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Scotland brought down to earth in France after horror start

By PA
Stuart Hogg of Scotland looks dejected following the team's defeat in the Six Nations Rugby match between France and Scotland at Stade de France on February 26, 2023 in Paris, France. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

A disastrous opening 20 minutes ultimately proved costly for Scotland as their perfect start to the Guinness Six Nations campaign came to an end with a 32-21 defeat by France in Paris.

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Gregor Townsend’s side were ripped apart early on as the hosts raced into a 19-0 lead through tries from Romain Ntamack, Ethan Dumortier and Thomas Ramos. This frenetic period also included red cards for Scotland’s Grant Gilchrist and France’s Mohamed Haouas.

The Scots played their way back into the match with two tries from Huw Jones and one from Finn Russell, but the hosts killed off their hopes of a famous fightback with a late try from Gael Fickou.

France made the breakthrough in the fifth minute when Ntamack bolted over on the left after being set up by Antoine Dupont who had collected the ball from the back of a ruck. Ramos duly kicked the conversion.

Things got worse for the Scots just two minutes later when – following a TMO review – Gilchrist was shown a red card for appearing to plant his shoulder in the face of Anthony Jelonch. The Frenchman was forced off to be replaced by Francois Cros.

The hosts made the extra man count within seconds when Dumortier was presented with an easy touchdown on the left after good work by Ntamack and Dupont to create the opening. Ramos hit the post with his conversion attempt.

With Scotland in danger of being blown away, flanker Hamish Watson was sacrificed in the 10th minute to make way for replacement lock Jonny Gray to come on and fill the void left by Gilchrist.

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The eventful start to the match continued in the 12th minute when Frenchman Haouas – who was red-carded against the Scots in 2020 – was sent off for flying round the side of a ruck and banging heads with Ben White.

The evening up of the numbers did not halt the hosts, however, and they got their third try of the match in the 19th minute when Ramos seized on a loose pass from Russell inside the Scotland half and the full-back darted clear down the left before touching down behind the posts. The try-scorer then added the conversion himself from close range.

Scotland eventually started to settle into the match and they got their first points on the board in the 26th minute when Jones bounded over after being set up by Russell. The conversion was successfully kicked by Russell.

The French went in at the break with a 15-point advantage after Ramos kicked a penalty in the 36th minute.

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Scotland made further inroads into their deficit three minutes into the second half when Jones forced his way over for his second try of the match after being set up by Sione Tuipulotu. Russell was again on the mark with the conversion.

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Another Ramos penalty in the 56th minute edged France 11 points ahead, but the Scots remained in the ascendancy and they got themselves a third try in the 68th minute when Russell reached over after being played in by replacement Ali Price. The try-scorer kicked the conversion.

The Scots were within four points of what would have been a famous fightback but the French regained their composure in the closing stages, with Fickou scoring a 79th-minute try, converted by Ramos, to put the outcome beyond doubt.

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Jon 8 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 11 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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