1
France v Scotland: Everything you need to know
Scotland will hope to party like it’s 1999 by recording a rare victory away to France when two of the most-improved teams in the Six Nations clash in Paris on Sunday.
It was the final year of the previous Millennium when Scotland last turned over Les Bleus in their Saint-Denis backyard, en route to winning the concluding edition of the Five Nations.
Since the expansion of the tournament, just two more Scottish victories over their partners in the ‘Auld Alliance’ have followed.
But the recent omens are good – Vern Cotter’s men recorded a landmark triumph over France last year and backed that up with an even more impressive win at home to genuine title contenders Ireland in this year’s curtain raiser.
France, though, should not be discounted. Despite their relative struggles since securing their previous Six Nations crown in 2010, they have displayed glimpses of improvement under head coach Guy Noves, falling just short of halting the England juggernaut last week.
Both teams have made one change apiece, Scotland replacing back-row Ryan Wilson with John Barclay and Damien Chouly making way for Loann Goujon at blindside flanker for France.
HEAD TO HEAD
France: 52
Scotland: 35
Draw: 3
WHAT HAPPENED IN 2016?
Scotland earned a 29-18 win in their last encounter with France, snapping a nine-match losing streak against Les Bleus in the tournament, which had lasted from 2007 to 2015.
Tim Visser scored the decisive try after Duncan Taylor and Stuart Hogg, who supplied the pass for the winner, had earlier crossed at Murrayfield.
That was Scotland’s second victory of the competition, after they also won in Italy, but overcoming France in Paris this weekend will be a tougher task, when Hogg will earn his 50th cap.
KEY PLAYERS
Baptiste Serin (France)
At 22, Serin is considered by many to represent the future of French rugby. Having made his international debut in June, the Bordeaux-Begles player was picked ahead of Maxime Machenaud at scrum-half for the defeat to England and Noves has kept faith in a talent whose emergence was hailed as “very good news” for Les Bleus by Dimitri Yachvili, who starred in the same position from 2002 to 2012.
Finn Russell (Scotland)
Russell, who set up Hogg’s opening try against Ireland, has been passed fit to play after having a head injury assessed and Scotland will look for the star fly-half to reproduce his performances for club side Glasgow Warriors in orchestrating victories over Racing 92, first away and then at home, in the European Champions Cup in December.
THE LINE-UPS
France: Scott Spedding, Noa Nakaitaci, Remi Lamerat, Gael Fickou, Virimi Vakatawa, Camille Lopez, Baptiste Serin; Cyril Baille, Guilhem Guirado (captain), Uini Atonio, Sebastien Vahaamahina, Yoann Maestri, Loann Goujon, Kevin Gourdon, Louis Picamoles.
Scotland: Stuart Hogg, Sean Maitland, Huw Jones, Alex Dunbar, Tommy Seymour, Finn Russell, Greig Laidlaw (captain); Allan Dell, Fraser Brown, Zander Fagerson, Richie Gray, Jonny Gray, John Barclay, Hamish Watson, Josh Strauss.
#XVdeFrance Découvrez votre XV de France pour le match face à l’Ecosse! C’est le 1er match de l’année à domicile! #FRAECO pic.twitter.com/RM7pxK7TQX
— FF Rugby (@FFRugby) February 10, 2017
YOUR @Scotlandteam to face France this Sunday!
Sunday 12 Feb
3pm GMT
Stade de France
BBC
# #SCOvFRA pic.twitter.com/qCOWL1Kugq
— Scottish Rugby (@Scotlandteam) February 10, 2017
COACH COMMENTS
Guy Noves (France): “We will mainly adapt to the Scottish rugby that you have seen evolve for four years A game based on commitment, speed, aggression, with players who have gained confidence in a highly organised collective.”
Vern Cotter (Scotland): “France in Paris is a monumental challenge. They have improved markedly since Guy Noves took charge and will be smarting since their narrow defeat to England at Twickenham last weekend.”
OPTA STATS
– Scotland have never won their opening two games of a Six Nations campaign; they last achieved the feat in the Five Nations in 1996 when they started with victory against Ireland before beating France.
– The last time Scotland won an away fixture in the Six Nations that was not against Italy was in the final round of the 2010 tournament against Ireland, when they bagged a three-point victory.
– France remain undefeated in eight previous home fixtures against Scotland in the Six Nations, though only two of their last six such wins have come by double digits.
ADVERTISEMENT
Comments on RugbyPass
The shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
1 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
8 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
56 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
8 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to comments