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France deny England and clinch Six Nations title in Paris
By PA
Scotland briefly threatened to spoil the party but France ultimately came to the boil and delivered their first Guinness Six Nations title since 2022 for an expectant home crowd at Stade de France.
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France eventually ran out 35-16 winners to shut the door on England, who would have won the championship if there was a rare win in Paris for the Scots.
That scenario looked within the realms of possibility as Gregor Townsend’s men came on strong in the second quarter and they were unfortunate to go in 16-13 behind at the break after a Tom Jordan try was disallowed in the last action of the half.
But Les Bleus, with inspirational captain Antoine Dupont on crutches and watching from the stands after suffering an ACL injury in Dublin last weekend, regained their composure after the break and pulled away to secure only their second title since 2010.
For all the spirit they showed on what was always going to be a challenging night, Scotland were left to reflect on a second consecutive campaign in which they have finished fourth with just two wins from their five matches.
Following a spectacular light show ahead of kick-off and amid a partisan atmosphere, France signalled their intent with a strong start which yielded a penalty which Thomas Ramos kicked between the posts in the fourth minute.
Scotland dug in to stop the fired-up hosts extending their advantage, although their hopes of maintaining a foothold were dented when Jamie Ritchie was sin-binned in the 12th minute for collapsing a maul.
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France made the extra man count in the 18th minute after some brilliant work from Gael Fickou to send Yoram Moefana through for the first try of the night, with Ramos adding the extras.
The tide started to turn midway through the half, however, when French hooker Peato Mauvaka was yellow-carded – contentiously avoiding a red – after appearing to headbutt Ben White. Finn Russell put the resulting penalty away from close range to get the visitors up and running.
At the other end, White pulled off a stunning tackle to deny fellow scrum-half Maxime Lucu after he burst towards the line following a fumble by Russell.
This try-saving intervention seemed to have a galvanising effect on the Scots, who silenced the home support in the 28th minute when Russell put Darcy Graham in to score.
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Further French indiscipline paved the way for Scotland to level things up at 13-13 as Jean-Baptiste Gros was sin-binned due to multiple team offences, and Russell did the damage with the penalty.
Ramos then restored the French lead with another penalty, but it was Scotland who looked to have edged ahead in the last action of the half when Jordan pushed his way over, only for the TMO to inform referee Matthew Carley that Blair Kinghorn’s elbow had gone into touch in the build-up.
France took full advantage of this dynamic-shifting reprieve and made a blistering start to the second half with Louis Bielle-Biarrey bolting over for his eighth try of the championship – a new try-scoring record by one player in a single Six Nations campaign – which Ramos converted.
A Russell penalty brought Scotland back to within a converted score of being level.
Hwever, Ramos bolted over just before the hour – and then added the extras – to put the hosts 14 points clear and firmly in command of their destiny.
Moefana then added his second of the evening, taking the game beyond the Scots and allowing the party to begin well before the end.
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I think we need to call out the red card non-decision here and acknowledge the damage that France, through Galthie, have done to confidence in the officaiting and citing process.
It started when Garry Ringrose had club matches included in his ban following similar precedents for (Atonio, Haouas, Danty) who were all carded/cited in match just before fallow week and club matches counted. Ntamacks citing was in week 1 and harder to demonstrate availability for club match with another International match between. Preceednt ~(O’Mahony 2021) was followed. Reading the written decision for Ntamack shows that Galthie understood this perfectly. Yet after the Ringrose ban included club matches, Galthie publicly goes berserk screaming ‘Injustice (against France”. Again, he knows the precedents for Ringrose are all French and indeed the only person preceding Ntamack to have club matches count in that situation was France’s Willemse.
The media swallowed this up wholesale and the story started circulating and being added to without a single journalist/pundit (except rush Mirror) actually reading the Ntamack decision. Sneaky Ireland had better briefs than honest naive France was one random addition by a pundit which becamse accpeted fact without checking etc and added to the circulation.
Angered by losing his star player Galthie again lashes out. He knows know he can de facto attack individual players, the media won’t intervene and as long as he doesnt directly attack an individual official he will stay out of trouble.
So he attacks players who then het threatened by some lunatic French supporters online. Ireland are ‘Butchers’ apparently. The passive head contact earning Nash a yellow now becomes a double head hit on Barrassi, requiring a double red.
France who have more dangerous tackle citings under Galthie than all other six nations combined. They get more favourable outcomes than all other teams. poor France are now the victims of great injustice. It is farce.
But it paid off.
Mauvaka struck the Scottish Scrum half with a diving head butt in Sundays match. Its a clear red. Scotlands back line attack looked superiors to France’s and Scotland were there or there abouts.
What I can only assume is the chilling affect on Galthie’s public attacks Carley send it to the bunker. A deliberate head butt is a clear red on more than one count. There is no doubt, bo grey area.
If thats a red card do France win the match? I would say that Scotland are likely winners, which would have meant England winning the title.
Spilled milk now, but World Rugby, the citing commisioners and officials cannot allow big Unions to publicly intimidate the officiating process and attack individual players from other teams.
Mauvaka malevolence was clear, appalling decision toxic to the game. Do the rugby gods ever smile on Scotland? Seems not.
They don’t. Scotland have no luck and get the worst end of the stick on almost all occasions: from refereeing decisions to world cup draws and scheduling. This is not a coincidence in my opinion.
People give out about Townsends success. But he has done brilliantly given the amount of headwinds blowing.
Mauvaka’s head butt was deliberate, disgusting, cynical, and unsportsmanlike. He should’ve received a red card.
Meanwhile some unfortunate or even accidental head clashes or high tackles receive red cards, and yet this one receives a lighter punishment. I bet ol’ Welding Glasses Galthie will say nothing about it in interviews cos he’s a huge sooky bubba when his precious players get hurt but has no class on the flipside.
Scotland had their chances but fluffed them. It’s a shame that Kinghorn went out of touch at the end of the first half, that would’ve been one of the best tries in the entire competition had he not, and Scotland would’ve been in with a bigger sniff. Their 2nd half sucked so bad.
Borthwick needs to adopt a 7 - 1 bench split. France have averaged 50 points a game since following Rassie Erasmus’s innovative methods. England are well placed to play the total power game.
The 7-1 actually backfired for France in the Ireland match though- they’d much rather have had a back on the bench instead of Jegou - so it can't be the reason for their good results.
I do like the 7-1, but England actually aret well set up to use it, given the absence of utility players capable of playing scrum half. I guess possibly JVP or Mitchell could play fly-half?
7-1 will be gone by the next 6 Nations I reckon. There is only a short window of opportunity left to use it.
Best team in the NH by some distance atm. Should have had a slam. Congrats France. Great tournament!!
& Peato Mauvaka’s head butt… ??
Wake'y Wake'y officials.
This Peato Mauvaka with so much similar history of overt aggression, pushes off his feet directly aiming at Ben White's head & connects (impact clear in video... unless blind).
While all others get red cards for 'potentially risky INTENT, Mauvaka & this latest incident of his get a yellow card with “there was not a ”high degree of danger“.
Does Mauvaka need a weapon (other than his head) for officials to Wake up??!!
Like that TMO for Sam Cane & ‘that’ RWC final, was another confused South African official ... they should stick to playing. Do South African officials REALLY enjoy French wine when in Paris??
I hear post match official player citation coming.
Wake'y Wake'y officials.
I think the key here is that degree of danger is part of the high tackle protocols not the diving on a player prone on the floor without the ball protocols. This was a straight red until they started thinking about it like a high tackle.
Still cant begrudge France the title by far the best team this tournament
A red for Mauvaka and an Oscar for White ?
There wasn’t a South African official in sight at the 23 WC final. Maybe you should check your facts before making ridiculous statements. It sounds like you know absolutely nothing about rugby if you think one of the teams playing in the final would have any countrymen as a match day officials. Wake’s Wake’y TT.
Stop baiting the Saffa fans. They will have your head on a pike!
Congratulations France!!
Clearly the best this 6N.
Congratulations… also for not choking again.