Another cool-headed Scots display could conquer French powerhouse

CATCHING up with a few members of the Scotland squad after the win over Ireland, the clear summation of that victory can be put into one word: composure. Scotland sides of yesteryear may have found it draining — both physically and mentally — to recover from Ireland’s second-half comeback, but this current crop have the calmness of mind to not allow what the opposition are doing to perturb them.

That composure is epitomised by Greig Laidlaw. In the final ten minutes of the match against Ireland he was crucial.

When Scotland needed to pin the Irish back and wind down the clock, he told his big forwards where to go, before getting into the right position to win penalties.

He then let the clock wind its way down, ticking by every second, before knocking over two decisive penalties. His dead-eye to hit the ball over the posts will be invaluable today.

Paris can be an intimidating place to go. I never had the fortune of winning there, but this team — with Laidlaw at the helm — has the potential to be the first to conquer Les Bleus in their own backyard since 1999.

This Scotland side has a positive aura about it, and when you see the players in action you notice why.

In every position there is somebody knocking on the door and lying in wait to step in for anyone who falls foul of the high standards set by Vern Cotter and the rest of his coaching staff.

Cast your eye over the progress of Tim Swinson at Glasgow as one example of that. It is only due to the fact that brothers Richie and Jonny Gray push their bodies to extraordinary, at times superhuman limits, that Swinson does not make the starting XV.

In training and in games, Jonny inspires Richie, Richie encourages Jonny — it is good that Scotland can call on their Herculean efforts with the ball in hand, at the line-out and in particular in defence. Their resolve in the defensive line and ability to make an astonishing 58 tackles between them against the Irish was exhausting, but thoroughly rewarding.

Ideally though, when facing the French this weekend, Scotland should look to play wider. The Grays should be attempting to work off Finn Russell, and the back-row triumvirate of Josh Strauss, John Barclay and Hamish Watson will seek to do likewise.

Guy Noves has obviously gone for a pack that he thinks can bully Scotland. Big, bulky, bruising brutes in the tight five and a hard-hitting back-row that will be on to Russell in the blink of an eye.

To lighten the load on Russell, the Scottish forwards need to be offering support in attack, and playing in wider channels so they can attempt to nullify the imposing size of a France pack that lacks French flair, but certainly possesses the ability to strike a coupe de force.

There is one man in particular, who if Scotland are to succeed today, they must find a way of halting. Louis Picamoles is every defender’s worst nightmare and a one-man YouTube reel. A rampaging back-rower, with legs like tree trunks and a thundering fend, he is incredibly difficult to stop.

Any attempt to take him on up high will only be met with a brisk and brutal rebuke in the form of a powerful hand-off.

Try to fell him by attacking his legs and he will slow down before putting up a blockade-like bumper that will leave defenders spreadeagled in his wake.

Challenging him in a one-on-one collision will only see him emerge victorious. Scotland must take him down in pairs and hit him hard in the early stages. A good, clean shot in the opening ten minutes and he may ponder on whether to run the ball so much.

The same applies for Scotland’s front-three— if they can make a solid impact at the first time of packing down and hold their own, then it will provide Laidlaw and Russell with the chance to unleash the terrifying strike runners of Stuart Hogg, Alex Dunbar and Tommy Seymour.

That requires a unity from Allan Dell, Zander Fagerson and Fraser Brown in the front-row. And although they found it difficult against the Irish in the opening 20 minutes, they can take confidence in how they dug deep, stuck to their process and held firm to steady the ship.

The objective for Cotter’s men is simple: play their own game and look to get the ball in to open spaces to tire out this French side. Stretch them wide, and then hit them with the sucker-punch. It is a process which takes time, but with patience and composure it can certainly be achieved.

In every position there is somebody knocking on the door