France v Scotland 6N Championship Sunday 26th February 2023

First topic message reminder :

France v Scotland
6 Nations Championship
The Auld Alliance Trophy

Stade de France
Paris

Sunday 26th February 2023
KO 15.00


Well onto the third round of matches and Scotland v France gets the sunday afternoon slot this time around.

Not many would have given Scotland a chance for this game at the start of the competition, but now it may be a bit closer than first imagined.

Scotland did win on their last visit to the Stade, albeit in an empty stadium and over the years have not actually had a bad record against the French, even when we were poor. Scotland are on a run, have a settled side, few injury worries and a mixture of confidence and control that we have not seen for quite some time.

Steady on though, this is France we are playing and they are at home. They are one of the two best sides in the world on current form, even if they have flattered to deceive a bit in their last two games. They will not want to lose this match and go one from three and have all the old accusations about being a flakey team come right back to haunt them after having largely put that moniker to bed over the past few years. You would fancy that they will try and steam roller Scotland in the way that England did, only they are better than England and will maybe be more successful. If they get a decent lead in the game they will be all but impossible to haul back.

So any chance for Scotland will involve them simply managing to stay in the game and to weather the French onslaught, which will surely come. If it is close at the end, a big if, then Scotland may be the fitter team and they have certainly finished their last two games very strongly.

All the smart money is still going to be on a French win, but it might be close and for Scotland, there is certainly some hope. My gues at our team is something along these lines:

1. Schoeman
2. Turner
3. Fagerson Z
4. Gray R
5. Gilchrist
6. Fagerson M
7. Ritchie - capt
8. Dempsey - MoM performance on friday might swing it
9. White
10. Russell
11. DVDM
12. Tuipolotu
13. Jones
14. Steyn
15. Kinghorn

Subs

Bhatti
Brown
Nel
Gray
Skinner
Price - had his best game of the season on friday
Redpath
Hogg

Hamish off. Guess that makes sense.

Another red??????

Has to be red too, he headbutted him

Well now...

Well that's 100% a red as well!!

Another red?

Well surely that's a red aswell

14 men each here surely

The ball is not lifted. It is a clear out where there is head contact. He has to go off

If we score here, game on.

Well done the assistant ref. The main ref wasn’t interested

Another red - well that makes it interesting again ...

Scotland with a life line here. This could really open up the game for Finn Russell.

Arghh! Bottled line-out. Massive error in context.

That was really dirty, more of a red in my view

Well done to the touch judge. First time I've seen them talk a referee round.

Game back on? Oui.

France really do like to implode.

tigertattie wrote:Well done the assistant ref. The main ref wasn’t interested

Yeah good intervention

Surprised no HIA on White after that.

Anyone think the WC will be determined by who can give away the fewest red cards?

I think they have the edge in the scrum....

Collapse2005 wrote:That was really dirty, more of a red in my view

True. Very stupid play.

Well this game is a box of frogs (yes the pun was intended)

14 a side. Scotland with the more mobile pack. Is this advantage Scotland now?

Be still my beating heart

Heaf wrote:Anyone think the WC will be determined by who can give away the fewest red cards?

I think referees will be under pressure to not give reds in the biggest games.

Its going to be some second half if Scotland can still be in the game by then.

Ooh, should have scored there.

I'm warming to the idea of orange cards - maybe with longer bans, so the players at fault take more of the punishment but games aren't ruined.

Duty281 wrote:

Heaf wrote:Anyone think the WC will be determined by who can give away the fewest red cards?

I think referees will be under pressure to not give reds in the biggest games.

Nah. The edict is to stamp out the silly tackles. Players will be under pressure to lower their tackle heights or not but their opponents in the head

Oh dear! Really soft.

FFS Finn

This is why he’s not the best 10 in the world

That's a really nice catch.

Oh dear, savage interception...

Gonna be interesting the rest of the way. Relax, calm, be at peace. Now fock 'em.

Finnsanity!

I think that is the first intercept pass ive seen Russell throw. Going to be a humbling day for Scotland I think.

bsando wrote:I think that is the first intercept pass ive seen Russell throw. Going to be a humbling day for Scotland I think.

Eh no it ain’t!!!

tigertattie wrote:

bsando wrote:I think that is the first intercept pass ive seen Russell throw. Going to be a humbling day for Scotland I think.

Eh no it ain’t!!!

Assume its meant as the first today.

Scotland tactic

Give the ball to Duhan. Make the french injure themselves trying to tackle him

BigGee wrote:Finnsanity!

Finterception

Surely France must be on a YC warning for too many penalties in the red zone?

EDIT: As typed that, France get the warning.

Great try Scotland, we are not lying down!

Right. Let’s go guys. We can still do this

Bit lucky Hoggs high tackle wasnt picked up given how much ground they were making.

I'm not convinced by this ref having seen his previous matches and the fact he tried to only give a yellow for the head-butt

This ref is giving some very very odd calls

No 7&1/2 wrote:

tigertattie wrote:

bsando wrote:I think that is the first intercept pass ive seen Russell throw. Going to be a humbling day for Scotland I think.

Eh no it ain’t!!!

Assume its meant as the first today.

Name me an international match Russell has thrown an intercept other than today and get back to me

France look great now but Scotland need to keep the scoreline close so they can try and win the fitness battle in the final 20. They're forcing things a bit up against some really strong French pressure

I think 14 v 14 will suit Scotland more ...

How frustrating this is for Scotland. Numerous visits to the French 22, but just one score to show for it.

Saved by the whistle!!

How many times are France going to be allowed to disrupt rucks by being on the wrong side and slowing the play?