Things get worse for France as ugly Oscar Jegou incident caught on camera

France’s miserable afternoon at Murrayfield could yet take another turn for the worse after a controversial incident involving Oscar Jegou was caught on camera during their 50-40 Guinness Six Nations defeat to Scotland.

The optics are not great to say the least. Slow-motion footage circulating online appears to show the French back-rower, at best, making blatant contact with the face and eye area of Scotland hooker Ewan Ashman.

The clip has already prompted widespread and scathing criticism of the La Rochelle star and could yet trigger disciplinary action.

If the citing commissioner decides the incident meets the threshold, Jegou could be summoned before a disciplinary committee.

Should he be found guilty of making contact with the eye area of Ashman, the potential consequences are severe and could well end his season.

Offences involving the eyes carry some of the heaviest bans in the sport. Low-end reckless contact can result in suspensions of four to six weeks, while deliberate gouging generally starts at a minimum of 12 weeks and can stretch to 24 weeks or more depending on the severity.

The maximum sanction available for intentional eye gouging is 208 weeks, equivalent to four years.

Even a charge of “contact with the eye area”, which sits below deliberate gouging on the sanction scale, can still result in a significant suspension.

Retired referee Nigel Owens was less than impressed and said as much on the BBC’s coverage of the game: “It definitely should have been looked at. It doesn’t look good, to be honest.

“Looking at that footage, that player is going to be in a bit of trouble. There will be a process in place now to deal with that, but it should have been looked at it in the game, because it is quite clear what the actions were.

“It was a great game of rugby and it didn’t really matter in the context of the game, but on another day, in games where the score is tight, things like this are the ones where you really want the TMO to come in, for the clear and obvious. Even if they look at it and then decide.”

Oscar Jegou dans la tourmente après ce ralenti qui montre une suspicion de fourchette sur le talonneur écossais Ewan Ashman.

Réponse dans les prochaines heures/prochains jours sur une éventuelle convocation devant une commission de discipline. pic.twitter.com/nTF1TseTyw

— Gauthier Baudin (@GauthierBaudin) March 7, 2026

The incident comes at the worst possible moment for France after a chastening defeat that blew the championship race wide open.

Scotland produced one of their greatest performances of the professional era, running in seven tries in a sensational 50-40 win that puts them firmly in contention for a first-ever Six Nations title.

France remain top of the table on points difference ahead of their decisive clash with England in Paris next weekend, while Scotland travel to Dublin knowing a historic title remains within reach.

Whether Jegou will be available for the finale is another matter.