams

SCOTLAND 

Stuart Hogg, Tommy Seymour, Huw Jones, Peter Horne (all Glasgow), Sean Maitland (Saracens), Finn Russell (Glasgow), Greig Laidlaw (Clermont Auvergne); Gordon Reid (London Irish), Stuart McInally, Simon Berghan, Grant Gilchrist (all Edinburgh), Jonny Gray (Glasgow), John Barclay (Scarlets, capt), Hamish Watson (Edinburgh), Ryan Wilson (Glasgow).

Replacements: Scott Lawson (Newcastle), Jamie Bhatti (Glasgow), Jon Welsh (Newcastle), Ben Toolis (Edinburgh), Dave Denton (Worcester), Ali Price (Glasgow), Chris Harris (Newcastle), Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh).

FRANCE


Palis; Thomas, Doumayrou, Lamerat, Vakatawa; Beauxis, Machenaud; Poirot, Guirado, Slimani, Itturia, Vahaamahina , Lauret , Tauleigne.

Replacements: Pelissie, Ben Arous, Gomes Sa, Gabrillagues, Serin, Belleau, Fall.

***


What is worse? Getting utterly thrashed by a rampant Welsh team away from home, when everyone (except the Welsh clearly) saw Scotland as the up and coming team about to do great things in this tournament; or to lose a game with a drop goal on the last kick of the game to an Irish team who had just kept the ball for 31 phases!

Answers on a postcard please!

The truth is neither scenario is a good one and it is hard to guess how they will play on the minds of the respective teams over the coming week.

The good thing is that in the 6N, redemption is potentially only a game away and both teams have another chance at it this coming weekend.

Both teams look like they will have to make significant changes, France due to injury and Scotland because they were so cr*p yesterday. How that will pan out on the game is anyone's guess.

I am not however expecting to hear to many optimistic noises coming from the Scotland camp or their fans and media this week. Let us go back to being the underdogs, it seems to be the only mindset that can get us to play well!

Whenever you see a pack have a long conversation before a lineout you can almost guarantee they're going to mess it up

Huw Jones is a seriously class act. If he were from the country his name might suggest (no names...), we'd never hear the end of it.

SimonofSurrey wrote:Huw Jones is a seriously class act. If he were from the country his name might suggest (no names...), we'd never hear the end of it.

He actually has no Welsh heritage!

Crucial that we don't concede before halftime

Big defensive effort now please Scotland...

That's a very harsh call there Lacy...

What a mad half that was - penalties and wide defence a real problem.

We're in the game but a massive improvement is required!

RDW_Scotland wrote:

SimonofSurrey wrote:Huw Jones is a seriously class act. If he were from the country his name might suggest (no names...), we'd never hear the end of it.

He actually has no Welsh heritage!

I know that very well, RDW, hence the irony in my comment. But behave yourself: did I mention the 'W' word?!

RDW_Scotland wrote:Is Lacey just not bothering with forward passes now?

I don't see why he would, he seems to forgotten the new rules about the tackler joining a ruck and also supporting their own bodyweight (hint if the French player has their elbows/knees on a player that's not supporting your own weight)

I imagine it's been said before but didn't Sam Warburton play the lead role in 'Avatar'?

How can Andy Nichol give Laidlaw a free pass for the second try? He should have dived on the ball there, not watch it like he did. It was a great move made to look excellent by Laidlaw.

On the re-run, it looks like the pass to Thomas before his kick and chase second try was a good yard forwards. If Touch Judges aren't going to see or call these kinds of things or confirm tries the ref can't see, why not just replace them with a 'Hawkeye' laser for when the ball goes into touch? (Even then they often don't get within 5 yards of the place the ball exited play)

I hope that none of you have to thole the lazy, condescending horseschidt brain droppings from Mike Philips and Steve Thimpson that I have to listen to.

Machenaud out (elbow injury), serin in.
Not sure which halfbacks we will have at the end of the 6N!

Good half for the French.

Scotland far too open in defence (again!). Lacey nit picking at every turn.

How was that not a penalty - the French guy was holding onto the ball on the feckin ground!!

Very lucky to get that penalty...some good carrying but the supporting forwards were getting lazy, should have been turned over.

Russell

Can we please get Hogg kicking to touch.

Russell's missed kicks leading to French 3 points!

Finn Russell is a pub player

Wow, Clancy really wants Scotland to win here. Luckily for France Russell doesn’t!

France beginning to fiddle with their own unique self-destruct button - then Finn 'where's the touchline?' Russell and Hogg return the favour. That was abject then dumb from Scotland. Neither side is doing themselves any tactical favours, but it's still a great watch for the neutral. And now ANOTHER daft French penalty!

French indiscipline more prominent this half

He could end up costing Scotland the game at this rate ...

I didn't think it was possible, but Finn Russell is in danger of eclipsing Bergamasco's scrum half cameo as the most comically inept 6N performance of all time.

Russel is maybe our best player today. Shame he is not kicking.

Come on Lacey he wasn't supporting his own weight!!!

Hogg is going to lose it soon.

Lacey finally gives France a penalty. He’s really been favouring Scotland.

Seatbelt tackle on Hogg missed ...

RDW_Scotland wrote:Come on Lacey he wasn't supporting his own weight!!!

Lacey has always been bad in his ruck judgements but he is normally a homer ref.

Russell can’t even tie his laces properly!

mid_gen wrote:I didn't think it was possible, but Finn Russell is in danger of eclipsing Bergamasco's scrum half cameo as the most comically inept 6N performance of all time.

All the more so as 10 - allegedly - is Russell's real position, not some madcap national coach's 'bright idea' selection. I feel for Russell. He's shown in the past that he's not a pub player, but he is by the look of it, woefully out of sorts and shot of all confidence. (And he just got very lucky with an in-goal bounce: exactly the type of thing that did for Laidlaw for the 2nd French try). The boy needs subbing for his own wellbeing just now.

I think Barclay has had a quiet game - I'd be tempted to take him off for Denton instead of Wilson

SimonofSurrey wrote:

mid_gen wrote:I didn't think it was possible, but Finn Russell is in danger of eclipsing Bergamasco's scrum half cameo as the most comically inept 6N performance of all time.

All the more so as 10 - allegedly - is Russell's real position, not some madcap national coach's 'bright idea' selection. I feel for Russell. He's shown in the past that he's not a pub player, but he is by the look of it, woefully out of sorts and shot of all confidence. (And he just got very lucky with an in-goal bounce: exactly the ty[pe of thing that did for Laidlaw dfor the 2nd French try). The boy needs subbing for his own wellbeing just now.

RDW_Scotland wrote:I think Barclay has had a quiet game - I'd be tempted to take him off for Denton instead of Wilson

In the spirit of these posts, I would put Denton at 10.

Could (should?) have been a yellow for Scotland there.

Gilchrist has had s good game - surprised he's been taken off so early

Cyril wrote:Could (should?) have been a yellow for Scotland there.

Its a good thing you don't want Scotland to lose otherwise you may have had to be more one eyed

France just made a front row substitution. Wait for the HIA later.......

eirebilly, calm down we wouldn’t want you leaving the forum in a strop again

Too many stupid penalties given by France to deserve to win this game

Cyril wrote:eirebilly, calm down we wouldn’t want you leaving the forum in a strop again

Good to see you still have a sense of humour, could be worse, you could be a dour individual

French penalty count really helping us this half

Cyril wrote:Could (should?) have been a yellow for Scotland there.

Don't go getting all Alun Wyn on us please, Cyril. Lacey's making a decent fist of reffing an open and clean game with both sides trying to play good rugby in good conditions. I haven't seen even a pre-card warning to either side yet.

eirebilly wrote:

Cyril wrote:eirebilly, calm down we wouldn’t want you leaving the forum in a strop again

Good to see you still have a sense of humour, could be worse, you could be a dour individual

Can you two please ignore each other - it has been a good thread so far!

Huge call - Finn is off!

Right call to remove Russell, he was not having the best day and his confidence was visibly low.

RDW_Scotland wrote:

eirebilly wrote:

Cyril wrote:eirebilly, calm down we wouldn’t want you leaving the forum in a strop again

Good to see you still have a sense of humour, could be worse, you could be a dour individual

Can you two please ignore each other - it has been a good thread so far!

Apologies.

The Beauxis experiment ends here !

Jaysus, France imploding...