For their first match of the Tournament at the Stade de France, the Blues disposed of Scotland after a long fight on Sunday (32-21).
The defeat in Ireland was digested. Two weeks after their setback in Dublin, the XV of France regained the taste of victory by winning with the offensive bonus against Scotland (32-21), at the Stade de France, Sunday February 26, on behalf of the third day of the Six Nations Tournament. In their garden, in front of their audience, Fabien Galthié’s players hit hard and fast in the first period, marked by the expulsion of Frenchman Mohamed Haouas and Scotsman Grant Gilchrist, before resisting the opposing return after halftime .
The Blues had repeated all week their desire to get up after the Irish slap. They did it, not without difficulty, in a disjointed game, during which they chained the good and the much less good, to finally suffer until the last moments.
An almost perfect start
The blue success, or rather white today, first took shape thanks to an excellent start to the match, where the Tricolores did not allow themselves time to doubt. From the fifth minute, after a succession of one-pass play, Romain Ntamack came to pierce the Scottish line and flatten in the in-goal. They were also helped by the red card against Gilchrist after six short minutes of play for a dangerous tackle on Anthony Jelonch. The fury then seized the Stade de France, which pushed the Blues in numerical superiority to the attack. Galvanized, they went to register the second try by the young Ethan Dumortier, well served by Ntamack, his second in three caps.
Twelve-zero in ten minutes, the Blues seemed well launched, when the match changed again. Mohamed Haouas, whom Scotland definitely did not succeed, also received a red card for a header in a tackle. The Montpellier pillar came out with his head bowed, under the eyes of an Anthony Jelonch, sidelined by a concussion protocol, totally disgusted. Never mind, the Blues kept their heads on their shoulders, and Thomas Ramos offered the third try on a solitary raid after intercepting a pass from Finn Russell at 40 meters.
Two halves, two faces
But while the lights were green, the XV of France found its bad habit of going out in the second period. A poor form which coincided with the awakening of the Scots, who returned from the locker room with much better intentions. The XV du Chardon attacked hard, and scored his second try after a long offensive, and despite a big defense from Dupont (48th), before the whimsical Finn Russell added a third achievement to his counter (68th). Scotland came back to four points, and a great scare crossed the French camp.
The Blues were finally freed by a try from Gaël Fickou, just before the siren, after a final touch in the Scottish camp. A double liberator, since it allowed the XV of France to grab the offensive bonus, and to return to the rankings at the height of their opponent of the day. But also from England, where the Blues will travel on the 4th day, in a shock that promises to be already explosive.