Bad case of Les Bleus as winning run grinds to halt
Toony’s troops get a reality check
GREGOR TOWNSEND admitted Scotland were handed a reality check as a five-game winning streak hit the buffers to all but end any hope of Autumn Nations Cup glory.
A first-half try by Virimi Vakatawa proved the difference as the Scots coach admitted his side didn’t do enough in attack to get the better of Les Bleus who will book a final spot if they beat Italy next weekend.
There was also revenge for the French after a 28-17 defeat that killed their Grand Slam ambitions in March as Scotland look set for a third-place play-off against Ireland in Dublin.
Five Duncan Weir penalties was all Toony’s side had to show from a closely-fought Murrayfield clash.
They had a chance to snatch a draw at the death after France conceded a penalty. But skipper Stuart Hogg opted to kick to the corner only to send the ball straight out on the French line.
Townsend said: “We know they’ve got great individuals, there were times we would be broken. It’s a reminder that if you switch off for a second a team like France will make you pay.
“We’ll look at what we can ii mmpp r o v e defensively but recognise France are one of the best packs around just now. They showed that today. “It was quite an equal game. One breakthrough put us on the back foot and we just weren’t accurate enough in the last 15-20 minutes to make most of the opportunities that did come round.” France banged over a fourth- minute penalty from the boot of Thomas Ramos. Vakatawa only just failed to get a hand to the bal l as Blair Kinghorn prevented a French score before another Ramos penalty pushed his side six points ahead with 10 minutes on the clock. Weir reduced the deficit with a penalty under the posts then tied the score in the 21s21st minute. Matthieu JailbeJailbert’s drop goal put the French ahead before Weir was accuraaccurate again with another penalty.penalty And Ramos addeda another from the boot to nudge the score to 1212-9. Scotland managemanaged to exert presspressure inside FrenFrench territory and were rerewarded with another Weir penalty before surviving a French surge to leave it all square at the interval.
Within two minutes of the restart France ran in the first try. It was slick, as pace and power carried Vakatawa over. Ramos converted to put daylight between the sides.
The home side responded with Weir’s penalty but Ramos increased the French lead with a penalty on the hour mark to secure a seven-point advantage.
I t wa s now all or nothing for Townsend’s men. Hogg’s kick to touch brought a line-out two metres out but the French defence again stood firm with 10 to go.
The frustration of Scotland’s failure to get points on the board ended with Hogg opting to kick to the corner in the final seconds only to send the ball straight out and with that any chance of a try.
Hogg said: “I made a schoolboy error, it’s as simple that. But we played well for 78 minutes.
“A couple of mistakes didn’t quite go our way and we’re old enough and ugly enough now to realise we’ve made a mistake. I don’t need to be told a million times about it.”