Camille Lopez ensures Scotland’s wait for victory in France goes on

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/feb/07/france-scotland-six-nations-match-report

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Never in February do France claim to be at their best. Spring is their season and who knows how good they might be on the last Saturday of the Six Nations at Twickenham? Tradition does not allow them to lose at home before then – against Scotland they have not lost in Paris this century – but history shows they can also be a little unimpressive. They did not lose again, but neither did they light up the sky.

In avoiding the terrible pitfall of a loss, France made a statement, of sorts, about bigger and better things to come. And no doubt they are right. But Scotland also made a declaration – of bigger and better things to come. For spirit and adventure – and with the only try of the game – they were the equal of the home team. Just not on the scoreboard.

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As storms go in this age of climactic extremes, what France threw at Scotland wasn’t as flattening as some that have blown over the years. It was nearly a big blast early on, in that the forwards tried to heave a couple of mauls and the backs almost cut through – especially when Wesley Fofana was anywhere near the ball, straightening the line and accelerating – but a reward of three penalties in the first half seemed a little inadequate.

Any real danger came from passes slung more in hope than invention, such as the one from Yoann Huget when he thought he was going to be tackled into touch, a bowl over his head that fell charitably for Rory Kockott. Somehow a slung pass does not seem to imply a pledge to remain faithful to a grander French style. The impression from the first half-hour was that France were living as close to the edge of danger as a breakthrough.

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That was partly because Scotland largely kept their composure and their shape and absorbed the menace of Fofana and Mathieu Bastareaud without buckling. What was more, they were willing to counter with considerable daring. Finn Russell made a couple of half breaks and the more the French back row had to keep an eye on the opposing No10, the more space there was a little wider out for Stuart Hogg.

The full-back had a couple of dazzling runs, the first flatteringly good because he spotted a prop, Rabah Slimani, in front of him and sold a dummy that was easily bought. The ensuing dart did not quite lead to a try, but soon Hogg was in action again, chasing a kick downfield, outstripping everybody tracking back in red.

That didn’t produce a score either, but third time lucky he was involved in Scotland’s try. He combined well with Mark Bennett and was through, but not all the way to the line. From the ruck, Alex Dunbar went even closer. By now the ball, as the saying goes, was screaming to go wide, where Dougie Fife, on for Tommy Seymour, was waiting. The only danger was that the ball had to go through the prop Euan Murray but the tighthead took and gave with aplomb. Greig Laidlaw from the touchline rapped the post with the conversion, meaning Scotland trailed 9-8 at the break.

France seemed to have a half-time chat every bit as arresting as England’s in Cardiff. The forwards had a new edge to their driving, especially when Benjamin Kayser came off the bench. The hooker obviously had not taken kindly to being handed the No16 shirt and set about proving a point.

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An early penalty in the second half extended France’s lead to 12-8 and now the wind was blowing hard, taking the shape of a series of mauls, unleashed from far and near. Despite their rapid advance, France failed to finish the job again. The nearly men.

Even when Johnnie Beattie was sent to the sin-bin for trying to stop the monster illegally, the French pack could not score. The ball had to be given something else to do, and in going wide France nearly – that word again – gifted Tim Visser a runaway try. Instead, the ball evaded his fingertips and fell instead to Huget who, without his marker, set off for the line. He cut inside Hogg but was tackled by Bennett, and the ball slipped from his grasp. Another escape for Scotland, part scramble, part brilliance.

With the deficit still standing at four points Scotland had to score a try. They were forced to run from deep on tiring legs. They surrendered possession rarely but made few inroads. France piled the big men into a breakdown and won a penalty. Lopez stretched the lead to seven points and the crowd managed to launch a Marseillaise. But five penalties barely counted as an expression of France at their fluent best. It was a job done, a start, an upset avoided ... but not an awakening. Nothing stirred in Paris on the home front.

Scotland will growl – again – about being fed up with being plucky losers, but there was more to them than grit. They stood firm in the storm and struck back. Hogg was superb. Compare the defeats suffered by them and by Wales on the opening weekend of the Six Nations and it is Scotland who should be looking forward to the next round more. Next Sunday they face Wales at Murrayfield.

It has a tradition of its own, a romp that sometimes turns into a riot of scoring. If Scotland survive the medical reports – always a big if – they may be in the mood to turn their self-loathing at being good losers into a lust for putting one or two things straight. They are not out of the running yet. In fact, they look full of it.