Scotland v France

:02:02. > :02:08.No Louis Picamoles today, after he displayed petulance and was dropped.

:02:09. > :02:11.This is how the table looks, as we head into the evening. Ireland are

:02:12. > :02:18.now clear at the top after that win in Dublin. England, Wales and France

:02:19. > :02:26.are all still in contention for the title. France will need a big win if

:02:27. > :02:30.they are to have realistic title prospects. There are coach has made

:02:31. > :02:36.seven changes, three due to injury, and of course, no Louis Picamoles.

:02:37. > :02:40.After the drama of Rome, Scotland have made three changes in the pack.

:02:41. > :02:45.And finally, there is a recall for and Kelly Brown, who had been

:02:46. > :02:50.dropped for the last two games, but ready to make an impact here at

:02:51. > :02:55.Murrayfield today. A dry, mastery and quite sunny Murrayfield at the

:02:56. > :02:59.moment. And of course, the Scottish couple is always a welcoming city.

:03:00. > :03:11.The French really enjoyed it for these Six Nations weekends. Joining

:03:12. > :03:18.me, Sir Ian McGeechan, Andy Nichol and Jonathan Davies. Now, if you

:03:19. > :04:04.read the papers, and here the quotes, France are there for the

:04:05. > :04:08.taking? You look at the Scotland team and it does look better,

:04:09. > :04:13.primarily because Kelly Brown is there. When they look up and they

:04:14. > :04:16.see him there, they will get a boost. I think Kelly Brown will have

:04:17. > :04:21.a big game here this afternoon. And in the opposite buzzing room, less

:04:22. > :04:26.familiar faces, because Picamoles, one of the most influential, one of

:04:27. > :04:30.those guys with statistics which any player would grace any team with, is

:04:31. > :04:34.out, because of his petulance, which you said in your commentary, there

:04:35. > :04:41.is no place for it in the game. Absolutely no place. He was unlucky

:04:42. > :04:46.to get the yellow card, because I was not sure. And as he walks off,

:04:47. > :04:52.he knows the severity of the yellow card, and his response is just not

:04:53. > :04:58.on. We do not want this creeping into the game. There is no place for

:04:59. > :05:03.it in rugby. And off he went. It is the right call. But for Philippe

:05:04. > :05:08.Saint-Andre, it is a very brave call. Because they have got several

:05:09. > :05:19.big players missing. It is a very big call. It is a huge call. When

:05:20. > :05:21.you look at Machenaud coming in, we both probably believe that Morgan

:05:22. > :05:26.Parra is the best number nine, but he got banned because of a

:05:27. > :05:31.head-butt. So, also without Fofana in the midfield, this is the chance

:05:32. > :05:37.for Scotland. That French team can be taken here this afternoon. And

:05:38. > :05:45.they have got a second row who will be playing out of position. The

:05:46. > :05:49.Scottish have got to try and exploit that. Talking about Scotland, in

:05:50. > :05:53.Rome, Richie Gray was for you one of the main reasons Scotland seemed to

:05:54. > :05:58.be firing in the second half particularly, with his influence on

:05:59. > :06:02.the line-out? Yes, he took early line-out ball. It is so clean and so

:06:03. > :06:07.quick, that when he does take it, Scotland can play. And then,

:06:08. > :06:10.Scotland were doubling up well in attack, giving him space on the

:06:11. > :06:15.outside. The fact that he has got to be watched meant that when the ball

:06:16. > :06:21.comes back, the Scotland players are ready to play, and in space. He has

:06:22. > :06:25.been very important leaving Scotland for just a moment, France are

:06:26. > :06:30.technically still in with a shout of the Championship, but they have got

:06:31. > :06:32.their work cut out, especially after their performance against Wales. We

:06:33. > :06:37.caught up with Philip Saint-Andre earlier.

:06:38. > :06:46.What reaction are you hoping for this week? Well, you have direction,

:06:47. > :06:51.we have performed badly against Wales. Wales did well. So we have

:06:52. > :06:55.made changes. We have had a few we know that Scotland is a tough

:06:56. > :06:58.contest. We are looking for the conditions. We hope that the

:06:59. > :07:05.conditions are good. I hope to see a very good game.

:07:06. > :07:10.France have not away fixtures in the Six Nations, apart from coming to

:07:11. > :07:16.Murrayfield. Is that a concern for you? It is a concern. We need to

:07:17. > :07:20.have a bit of discipline. We have to start matches better than we did two

:07:21. > :07:27.weeks ago. We just need to perform our best. We still have a young

:07:28. > :07:32.team, but they are talented guys. We need to play rugby. We need to play

:07:33. > :07:37.a positive game. We need to be clinical. We have not performed

:07:38. > :07:39.before, against Wales. Best of luck.

:07:40. > :07:44.Thank you. France, one win away in three Six

:07:45. > :07:48.Nations campaigns. You could say there is a cultural thing about

:07:49. > :07:53.that. Maybe that the home victory is so important, but that is not a good

:07:54. > :07:57.record, Andrew? It is not. They have this thing in France, it is

:07:58. > :08:02.dishonourable to lose a home game in front of fans. It is difficult to

:08:03. > :08:08.flip the switch in national environments. So maybe that is why

:08:09. > :08:13.there is a poor record, but Scotland have not beaten France since 2006.

:08:14. > :08:18.Now they are coming out to huge reception here, though. Any

:08:19. > :08:23.disappointments from the Calcutta Cup match are forgotten after the

:08:24. > :08:28.drama of Rome. There is a real belief from the squad that they can

:08:29. > :08:32.get something from this game. That they can overturn eight years since

:08:33. > :08:35.they beat France? If they are going to do it, the set piece will have to

:08:36. > :08:40.be good. Richie Gray is crucial and the first

:08:41. > :08:44.20 minutes. If they get France turning, and as Andy said, that

:08:45. > :08:48.middle fly are vulnerable. So if they have not shot a Frenchman yet,

:08:49. > :08:52.we will do it. I think it is a game management. I

:08:53. > :08:56.think both pair of half backs have not stamped their authority on the

:08:57. > :09:00.games yet. Whoever manages the game the better will win with field

:09:01. > :09:04.position, as Ian says. Princess Anne is to make her way

:09:05. > :09:09.down the tunnel in a moment, along with the Presidents of the Scottish

:09:10. > :09:18.Rugby Union and the French Rugby Union.

:09:19. > :09:26.They are coming out now. Making their way on to the pitch to meet

:09:27. > :09:31.the players. The fanfare as always from the pipers as they come out.

:09:32. > :09:38.The fireworks, the canons. It is always a good show here. We have had

:09:39. > :09:46.the Red Hot chilli Pipers on the field as well.

:09:47. > :09:50.There has been reviews saying it was patronising but only as what

:09:51. > :09:54.followed was poor. So it is key for Scotland to put in the performance.

:09:55. > :09:58.Twice in the last few games, Scotland have not scored a point. To

:09:59. > :10:02.remember the occasion, you want to remember the game, not the pre-match

:10:03. > :10:07.entertainment. I think with Kelly Brown, walking up

:10:08. > :10:11.and down the team, you can see the impact of him being there. I think

:10:12. > :10:15.it is so important now, that the big men in the Scottish side do stand up

:10:16. > :10:20.and take responsibility. The reason they were unable to turn it around

:10:21. > :10:27.was the scrum. It was poor to begin with. Moray Low was taken off. He

:10:28. > :10:32.was taken off for Geoff Cross, but what also happened was the line

:10:33. > :10:35.speed and defence then was quicker and more intense. They have to do

:10:36. > :10:40.that again today. I think that Wales was upset because

:10:41. > :10:44.of their line speed against France. I don't know who the recognised

:10:45. > :10:50.French ball carriers are, apart from pick pib pick. He is not playing.

:10:51. > :10:55.We mentioned the away record. There we can see it. How poor France have

:10:56. > :10:59.been -- Louis Picamoles is not playing.

:11:00. > :11:03.But unless they carry the ball forward and go wide but if they do

:11:04. > :11:07.that, Scotland must get the defence right. If they carry the ball and

:11:08. > :11:11.they bring the backs into it, and Bastareaud, they will be very, very

:11:12. > :11:15.dangerous. You are impressed with the Scottish

:11:16. > :11:20.centre pairing, both Ian and in Rome but they are preparing for the

:11:21. > :11:25.future, but Bastareaud, let's not forget, he is the man who four years

:11:26. > :11:30.ago scored two tries here. And two years ago here he was

:11:31. > :11:34.devastating as well. So a real chance for Matt Scott and Alex

:11:35. > :11:39.Dunbar to take a step up the ladder. I have been impressed with the tries

:11:40. > :11:44.that Dunbar got but the shape that they are running, Matt's play

:11:45. > :11:48.playing ability and the play is really strong. The half backs have

:11:49. > :11:52.to get Bastareaud in the game. If he is not in the game because of the

:11:53. > :11:56.pressure inside of him, Scotland will get the ball behind France and

:11:57. > :11:59.the ball behind France and the wingers is a dangerous game, one

:12:00. > :12:03.that Scotland would want to see happening.

:12:04. > :12:09.Kelly Brown introducing the players to Princess Anne. He has gone past

:12:10. > :12:14.Sean Lamont. He is the third most capped Scottish player of all time.

:12:15. > :12:21.He is up on the big screen in the stadium. He is on 86 caps now.

:12:22. > :12:26.It is a great achievement behind Chris patter sop and Scot Murray.

:12:27. > :12:29.There is a key pairing there in Greig Laidlaw and Duncan Weir. He

:12:30. > :12:33.must have a lot of confidence after what happened in the last minute

:12:34. > :12:38.with the drop-goal. I want to see him to grab that game today. To

:12:39. > :12:42.control it. We will see Stuart Hogg come in and be the first second

:12:43. > :12:53.playmaker there. And what Scotland want to see is Stuart Hogg with his

:12:54. > :12:57.hands on the ball. I have been playing with width, which causes

:12:58. > :13:01.problems to the opposition, and they have to do that again, and get that

:13:02. > :13:05.repositioning, which started to come in the second half last week. They

:13:06. > :13:08.have to say, look, when you are in the front foot, get it to the

:13:09. > :13:19.players on the outside, because they looked dangerous. In a moment, there

:13:20. > :13:28.will be recognition of a great and long serving member of Gosforth

:13:29. > :13:32.Rugby club. Sadly, he passed away. So, the life of Ken Johnson being

:13:33. > :13:49.remembered. ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen,

:13:50. > :13:54.boys and girls, Ken Johnson, Ken Johnson passed away whilst preparing

:13:55. > :13:59.to cheer on his country whilst with a group of friends at last month's

:14:00. > :14:03.Calcutta cup match. We are honoured that his wife and son are with us.

:14:04. > :14:09.We ask you to be upstanding and to observe a moment's silence in memory

:14:10. > :14:12.of Ken, and of all in Scotland and France who lost their lives on

:14:13. > :14:16.French soil during the First World War, as we mark the 100th

:14:17. > :14:46.anniversary of the start of that terrible conflict.

:14:47. > :14:50.Thank you very much, ladies gentlemen.

:14:51. > :14:54.Jonathan Davies has made his way up to the commentary box, where he will

:14:55. > :14:58.join Chris Paterson and Andrew Cotter. You will hear their voices

:14:59. > :15:08.shortly, after we have enjoyed the albums. -- anthems.

:15:09. > :15:14.# Allons enfants de la Patrie. # Le jour de gloire est arrive.

:15:15. > :15:28.# Contre nous de la tyrannie. # L'Etendard sanglant est leve.

:15:29. > :15:34.# Entendez-vous dans les campagnes. # Mugir ces feroces soldats.

:15:35. > :15:41.# Ils viennent jusque dans vos bra. # Egorger vos fils, vos compagnes.

:15:42. > :15:50.# Aux armes, citoyens. # Formez vos bataillons.

:15:51. > :15:54.# Marchons, marchons. # Qu'un sang impur.

:15:55. > :16:24.# Abreuve nos sillons! # O Flower of Scotland. # When will

:16:25. > :16:35.we see your like again. # That fought and died for.

:16:36. > :16:40.# Your wee bit hill and glen. # That stood against him.

:16:41. > :16:48.# Proud Edward's army. # And sent him homeward.

:16:49. > :17:00.# Tae think again. # Those days are past now.

:17:01. > :17:06.# And in the past they must remain. # But we can still rise now.

:17:07. > :17:14.# And be the nation again. # That stood against him.

:17:15. > :17:18.# Proud Edward's army. # And sent him homeward.

:17:19. > :17:38.# Tae think again #. That win in Rome will quickly fade

:17:39. > :17:44.in the memory if Scotland do not perform well against this wounded

:17:45. > :17:47.and weakened France. Scotland have their leader back, Kelly Brown

:17:48. > :17:52.returning to captain the side, in a back row where Johnnie Tommaso Allan

:17:53. > :17:55.and David Denton will be wearing a six and number eight today, but

:17:56. > :18:09.effectively, they will be sharing roles. As for the back line, the

:18:10. > :18:13.same men start. That centre partnership is starting to knit

:18:14. > :18:22.together well. Lots of talk about French muscle upfront, but they have

:18:23. > :18:27.a smaller back. Vahaamahina gets a rare outing on the flank, normally a

:18:28. > :18:36.second row. But the backline looks strong, even without Fofana.

:18:37. > :18:42.Machenaud finally gets the nod at scrum-half, and Scotland, Euan

:18:43. > :18:57.Murray back on the bench. And the referee for this one is from

:18:58. > :19:03.New Zealand, Chris Pollock. A great noise inside Murrayfield, and a

:19:04. > :19:12.sizeable chunk of that is from France. This game is so important

:19:13. > :19:15.for both sides. Will there be something more for Scotland to

:19:16. > :19:23.celebrate, or can France find themselves again? France get the

:19:24. > :19:28.game under way. Scotland are in their changed strip. There was some

:19:29. > :19:33.confusion between Richie Gray and David Denton to start. The ball

:19:34. > :19:36.comes back the way of Scotland. As we mentioned beforehand, the first

:19:37. > :19:44.20 minutes is really important to set the tone. The scrum will go to

:19:45. > :19:48.Scotland. JONATHAN DAVIES: That is not what

:19:49. > :19:57.they wanted, really, but they were lucky to get away with it, in the

:19:58. > :20:01.absence of a clean catch. We will see how good the Scottish pack goes,

:20:02. > :20:12.they are the bigger side, but that is not everything. The French crowd

:20:13. > :20:16.are already singing, and this is a big moment, the first scrum on this

:20:17. > :20:41.pitch. A straightforward pop at goal. Can

:20:42. > :20:45.see the pitch churning up already. Not a good sign for Scotland,

:20:46. > :20:49.because set pieces are so important in this match. Yes, Andy Nicol

:20:50. > :20:53.mentioned before the game how important it was. No messing about

:20:54. > :21:02.from the referee, no reset, a straight penalty. The pitch is

:21:03. > :21:09.better than it was against England, but the kicker will have to be

:21:10. > :21:12.careful. This should be an easy kick. It should be, but the wind

:21:13. > :21:25.comes into your face on that angle. Machenaud does well, straight

:21:26. > :21:29.through the posts. If Scotland wanted to keep the visitors quiet in

:21:30. > :21:34.the early stages, they have failed. Chris Pollock, the New Zealand

:21:35. > :21:41.referee, it is all about his interpretation. In the Super XV, the

:21:42. > :21:46.scrummaging is not a big area, they leave the attacking side to have the

:21:47. > :21:47.advantage. It will be slightly different for him in this game, I

:21:48. > :21:53.feel. Kick-off taken by the full-back,

:21:54. > :22:07.Brice Dulin. Again, Denton comes forward and

:22:08. > :22:12.takes the ball as well as his own man. It comes back for Scotland.

:22:13. > :22:21.Johnnie Tommaso Allan macro wearing number six today. Duncan Weir

:22:22. > :22:30.switches it. That goes straight out, so they will come back. Yes, that is

:22:31. > :22:35.not a great kick. Forced upon him, I think. I have been really impressed

:22:36. > :22:38.by how quickly the French got back onto their feet, a big defensive

:22:39. > :22:56.line, and is behind. It is a big test for Brice Mach, the

:22:57. > :23:14.hooker. But Scotland have disrupted it and have stolen it.

:23:15. > :23:22.Richie Gray, taken around the ankles by Brice Mach.

:23:23. > :23:34.That bounces over the head of Brice Dulin. He finds Sean Lamont. But he

:23:35. > :23:46.was well met by Dulin. Ryan Grant, the loosehead prop,

:23:47. > :23:55.carries it. Stuart Hogg in the fly half position. Scott off-loads well

:23:56. > :24:02.to his centre partner Dunbar, who almost gets away. Some bright signs

:24:03. > :24:06.from Scotland. Yes, the line speed is very good from France. There has

:24:07. > :24:12.to be a bit of variety from the French. If they are going to be

:24:13. > :24:21.quick up in defence, they have to put the ball behind them come and

:24:22. > :24:26.make them think. We are struggling with the referee's microphone at the

:24:27. > :24:32.moment. We understand that it has not been switched on at his end.

:24:33. > :24:38.Most of the noise around Murrayfield at the moment is French. There were

:24:39. > :24:43.thousands wandering around Edinburgh this morning. There were, and it was

:24:44. > :24:51.the same in Cardiff. The game is growing in France. It is really on a

:24:52. > :25:02.high. Last night at the under-20 game in Scotland, there was a huge

:25:03. > :25:07.support as well. I see that England under-20s beat Wales 67 Hysen seven.

:25:08. > :25:15.JONATHAN DAVIES: I did not see that! Are worrying result for Wales!

:25:16. > :25:25.Machenaud gets it away, under a lot of pressure. The kick is charged

:25:26. > :25:32.down. It comes to Vahaamahina, who usually plays in the second row.

:25:33. > :25:34.France have a penalty. I think they have to pressurise the young

:25:35. > :25:40.stand-off. He has not had the most confident of starts in the Six

:25:41. > :25:44.Nations. He has not got a great platform, he has had a lot of bad

:25:45. > :25:54.ball coming back to him. He has got another scrum-half again today. So

:25:55. > :26:04.just put pressure on him. Machenaud did very well there. That was a

:26:05. > :26:09.great ball. So, a French line-out. This is the line-out success for

:26:10. > :26:22.France in the Six Nations sofar... That was whiskey, but it worked.

:26:23. > :26:28.Both sides have so much to play for. So much to lose. That will spur them

:26:29. > :26:31.on. There is Medard.

:26:32. > :27:11.He gets it away. The ball is out. Scotland are upon

:27:12. > :27:17.it and Richie Gray points the way. One of France's great doubtfuls is

:27:18. > :27:23.the amount of turnover ball that they have conceded, but what can the

:27:24. > :27:27.opposition do with it. Greig Laidlaw sees a position. It

:27:28. > :27:36.bounces for Maxime Medard. He does well and gets his kick away.

:27:37. > :27:42.Not much of an angle. He has done well. Taken quickly by Stuart Hogg.

:27:43. > :27:58.Quite a pace to the game already. Johnny Beattie, he and Richie Gray

:27:59. > :27:59.of course playing their rugby in France.

:28:00. > :28:14.Ryan Grant gets it away well. France now, a space in front. Jules

:28:15. > :28:21.Plisson has support outside. It is dangerous! He looks inside.

:28:22. > :28:27.Wonderful stuff. Taken down by Denton and Weir. Scotland are

:28:28. > :28:36.scrabbling back now! Machenaud now. Only for France to Bastareaud.

:28:37. > :28:44.Almost through. There are options either side. Maestri cannot get it

:28:45. > :28:51.away it is a scrum to France. A little knock-on there from Scotland.

:28:52. > :28:57.They will greatly receive that. But what a break this what was.

:28:58. > :29:02.Look, a couple of passes. Departmenton, they hold the line and

:29:03. > :29:06.take the ball. They take the defenders out, they did well. This

:29:07. > :29:19.is good support. It's a great tackle. Weir, a try-saving tackle.

:29:20. > :29:29.It gives an indication of how sharp they are here in this situation,

:29:30. > :29:37.France. Seconds behind Brown.

:29:38. > :29:41.The referee, giving a word to Kelly Brown.

:29:42. > :29:46.A clear infringement there. He had advice from the assistant referee,

:29:47. > :29:50.but Scotland were lucky there. That should have been a yellow card. It

:29:51. > :29:55.was a dangerous position. Try-scoring. Maybe they did not get

:29:56. > :30:02.his number but they have to be careful on that. They have to be

:30:03. > :30:07.careful on turnovers. That kick does not trouble

:30:08. > :30:13.Machenaud. Ten minutes gone and 6-0. France lead.

:30:14. > :30:15.It could have been a try. It could have been a man in the bin

:30:16. > :30:26.for Scotland. Exactly the start that the French

:30:27. > :30:34.would have wanted. They have taken a lot of criticism over the past two

:30:35. > :30:39.weeks. France, 6-0 up, that is what they were looking for.

:30:40. > :30:40.Weir is starting and up goes the captain, Pascal Pape with a little

:30:41. > :30:55.help. Machenaud has charged down. Who has

:30:56. > :31:06.it now? Scotland inside the French 22.

:31:07. > :31:16.Duncan Weir gives it to Hogg. Kelly Brown give it is to Laidlaw and on

:31:17. > :31:38.to Johnny Beattie. Scotland are making some ground but

:31:39. > :31:44.the French set themselves with the defence again. Scotland has a

:31:45. > :31:49.chance. Sean Lamont is there. Stuart Hogg is celebrating wildly, as if he

:31:50. > :31:55.knows he has got that, but the French defenders were certain too,

:31:56. > :31:58.that they got on the ball. We shall see.

:31:59. > :32:09.By the players' reaction, it indicates strongly if that is a try

:32:10. > :32:27.or not. Hogg thinks that is a try. It was finger-wag wagging there. So

:32:28. > :32:32.technical instruction there is to the referee. I think this is

:32:33. > :32:39.well-played for Scotland. They had the penalty. To just not give it

:32:40. > :32:45.away or try a drop-goal, they said let's just go for the up and under

:32:46. > :32:55.and go for the try. It was a great, great tactic.

:32:56. > :33:07.That was Hogg. Does Huget get it down first? A

:33:08. > :33:16.great option by Hogg. Did Huget get his finger tips to

:33:17. > :33:24.that first? I don't think it is a knock-on.

:33:25. > :33:28.Thats will not show it at all. This will show it.

:33:29. > :33:35.Does Huget get his hands on the ball. Let's have a look... I think

:33:36. > :33:38.maybe his finger tips to that. I would say his left finger nail on

:33:39. > :33:49.that one. It is a massive call. A massive

:33:50. > :33:58.call. The try will be given.

:33:59. > :34:03.Listen for the roar. Stuart Hogg, once again! Such a

:34:04. > :34:21.dangerous player for Scotland. And he has a try. It was his kick and

:34:22. > :34:27.then it was his touch .

:34:28. > :34:37.And all of the finger wagging in the world did not save Huget. The try

:34:38. > :34:38.was given. The conversion landed by Greig Laidlaw. Scotland are leading

:34:39. > :34:54.here at Murrayfield. It did look a bleak start to the

:34:55. > :35:00.game for Scotland, but 13 minutes gone and they are in front. Denton

:35:01. > :35:23.was flying but loses it forward. It is picked up by Lapandry.

:35:24. > :35:29.Scotland are up against it now. Pascal Pape, the captain out to

:35:30. > :35:34.Kelly Brown, the Scottish skipper. Machenaud points the way to the

:35:35. > :35:45.forwards. There is Yoann Maestri, and

:35:46. > :35:57.Machenaud. Out wide and held well. Machenaud was in. Machenaud trying

:35:58. > :36:02.to break that ball free. If they had wanted to build up a

:36:03. > :36:04.good gallop, Scotland at the moment is keeping France at bay. Maestri

:36:05. > :36:21.gives it on. Machenaud does not get the options

:36:22. > :36:40.but gets the penalty. It is quickly taken.

:36:41. > :36:45.Calm down, says the referee. This is the ball, it should have

:36:46. > :36:51.gone to 15 here. Jim Hamilton in front of him. He was in. That is the

:36:52. > :36:54.mist pass again. The dreaded mist pass. Just give it to the man on the

:36:55. > :37:00.outside. It is a bit of a worriy with Johnny

:37:01. > :37:05.Beattie down. It does not look too good. It might be the end of things

:37:06. > :37:09.for Johnny Beattie. That is a big loss in the back row.

:37:10. > :37:14.That is a significant stat there. Four penalties. The one pleasing

:37:15. > :37:18.aspect for Scotland will be the penetration of the French ball

:37:19. > :37:22.carriers. They haven't gone forward. That's been their problem throughout

:37:23. > :37:26.the tournament. They haven't carried the ball. I don't know who their

:37:27. > :37:30.ball carriers are. Then they are going wide, it make it is easier for

:37:31. > :37:35.the Scottish defence to soak it up. You have to go forward first. They

:37:36. > :37:38.are not making the hardy Rs against the Scottish defence. That is

:37:39. > :37:47.pleasing for the Scottish management.

:37:48. > :38:00.Machenaud has to concentrate. And Scotland's lead did not last long,

:38:01. > :38:04.France is in front again. And almost more worrying than the

:38:05. > :38:08.three points from Scotland's point of view, is the loss of Johnny

:38:09. > :38:16.Beattie. The man replacing him had

:38:17. > :38:19.tonsillitis. Ryan Wilson is coming on. Johnny Beattie will be taken

:38:20. > :38:24.off. He is a big ball carrier for

:38:25. > :38:32.Scotland. And he plays in France as well. So he knows the French

:38:33. > :38:42.opponents. That can help. We have seen Jim Hamilton bringing

:38:43. > :38:48.that experience to the game. This is it, we rarely play against

:38:49. > :38:55.the French at international level, but now they play at the Heineken

:38:56. > :38:59.Cup and they know what is expected of them.

:39:00. > :39:03.Beattie is still waiting on the stretcher.

:39:04. > :39:09.We have to wait for him to be carted off, sadly. His father is here.

:39:10. > :39:29.John Beattie Senior. He was on the bench 30 years ago

:39:30. > :39:33.when they beat France. And there is JKRowling, not part of the squad but

:39:34. > :39:42.has had great success in other fields! So, Johnny Beattie is off.

:39:43. > :39:49.We suspect that his championship, if this is as serious as it looks, his

:39:50. > :39:53.ankle, his foot, there could be problems there.

:39:54. > :40:05.Now, France with the lead. Milly Dowler with the hoof. Denton

:40:06. > :40:15.is waiting. -- Doulan with the hoof.

:40:16. > :40:24.France with the penalty again. He did call that.

:40:25. > :40:30.Kelly Brown was off side. Scotland are letting France get too

:40:31. > :40:50.easily back into their half. A change of law from a couple of

:40:51. > :40:56.seasons ago, you cannot let the ball be kicked from behind. You have to

:40:57. > :41:02.go forward. It is against your instincts any way.

:41:03. > :41:11.Absolutely. And where will we go with this one? It is not straight,

:41:12. > :41:22.says Chris Pollock. Fair enough, says Pascal Pape.

:41:23. > :41:28.Clearly not straight. The wind has dropped a little bit but it is

:41:29. > :41:52.blustery. So how will this scrum go?

:41:53. > :42:04.France beginning to get the squeeze on, but it was picked up by Denton.

:42:05. > :42:18.Wrestling with Vahaamahina. JONATHAN DAVIES: He did very well

:42:19. > :42:23.there, Denton. CHRIS PATERSON: You feel he has got

:42:24. > :42:26.a point to prove as well, Dave Denton, having been dropped to the

:42:27. > :42:42.bench for the Italian game. ANDREW COTTER: Tomorrow's game is

:42:43. > :42:45.one to look forward to as well at Twickenham, England against Wales.

:42:46. > :42:49.That will be here on BBC One as well. Half past two. And Butland's

:42:50. > :43:10.line-out fails. France have it. And from that passage of play, it is

:43:11. > :43:14.now French ball in just about the same position. They have got to cut

:43:15. > :43:19.the errors out. 20 minutes gone, six penalties conceded. They have had a

:43:20. > :43:24.few handling errors. And then, if the line-out goes as well, it is

:43:25. > :43:29.very difficult to get that momentum. I think if they can get good field

:43:30. > :43:33.position and put the French under pressure, confidence is very low in

:43:34. > :43:39.the French side. Hamilton gets it back, but it was ball which Kelly

:43:40. > :43:48.Brown had to tidy up, and he did well. Penalty to Scotland. Scotland

:43:49. > :43:52.gave away most of the early penalties, but France are beginning

:43:53. > :44:06.to infringe. On both sides, they are just not releasing in the tackle.

:44:07. > :44:10.I like that law, I think it does encourage the tackle to move away

:44:11. > :44:33.from the ball, so the pace of the game can be quicker.

:44:34. > :44:54.Denton again clashing into the French defence.

:44:55. > :45:06.Scotland are beginning to make a little bit of ground. Tommy Seymour!

:45:07. > :45:13.Wonderful hands, wonderful pass, glorious try for Tommy Seymour. That

:45:14. > :45:27.is a very well worked enemy. Superb play, inside pass, something they

:45:28. > :45:33.will have worked on in training. It comes back inside, and look at the

:45:34. > :45:41.finish from Tommy Seymour. That is a great finish. Again, I think there

:45:42. > :45:45.was a block on Plisson, I would like to see that again. It is a part of

:45:46. > :45:53.the game, but I think that should have gone to the third official. It

:45:54. > :45:54.takes us back to the Italian game. Scotland had one going against them

:45:55. > :46:11.in that game. And the conversion from Laidlaw as

:46:12. > :46:19.well. Two tries to Scotland, and they lead 14-9. Let's just see this

:46:20. > :46:26.now, keep your eye on the dummy runner. Stop it there. That was

:46:27. > :46:31.where Plisson would have been. That is a block, and a penalty for

:46:32. > :46:41.France. But you play to the referee, and you are given the try. Well

:46:42. > :46:44.spotted, in real-time. How will France respond to this? It is a

:46:45. > :46:59.lively old game. Stuart Hogg, he always gets good

:47:00. > :47:01.distance. Maxime Medard. He looks a little bit unsure of his footing on

:47:02. > :47:30.this surface. Plisson gives it a straight to Tommy

:47:31. > :47:34.Seymour. But Tommy Seymour, after the wonders of his try, does

:47:35. > :47:39.something less impressive. Let's get the thoughts of Ian McGeechan. It is

:47:40. > :47:45.interesting at the moment watching the referee. A New Zealander, he is

:47:46. > :47:50.not wanting the scrums to be messing around. He penalised Scotland in the

:47:51. > :47:56.first one. At the breakdown, he is looking for clear ball, and a mentor

:47:57. > :48:00.in which an attacking side needs. It is quite interesting looking at his

:48:01. > :48:08.interpretation of play, particularly at the breakdown. -- the momentum.

:48:09. > :48:13.A little bit uncertain, that did not look straight, and the referee has

:48:14. > :48:22.spotted it. That is twice they have gone short to Pape. Well, they had

:48:23. > :48:26.been going to the back, but with Jim Hamilton there, they have gone

:48:27. > :48:33.short. Just watch this blog. Number 13, he bangs Plisson out of the way.

:48:34. > :48:40.It is a great finish. It is a good finish, but he did do well. Plisson,

:48:41. > :48:44.what he should have done, is filling his arms in the air, to make sure

:48:45. > :48:53.the referee has seen it. Yes, gone for the Oscar. Exactly!

:48:54. > :49:02.JONATHAN DAVIES: This early in the game, I just feel, if Scotland cut

:49:03. > :49:07.out the mistakes, and have confidence in their defence, I

:49:08. > :49:13.cannot see any ball runners creating any problems for their defensive

:49:14. > :49:17.line. So, if they can just build on that and get the defence, and get a

:49:18. > :49:28.good kicking game going, they should win this game, because France have

:49:29. > :49:34.got no ball runners at all. Another unsatisfactory scrum. This is the

:49:35. > :49:37.last match on this pitch. It is becoming a hybrid over the summer,

:49:38. > :49:51.actually quite soon, they are relaying it. One thing that tries

:49:52. > :49:55.showed as well was that the centre partnership for Scotland is now

:49:56. > :50:02.showing something. Yes, Matt Scott played a lot of his rugby at

:50:03. > :50:05.stand-off as a youngster. For Duncan Weir to deliver the past, and Matt

:50:06. > :50:14.Scott to take and give so quickly under pressure, it was a lovely

:50:15. > :50:26.score. Great hands. The front rows have had their talking to.

:50:27. > :50:34.REFEREE: Come on, fellas. The referee echoing the thoughts of

:50:35. > :50:40.everyone in here. But then again, if you are going to have the upper hand

:50:41. > :50:50.in the scrum, especially Domingo, they are going to play at it. He

:50:51. > :50:51.seems to be staying solo that Geoff Cross cannot get to the same height

:50:52. > :51:08.as him. At is better, and Scotland get it

:51:09. > :51:25.away. Matt Scott laying it back. The kick from Laidlaw, for Seymour. The

:51:26. > :51:32.French getaway to do land. Plisson, straight to Denton. He has had three

:51:33. > :51:40.nothing kicks now, Plisson. He is unsure what he wants to do. A huge

:51:41. > :51:46.thump from Stuart Hogg. Scotland have made a net game of some yards

:51:47. > :51:51.there. Yes, Plisson early on, he orchestrated the French, and someone

:51:52. > :52:00.in his team has said, put your boot on it. What is Bastareud doing in

:52:01. > :52:12.the team if he is not going to carry the ball? He really relaunched his

:52:13. > :52:14.career a few years ago, when he scored a couple of tries. He can be

:52:15. > :52:26.a very potent weapon. Lawson has really taken his chance

:52:27. > :52:41.back in the side. Matt Scott, Duncan Weir, wide it

:52:42. > :52:49.goes. Sean Lamont has to check. Penalty this time to France. Yes,

:52:50. > :52:56.Bastareud had his hands on the ball. They had to clear him out. Yes, we

:52:57. > :53:00.saw Matt Scott coming to first receiver, and then got tackled, so

:53:01. > :53:07.they lost a centre for the second phase, and that was crucial. The

:53:08. > :53:19.support was too slow to clear out Bastareud, who won the penalty.

:53:20. > :53:33.Max Evans is coming onto the wing, with Sean Lamont going off. A very

:53:34. > :53:39.different type of player. Scotland have lost a little bit of power in

:53:40. > :53:44.Lamont. Max Evans plays his rugby in France.

:53:45. > :54:00.Huget does well. He likes to counterattack, Dulin, doesn't he?

:54:01. > :54:05.Bastareud off-loads nicely. Trying to get over that one was Dunbar.

:54:06. > :54:12.Good take by Nicolas Mas. And good strength.

:54:13. > :54:44.Huget, tremendous skills he has. He off-loads to Chouly. Plisson once

:54:45. > :54:54.more. That was a big hit. France come down the crowded blindside.

:54:55. > :54:58.Brice Mach, tackled by Richie Gray. Penalty to France again. Scotland

:54:59. > :55:06.not releasing in the tackle. He is consistent, very consistent. Big

:55:07. > :55:12.workload from the French side, carrying the ball, not gaining a

:55:13. > :55:20.huge amount of yardage. Plisson, the two previous kicks I think stopped

:55:21. > :55:24.him kicking on that occasion. REFEREE: Number one, not releasing.

:55:25. > :55:31.Yes, you have to release once you have made the tackle.

:55:32. > :55:48.France, not looking great on the line-out, and looking a bit shabby

:55:49. > :55:56.again. So, Scotland have the chance to counter.

:55:57. > :56:06.Stuart Hogg once again in the fly half position. And Scotland creep

:56:07. > :56:10.back into the French half. Good kick from Stuart Hall, coming into first

:56:11. > :56:15.receiver, as Duncan Weir had to go in and clear out the ball. It shows

:56:16. > :56:19.his talent and his versatility, coming in there, and getting a good

:56:20. > :56:25.kick away. This was the line-out again. It is very difficult, if you

:56:26. > :56:31.cannot hit your front jumper when no one is jumping against you, you have

:56:32. > :56:36.got problems. They are missing Benjamin Kayser and Dimitri

:56:37. > :56:46.Szarzewski, both injured. And that one was a bit of a mess as well.

:56:47. > :56:52.France suffering problems that Scotland had in the first half of

:56:53. > :57:02.the game. Duncan Weir give it is on to Ryan

:57:03. > :57:20.Wilson. Dulin has it, he is taken down by

:57:21. > :57:26.Evans. Machenaud is under pressure. France do well.

:57:27. > :57:36.It is a very good counter drive. But well, Scotland will have the

:57:37. > :57:41.scrum! The one fascinating thing about Scotland that is clear

:57:42. > :57:46.dominating is the kicking game. For the French kicking game, the chase

:57:47. > :57:52.is poor. This is the kick that Laidlaw put in once again. Put the

:57:53. > :57:58.French under pressure. Their kicking game and their chase is far better

:57:59. > :58:06.than the French, Scotland. Yes, Laidlaw, that came off his left

:58:07. > :58:10.foot. He noticed that the French right-winger was up. He was looking

:58:11. > :58:14.for an opportunity to either tackle the French or to hold them up and

:58:15. > :58:19.get the turn over. So well played. It now gives an opportunity for

:58:20. > :58:29.Scotland to build a few phases. They are still giving plenty of

:58:30. > :58:38.instructions, Greig Laidlaw. I wonder if he is under burdened by

:58:39. > :58:42.Kelly Brown taking over the captaincy.

:58:43. > :58:47.Well, these two are certainly helping Scotland this afternoon.

:58:48. > :58:53.There is a red button forum to discuss all sorts of things after

:58:54. > :59:00.this game and looking ahead to tonight.

:59:01. > :59:06.And talk about Ireland, they have a huge position in the points

:59:07. > :59:12.situation now. And Scotland with a great game. Going for a heave.

:59:13. > :59:32.Succeeding with a drive. Denton picks, Laidlaw has.

:59:33. > :59:39.Wilson makes more ground. Scotland by muscle and strength and drive are

:59:40. > :59:44.trying to get up to the five-metre line. .

:59:45. > :59:50.A brilliant turn over. Watch how he waits here. A massive turn over. And

:59:51. > :59:54.the clearing kick from Machenaud does not quite find the touch.

:59:55. > :00:00.Hoggard with a drop-goal attempt. It is not going to make it.

:00:01. > :00:07.And Bastareaud, what an effort that was in defence from the giant centre

:00:08. > :00:15.and Brice Dulin, giving it away. Great rugby by France! What a shame.

:00:16. > :00:21.Scotland will have the scrum. I tell you, great play by Dulin.

:00:22. > :00:26.The chase wasn't good from the drop-kick.

:00:27. > :00:30.And then he goes for that. I tell you what, I thought Scotland were

:00:31. > :00:35.wrong there. The scrum was very, very strong. Denton was going

:00:36. > :00:41.forward. They should have milked the penalty. He waits, he goes in, he

:00:42. > :00:46.swoops, he gets the ball, a massive turn over. That is an all or

:00:47. > :00:52.nothing, isn't it? He has come out of position. Then Stuart Hogg has

:00:53. > :00:56.missed the drop-goal. He sees the space here. It ends in a knock-on

:00:57. > :01:00.but a fantastic endeavour from the French.

:01:01. > :01:05.They are five points ahead now. They should have held that ball in the

:01:06. > :01:10.scrum. They got the penalty. Maybe could have gone in with another

:01:11. > :01:19.three points ahead. It was a strong scrum. Driving forward, Geoff Cross

:01:20. > :01:22.was putting pressure on Domingo. Greig Laidlaw should have just

:01:23. > :01:28.slapped him on the back to say keep it in and go for the three points.

:01:29. > :01:40.This is Scotland's scrum again but back on the halfway line.

:01:41. > :01:46.Geoff Cross popping up there with a penalty to France. So a couple of

:01:47. > :01:50.scrums there. They are very different. France may have a chance

:01:51. > :01:52.to get their way up the field and forge a scoring opportunity before

:01:53. > :01:57.half-time. Well they need something. They are

:01:58. > :02:01.rudderless at the moment. I just can't see who is managing the game

:02:02. > :02:07.for them. Who is controlling the game? Jules Plisson is too deep. He

:02:08. > :02:16.is kicking badly. There is no go forward and this is the penalty.

:02:17. > :02:23.He is not driving straight there, is he? Domingo is coming in. He should

:02:24. > :02:27.be pushing in. The shoulders going forward and driving on, but the

:02:28. > :02:29.French crowd are trying to get behind their team to lift them

:02:30. > :02:41.before half-time. A minute-and-a-half of this first

:02:42. > :02:42.half is remaining. Improvised clearing out there.

:02:43. > :03:04.France have the penalty. There is a permanent look of

:03:05. > :03:09.bafflement. He is one of those players on the edge of the laws as a

:03:10. > :03:27.lot of good forwards have to be. It is going to be a proper goal. Is big

:03:28. > :03:31.decision in itself. He doesn't have to move but he can't

:03:32. > :03:36.go back on to the ball. OK. I don't think Kelly Brown

:03:37. > :03:40.understood any of that. Neither did any of us here.

:03:41. > :03:47.Well, 30 seconds to go. It will be a proper goal to finish this half.

:03:48. > :03:48.It is not an easy one on that angle. Machenaud has been pretty tidy so

:03:49. > :04:08.far. And it ends in a miss missed kick

:04:09. > :04:15.for France. He may have time to re-start here, but no.

:04:16. > :04:20.There are a few seconds remaining, says Chris Pollock, but no.

:04:21. > :04:25.So, just penalties for France. Two tries for Scotland.

:04:26. > :04:29.Scotland are the better side. They look far more dangerous. If they

:04:30. > :04:35.play in the right areas, get the defence right, they should go on to

:04:36. > :04:46.win this game. Two drives to nil. Scotland are 14-9 up at the break.

:04:47. > :04:53.Well after all of the fireworks and the anthems and the celebrations,

:04:54. > :04:58.mistakes dominated the first six or seven minutes of the match. A bit

:04:59. > :05:02.scrappy to start with. The French going ahead with the boot. Although

:05:03. > :05:07.the boot has not always been their best friend, but then Stuart Hogg

:05:08. > :05:13.got Scotland's first try. A second came through Tommy Seymour. Two

:05:14. > :05:17.tries-and-a-half for Scotland. They have not scored a try in the last

:05:18. > :05:23.three Six Nations home games until today. So an improved Scotland home

:05:24. > :05:27.performance for sure. 14-9 leading the French and the French line now

:05:28. > :05:33.has been stolen many times by the Scots. Scotland conceding more

:05:34. > :05:37.penalties than France. That is worrying. The difference at the

:05:38. > :05:42.moment it is only five points. It felt like Scotland should have put

:05:43. > :05:46.their noses ahead even more on the first half. Do you agree? Like

:05:47. > :05:53.Scotland has a bit more of the game than a 9 scoreline? Yes, a bit more

:05:54. > :05:58.than that. France are still in the game. It is dangerous for Scotland

:05:59. > :06:02.that they have not been able to capitalise, but an encouraging 40

:06:03. > :06:06.minutes. They have done well. They have scored two tries.

:06:07. > :06:09.And for the first six or seven minutes, there was French pressure

:06:10. > :06:14.but the mistakes were scrappy. Not the ideal start? It was the errors

:06:15. > :06:18.giving France the opportunities. That got them the first six points

:06:19. > :06:23.on the board. Once they settle down a little bit, they got the carries

:06:24. > :06:30.going. The back row have been carrying well. They have stolen six.

:06:31. > :06:35.And the turn over ball is huge. These are four Scotland forwards,

:06:36. > :06:39.who are having to defend the whole French back play. Alex Dunbar is

:06:40. > :06:43.coming in here. He is highlighted. He controls this well. You give him

:06:44. > :06:49.the outside, then he makes a poor tackle. He should make that poor

:06:50. > :06:53.tackle. Then a great covering tackle from Duncan Weir and Dave Denton,

:06:54. > :07:00.but then this followed a few minutes later. This is when France were on

:07:01. > :07:04.the front foot. Scotland's scramble defence was really, really good.

:07:05. > :07:08.Showing commitment and effort to get across. They kept the line in tact.

:07:09. > :07:12.That was hugely important at the start of the game.

:07:13. > :07:17.The Stuart Hogg try, that was a great piece of thinking and action

:07:18. > :07:21.to see from him. It came from the gap, from the chargedown from

:07:22. > :07:27.Machenaud? It was good pressure on the half backs, but they had gotten

:07:28. > :07:32.the penalty. So here, a good turnover ball. The penalty is

:07:33. > :07:38.coming. This is a kick for nothing. A great decision. A big dead ball

:07:39. > :07:44.areas, they don't get control of it and howing howing -- -- Stuart Hogg

:07:45. > :07:49.follows up with a kick. Watch here, Huget tries twice but he

:07:50. > :07:53.never got the pressure. His reaction was great. As a player

:07:54. > :08:00.if it happens to you, you would react if you scored a try. He was

:08:01. > :08:05.convinced, no doubt in his mind? Oh, yes. He knew there would be no

:08:06. > :08:09.downward pressure. He was going for the try. It was very good rugby on

:08:10. > :08:12.the turnover ball. It gave a confidence to Scotland really to

:08:13. > :08:16.settle their game a bit. Which they did.

:08:17. > :08:21.And he, as a player, we talked about in Rome, when Scotland are playing

:08:22. > :08:26.well, he is a confident player, a fair player, want him to have the

:08:27. > :08:30.freedom to make that decision? And he has it.

:08:31. > :08:36.He is coming in to be the first playmaker. He played ten in the

:08:37. > :08:48.Lions in the last summer. He clearly has the anlt -- has the ability.

:08:49. > :08:53.This how he should be used. People think he should be a ten, but I

:08:54. > :08:56.think this is the best of him as a full back.

:08:57. > :09:02.There was a moment of doubt it should have gone to TMO? Watch this

:09:03. > :09:07.clearly. Alex Dunbar comes in. He knocks out Plisson. That creates the

:09:08. > :09:13.gap for Tommy. If he has knocked him, there is no way that Seymour

:09:14. > :09:17.would have gone for the ball. Plisson, any other player, would

:09:18. > :09:21.have thrown his hands up in the air and demanded that the referee take

:09:22. > :09:27.notice of it. He then could have gone up to the TMO. That is allowed

:09:28. > :09:32.to do happen these days. Plisson does nothing. That is naive. You

:09:33. > :09:36.throw your hands up in the air and exaggerate what has happened. It is

:09:37. > :09:41.an experience. I think he was not thinking after that. He knew he was

:09:42. > :09:46.in the wrong place. He could not react. He made no reaction. It did

:09:47. > :09:50.not highlight it for the referee, so the referee was not coming back to

:09:51. > :09:54.the TMO. France is struggling. There is

:09:55. > :10:02.little to say that is going right for them. Scotland's line-up was in

:10:03. > :10:08.a similar predicament until Richie Gray came back.

:10:09. > :10:12.Scotland here, look at France, Scotland are competing and Richie

:10:13. > :10:16.Gray is getting up on Jim Hamilton there but some of the throwing in

:10:17. > :10:20.has not been as good. When you don't have the line up, you don't have

:10:21. > :10:24.control of the field position. They are kicking poorly. It compounds

:10:25. > :10:28.itself. When you don't have a platform, you lose your shape. You

:10:29. > :10:35.can see the French tactics change. Obviously they were not getting the

:10:36. > :10:40.line-out ball. Plisson kicks poorly from the half-way line. They could

:10:41. > :10:44.have kept it in hand. After that, they go back to possession of their

:10:45. > :10:48.own, they keep it in the hand. They are rying to keep the ball in play

:10:49. > :10:54.now, rather than to kick it out and to give them that problem.

:10:55. > :10:58.Certainly, they are dangerous on the counterattack, but it shows that

:10:59. > :11:02.tactically, they are not clear about how they are wanting to put their

:11:03. > :11:06.game together. Scotland, really, they should be keeping the pressure

:11:07. > :11:10.on. If you are winning your opponent's line-out, you get the

:11:11. > :11:12.territory that goes with it. Because they cannot get out of their own

:11:13. > :11:17.half. They look a more assured side this

:11:18. > :11:23.team. Greig Laidlaw have two shots at the captaincy, while Kelly Brown

:11:24. > :11:27.was gone, deciding his future. He looks more relaxed today? They do.

:11:28. > :11:30.This back line is the third game running it has been the same seven

:11:31. > :11:36.players. They are beginning to run off players well. They have tried

:11:37. > :11:41.this week with Seymour. Dunbar two weeks ago. That is understanding of

:11:42. > :11:43.the players around you. You get that from the consistency of the

:11:44. > :11:46.selection. That is what France don't have.

:11:47. > :11:51.They start the day hoping to be in with a chance of winning the

:11:52. > :11:58.championship. Earlier today at the Aviva Stadium, Ireland took Italy

:11:59. > :12:02.themselves looking to retain the poll position but also the last game

:12:03. > :12:06.at home for a rather impressive centre.

:12:07. > :12:08.The day of Brian O'Driscoll's farewell of his home stadium in

:12:09. > :12:15.Dublin. Jonny Sexton! The Leinster

:12:16. > :12:38.partnership works. Smashed in the tackle by Andrew

:12:39. > :12:49.Trimble, but away comes Sarto. He is going to score! Oh, the game

:12:50. > :12:52.blossoms, one try each! There is merely a clearance amongst the

:12:53. > :13:04.medics, but not quite. Andrew Trimble! Yes! Cian Healy waits,

:13:05. > :13:11.ducks, passes. Try for the prop. Sexton, O'Driscoll again. Great

:13:12. > :13:22.off-loads from Ghiraldini. Jonny Sexton! Sweet try. They have a

:13:23. > :13:28.chance to break out themselves. No, they have handed it back to Ireland.

:13:29. > :13:41.McFadden scores! It looks as if Ireland have scored,

:13:42. > :13:55.and it is Jack McGrath who has been awarded the try.

:13:56. > :14:01.Ireland will be looking to take the title in their final game in Paris.

:14:02. > :14:06.If they are watching this, they will not be too scared. Before that, we

:14:07. > :14:15.have a potential title eliminator, the loser being out of the race,

:14:16. > :14:20.coming up tomorrow. Get your Sunday lunch timings sorted now, get your

:14:21. > :14:24.roast in early. And here at Murrayfield, as we approach the

:14:25. > :14:30.second half, much more encouraging signs from Scotland. They have built

:14:31. > :14:36.on what we saw in Rome. France, though, building on the thing from

:14:37. > :14:39.that defeat against Wales. They are aside which looks like they do not

:14:40. > :14:47.know each other, there is little to be positive about? And I think the

:14:48. > :14:51.first 15-20 minutes, Scotland have to be patient and build on what they

:14:52. > :14:54.have been doing well, try and keep France back in their own territory,

:14:55. > :15:00.keep pressurising them at the line-out, and they will pick points

:15:01. > :15:04.up. If Scotland get the first score, France could become individual about

:15:05. > :15:08.what they do, and that is when you have got a France side which can

:15:09. > :15:12.fall apart, although it can be dangerous. Looking at the French

:15:13. > :15:16.players coming out of the tunnel, they do not seem to be coming out

:15:17. > :15:22.with any kind of purpose. The coming back to the analysis, which has been

:15:23. > :15:27.positive for Scotland and negative for France, but the scoreline is

:15:28. > :15:32.still only 14-9. You cannot allow any team, particularly France, to

:15:33. > :15:39.stay in the game. Scotland have conceded nine penalties, to two for

:15:40. > :15:45.France. So they have to be wary. Yes, and Scotland were quite

:15:46. > :15:51.fortunate, there was a penalty right underneath the posts. I would love

:15:52. > :15:57.to see Scotland running out with a bit of purpose, as they are now.

:15:58. > :16:02.Because they have got this game. In the first 10-15 minutes, if they can

:16:03. > :16:08.really put France away, then I think the French confidence will erode.

:16:09. > :16:12.Definitely. And it is that 15 minutes. If they score first, it

:16:13. > :16:14.will be interesting to see how France we act.

:16:15. > :16:19.IAN MCGEECHAN: From a French point of view, they seem to be caught

:16:20. > :16:25.tactically between two or three games. Thank you very much, both of

:16:26. > :16:31.you. A beautiful early spring evening here at Murrayfield,

:16:32. > :16:36.conditions perfect. The pitch can get churned up as much as it once,

:16:37. > :16:42.because this is its final 40 minutes.

:16:43. > :16:50.ANDREW COTTER: No changes to either side at half-time. Scotland made

:16:51. > :16:59.that change during the first half, with Johnnie Beattie going off. So,

:17:00. > :17:03.Scotland have 40 minutes to try and get their second win in this RBS Six

:17:04. > :17:09.Nations jumping ship. And France are up against it. Early promise in the

:17:10. > :17:17.Championship for France, but they are beginning to look a little bit

:17:18. > :17:31.more feeble. An early charge for Vahaamahina.

:17:32. > :17:36.JONATHAN DAVIES: Another nothing kick from Plisson, just inviting

:17:37. > :17:42.Stuart Hogg to come back and put pressure on France. So, France have

:17:43. > :17:54.the ball, but on the fringes of their own 22. Plisson. Jim Hamilton

:17:55. > :18:00.nearly got something on that. Stuart Hogg just waiting inside the 22. A

:18:01. > :18:05.beautiful spiral on that kick. Great kick. I just feel that if Scotland

:18:06. > :18:09.play the right game tactically, play in the right areas, with their

:18:10. > :18:21.kicking game, I cannot see France breaking them down, at the moment.

:18:22. > :18:23.CHRIS PATERSON: There was no intensity to the chasing of that

:18:24. > :18:41.kick there, from the French. That was a dreadful throw. He just

:18:42. > :18:57.slapped it back. Just watch this. Have that, go on! Vahaamahina. There

:18:58. > :19:20.he is, from the French South Sea Islands. Philippe Saint-Andre there.

:19:21. > :19:32.Scotland getting at the very least parity in the scrum now. Scott. Very

:19:33. > :19:41.good run again. The strains of Flower Of Scotland as Kelly Brown

:19:42. > :19:48.picks up. France trying to seal off that ball. Stuart Hogg comes back

:19:49. > :19:54.infield, looks for support runners. It comes from Laidlaw.

:19:55. > :20:03.So, Duncan Weir comes into play scrum-half.

:20:04. > :20:23.Weir, swallowed up by the blue shirts.

:20:24. > :20:28.Stuart Hogg in the fly half position again. Taken well by Max Evans, who

:20:29. > :20:51.keeps on going... Into the 22. Ryan Grant lays it back, Chouly

:20:52. > :20:55.trying to get in there. Stuart Hogg once again in the first receiver

:20:56. > :20:57.position. Space out wide. Anthony Weiner with the chip. It goes into

:20:58. > :21:11.touch. They have just got to keep their

:21:12. > :21:16.composure and patience now. Yes, I think the better option would have

:21:17. > :21:20.been to keep it in hand. Richie Gray is quick, but he was never going to

:21:21. > :21:25.get on the end of that. He is not that quick! We spoke about how

:21:26. > :21:28.quickly the French defence was coming forward in the first half,

:21:29. > :21:37.but now, it is barely coming forward at all. This time, the line-out

:21:38. > :21:44.taken by Maestri. Machenaud barking instructions. Vahaamahina is told to

:21:45. > :21:53.come in, and does so. He has it. That has been stolen! Now, Scotland

:21:54. > :22:02.have a chance! With men out wide! Interception! It could be a try for

:22:03. > :22:13.Yoann Huget? He goes the length of the park to score! Try for France.

:22:14. > :22:22.And Huget has done it again. Why, oh, why do you throw a miss pass? !

:22:23. > :22:27.Just be patient, not where you are, and put it through the house. It was

:22:28. > :22:36.a great turnover. He does not need to miss one out! Why, oh, why do you

:22:37. > :22:45.throw a miss pass in that situation?! It was an all or nothing

:22:46. > :22:50.intercept. Great decision by Huget, he timed it well. It was all he

:22:51. > :22:55.could do. You can see the desire in the Scottish guys to get back. But

:22:56. > :23:00.Huget is a class act, great decision, great execution. For all

:23:01. > :23:06.the world, it seemed as if Scotland were going to score a try there.

:23:07. > :23:13.That is a kick in the teeth. That should have been a Scottish try. It

:23:14. > :23:18.will be all about how Scotland react to that as well. It is a massive

:23:19. > :23:21.swing in emotion, so it is about how they react. You can see Machenaud

:23:22. > :23:31.taking his time, settling his nerves. So, France lead. A French

:23:32. > :23:34.team which was looking rather meek and feeble at the start of the

:23:35. > :23:40.second half, but that might be just the kick-start they need. Scotland

:23:41. > :23:46.just have to trust that they have been in control of this game, and

:23:47. > :23:49.they can get there again. CHRIS PATERSON: Absolutely, and it

:23:50. > :23:53.goes back to the set piece. Keep pressurising the French line-out.

:23:54. > :24:01.But the French have quality throughout the side, as we saw with

:24:02. > :24:08.that 90 metre effort from Huget. So, what does that do to France, what

:24:09. > :24:16.does it do to Scotland? Stuart Hogg, a little step. Garry Monk class

:24:17. > :24:26.player, Stuart Hogg, I like the look of him.

:24:27. > :24:37.Seymour just about holds on to Brice Dulin. And here is Huget. The

:24:38. > :24:44.referee just checking about a possible high tackle. But it is

:24:45. > :24:48.fine. So, Stuart Hogg once again. Chasing down his own kick, but

:24:49. > :24:55.Machenaud does well to get that away. I think Stuart Hogg has

:24:56. > :24:59.injured himself in the tackle. Kelly Brown gets to the ground to get the

:25:00. > :25:07.ball, and Stuart Hogg is just about OK, still feeling that. Scotland

:25:08. > :25:15.have just got to be patient. It is only a 2-point game.

:25:16. > :25:32.Jules Plisson has gone off, Remi Tales is on at fly half for France.

:25:33. > :25:36.JONATHAN DAVIES: Scotland have got to keep their shape, not just chuck

:25:37. > :25:41.the ball about. That is what France will want, if there is no shape to

:25:42. > :25:45.the game. They have got to keep their shape, keep their structure,

:25:46. > :25:52.heat their kicking game going and grind out the results. This was the

:25:53. > :25:55.overlap. Just watch this. They have got Stuart Hogg coming on the

:25:56. > :25:57.outside, and the winger as well. That was an absolute walk in for

:25:58. > :26:22.Scotland. That was a game changer. It is on! Denton has it. A roar from

:26:23. > :26:38.the crowd. Miss pass again, no need. Well picked up by Jim Hamilton

:26:39. > :26:43.Hamilton. Great hands. The penalty comes to France. I have to say, that

:26:44. > :27:01.is very good play. That try might galvanise them.

:27:02. > :27:13.He has found touch. It was almost punishment, wasn't it?

:27:14. > :27:23.Listen to Murrayfield again, it is French.

:27:24. > :27:28.So, the replacement hooker, the Perpignan hooker. It was only a

:27:29. > :27:32.matter of time before Brice Dulin got heaved off. Never to be seen

:27:33. > :27:37.again. And Pape is at the front.

:27:38. > :27:42.I think they have to load the front now. There is no confidence in the

:27:43. > :27:55.hooker throwing the ball beyond the first jumper. Even that was not

:27:56. > :28:03.straight. It is very rarely you see that. Dave Denton is up in front. It

:28:04. > :28:06.is unusual to see three up in the front.

:28:07. > :28:12.And it gets into the mind of opposing hookers. So, Scotland are

:28:13. > :28:19.making a change now. Ros Ford is coming on for Scott Lawson. He will

:28:20. > :28:29.be keen to have a big impact as well. A powerful player. His

:28:30. > :28:44.line-out throwing, that was his doubtful in recent games.

:28:45. > :28:55.-- This is where the referee is so

:28:56. > :29:03.confused. It is confusing, even for the best referee.

:29:04. > :29:10.The front rows are trying to play tricks as well.

:29:11. > :29:15.Princess Anne here today, the patron of the Scottish Rugby Union.

:29:16. > :29:18.I think that Prince Albert of Monaco is supposed to be here as well.

:29:19. > :29:33.There he is. A free kick to Scotland. They will

:29:34. > :29:39.take that certainly. That is a big decision in itself, but Scotland

:29:40. > :29:47.have to try and find that field position and that ascendency that

:29:48. > :30:09.this had not long ago. Weir, sending it high for the chase.

:30:10. > :30:21.Nothing doing there for the try scorer, but he gets it back.

:30:22. > :30:33.Machenaud just gets that kick away. It is a good outcome, a free kick

:30:34. > :30:43.for Scotland. Hedge hedge did the right thing

:30:44. > :30:51.there. So, the first line out throw for Ross Ford. -- Huget.

:30:52. > :31:16.Richie Gray come comes back. Scotland want to string together a

:31:17. > :31:23.few phases. To get back in the feel of things.

:31:24. > :31:29.Ryan Grant is doing that now. Laidlaw give it is to Scott. The

:31:30. > :31:35.ball is spilled by Dunbar. A French scrum.

:31:36. > :31:39.Yeah, they tried to move it when Scotland were making yards close to

:31:40. > :31:43.the break down. I thought that they would keep it in there and try to

:31:44. > :31:49.win a penalty, but they could not pluck that out of there. They don't

:31:50. > :31:54.need to be expansive now. They are winning the game line battle. The

:31:55. > :32:00.forwards are carrying the ball well. Denton, Richie Gray, even Jim

:32:01. > :32:13.Hamilton is doing it. Just get in a good field position and get the

:32:14. > :32:19.penalty out of them. Now France, certainly, with the line

:32:20. > :32:27.up being a mess, the scrum has not had the edge over Scotland.

:32:28. > :32:36.That wasn't straight. Well they get the shove now. Hoping

:32:37. > :32:42.for the penalty to arrive. Machenaud flings a wayward pass. The pressure

:32:43. > :32:52.is now on Dulin. What are they doing? This is not a

:32:53. > :32:56.vintage French side. Scotland have a couple on it as

:32:57. > :33:04.well. One mis mistake and they have to get

:33:05. > :33:10.that confidence back. Huget was up on that one and Ryan

:33:11. > :33:15.Grant up, but a forearm touching the line there. It will be a French

:33:16. > :33:22.line-out. The French have changed their stand

:33:23. > :33:30.off. The number 22 coming on, but there is still a lack of direction.

:33:31. > :33:40.Ryan Grant picked up the loose ball. I thought he was going to make it at

:33:41. > :33:46.one point, but is this is same outcome? Look at the possessions in

:33:47. > :33:55.the second half. That really comes from the set piece.

:33:56. > :33:56.2% of that possession is the interception, which makes a

:33:57. > :34:29.difference, I think. You want the scrum-halves to manage

:34:30. > :34:33.the game for you. You need some experience maybe

:34:34. > :34:38.coming from the bench. We will see what comes in the next 25 minutes.

:34:39. > :34:44.We talked about it before the match, the number of players missing for

:34:45. > :34:48.French. Senior figures. It looked a little squint from Scotland this

:34:49. > :34:52.time. They have just gone a bit ragged now

:34:53. > :34:57.on both sides. It has the feel that it is almost

:34:58. > :35:02.the end of the game. Yet after that interception, it was hairy, but

:35:03. > :35:09.there are still 20-odd minutes to go. Somebody really has to take a

:35:10. > :35:14.grip of this game. . Well, I'm sure that there is

:35:15. > :35:18.desperate desire on both sides to win this match, but it has fallen a

:35:19. > :35:32.little bit in the last few minutes this match. France to scrum.

:35:33. > :35:37.And Scotland get on there and get the free kick.

:35:38. > :35:45.The squint feed is picked up this time by the referee.

:35:46. > :36:05.That is confident. A confident decision.

:36:06. > :36:14.Well a brave decision by Scotland to take the scrum again. I think they

:36:15. > :36:22.felt they had a little bit of a nudge on in the last scrum.

:36:23. > :36:39.Alexandre Flanquart is witting to come on in the sec row.

:36:40. > :36:42.A penalty this time to Scotland. He was pointing the finger at

:36:43. > :36:46.Domingo. We saw that the first time. Chris,

:36:47. > :36:51.you know, is this right on the end of his distance? I think he has the

:36:52. > :36:56.range. He has the distance. The long range. The pitch on the football

:36:57. > :37:00.causes a concern, but he has the range here. It is awise decision to

:37:01. > :37:04.take the scrum. You can see it clearly there,

:37:05. > :37:10.Domingo coming right across. He has to push straight. His shoulders have

:37:11. > :37:15.to go forward. Right under the referee's nose. As clear a penalty

:37:16. > :37:23.as you will see. Look Looking at the pitch, this is

:37:24. > :37:29.right on the end of his range. Will it get there? No it will not.

:37:30. > :37:36.Just shy. Heading towards the final quarter,

:37:37. > :37:40.still two points in it. France will get a chance to make

:37:41. > :37:43.their changes now. The prop is waiting to come on as

:37:44. > :37:49.well. Alexandre Flanquart is waiting to

:37:50. > :37:58.come on. Maestri is going off. There is Rabah Slimani. He was sent off

:37:59. > :38:02.against Italy. He head-butted a player.

:38:03. > :38:23.Alexandre Flanquart is on the second row. He is the Stade Francais lock.

:38:24. > :38:32.There is Kelly Brown, Scotland are still with it. Still making some

:38:33. > :38:37.progress. Ryan Grant again. A penalty again and closer this time.

:38:38. > :38:42.I do like Matt Scot, though. He takes the ball to the line. He

:38:43. > :38:46.engages before off loading. I thought Scotland a little too deep

:38:47. > :38:51.then and the defence drifted across. He has to go for it again. Two

:38:52. > :38:58.points. He has to go for goal. Well, Duncan Weir is going to go for goal.

:38:59. > :39:03.Duncan has a longer range, a bigger boot, really. Stuart Hogg may have

:39:04. > :39:12.been asking for it as well, but that again, the consistency from the

:39:13. > :39:18.referee. It gives Duncan Weir an opportunity. A hero in Rome and an

:39:19. > :39:22.unfortunate moment for the French try, but an opportunity here.

:39:23. > :39:28.But Greig Laidlaw, he is a very good kicker but the kicking statistics

:39:29. > :39:36.are poor this year. You need 08%.

:39:37. > :39:40.-- you need 80%. You need a high percentage.

:39:41. > :39:45.Duncan Weir to give Scotland the lead. It is good once again. Duncan

:39:46. > :39:49.Weir puts Scotland in front by a point as he did against Italy two

:39:50. > :39:54.weeks ago. He does here today against France. There are 18 minutes

:39:55. > :40:03.to go. Scotland, 17. France-16.

:40:04. > :40:05.That should give them confidence now. Just get the ball and play the

:40:06. > :40:31.territorial game and close it out. There is Brice Dulin. Up into the

:40:32. > :40:38.dark sky it goes. Comes back well for France. Now a bit of zip for

:40:39. > :40:43.France. Looking for the off-load. A little knock-on there. Scotland will

:40:44. > :40:55.have the scrum. There is a bit of a knock to Jim Hamilton. Let's get the

:40:56. > :41:01.thoughts of Jim. Scotland just have to be patient

:41:02. > :41:05.now. They have to use their big carriers. Denton has been carrying

:41:06. > :41:10.well. Richie Gray is coming into the game. I have to force France onto

:41:11. > :41:11.the back foot. If they keep that patience, then they will get more

:41:12. > :41:25.scoring opportunities. Jim Hamilton is OK. There is the

:41:26. > :41:30.coaching team. Jonathan Humphreys in the front row. Also there is the

:41:31. > :41:37.scrum coach. And strike up the band again, as

:41:38. > :42:11.Flower Of Scotland breaks out. France have broken the gain line

:42:12. > :42:21.only 13 times. But they have a good position here. The referee decided

:42:22. > :42:26.it was their ball. That is a better scrum from France, just holding it

:42:27. > :42:31.and waiting for a penalty to arrive. Well, they often do in that

:42:32. > :42:39.situation, but the referee just says, scrum again.

:42:40. > :42:43.CHRIS PATERSON: Yes, I think the referee blew up for an injury to Jim

:42:44. > :42:52.Hamilton, when the French were in possession. That looks like a

:42:53. > :42:57.dominant scrum to me! JONATHAN DAVIES: Are you saying he

:42:58. > :43:06.made a mistake?! Dominant scrum anyway, that's for sure. Yes, it

:43:07. > :43:13.was, very dominant. Again, good position, and the French backs split

:43:14. > :43:40.on either side. It is a very central scrum.

:43:41. > :43:52.Time for the French to sing the Marseillaise.

:43:53. > :44:08.15 minutes to go, a one point game. Great atmosphere inside Murrayfield.

:44:09. > :44:15.And France surely this time... Scrum again. Again, it looked as if France

:44:16. > :44:27.were beginning to move forward. Let's see what the referee says.

:44:28. > :44:36.REFEREE: If there is an issue, I cannot leave this site, so I need

:44:37. > :44:40.you to deal with this. That is all he has done, he has pulled them

:44:41. > :44:47.across a bit, to a better bit of grass, if he can find it. Well, it

:44:48. > :44:53.has been a while since we have been playing, but we will get going again

:44:54. > :44:57.soon. Yes, this scrum has gone on a bit, hasn't it? Just a reminder,

:44:58. > :45:05.England against Wales on BBC One tomorrow afternoon. Both sides still

:45:06. > :45:09.in with a chance of the title. Ireland in the box seat after their

:45:10. > :45:15.thumping win over Italy. France getting shoved back. And this time

:45:16. > :45:21.it turns around, and little things like that become very, very big,

:45:22. > :45:33.coming towards the end of the match. It was a good scrum from Scotland. A

:45:34. > :45:37.lot of maturity shown. The initial push went with the French on three

:45:38. > :45:49.occasions. I do not know how that is a Scotland scrum, mind. The last

:45:50. > :45:59.movement was probably forward. Vahaamahina has just gone off, to be

:46:00. > :46:03.replaced in the back row by Antoine Claassen. I have watched him play,

:46:04. > :46:13.he will give and go forward. We have been here in this position

:46:14. > :46:23.on the field for a good few minutes. But it is now Scottish ball, instead

:46:24. > :46:31.of French. And Antoine Claassen has gone to number eight, so Chouly has

:46:32. > :46:37.moved across onto this nearside. That scrum was not straight. So

:46:38. > :46:40.who's ball is it now? It is an arm-wrestling. Good work by Chouly,

:46:41. > :46:56.and it is French ball. But here come France. Bastareud. Now

:46:57. > :47:09.comes the power! Bastareud goes to within ten metres! France finally

:47:10. > :47:17.coming to life, perhaps. Maxime Medard tries to step inside. Richie

:47:18. > :47:27.Gray all over him. Denton has load that up. The replacement hooker

:47:28. > :47:37.takes it in. And they are getting closer. But it has been fumbled!

:47:38. > :47:41.Turnover. Laidlaw kicks away the advantage. They will come back at

:47:42. > :48:01.them if they go wide. A strange passage of play. That

:48:02. > :48:05.passage of play, the knock-on first of all, that was a poor pass,

:48:06. > :48:11.really. It is not in front of him at all. Then he drops it. And then

:48:12. > :48:17.Scotland get a scrum with Dulin running into his own player. That is

:48:18. > :48:21.shambolic play by France. Yes, Dulin has been one of the informed

:48:22. > :48:25.full-backs in the Championship. He is either trying to force it to

:48:26. > :48:28.much, or they are just really unclear about what they are trying

:48:29. > :48:40.to do. There was so much open space for him to attack. There is a

:48:41. > :48:48.comparison of the two full-backs. Two very talented full-backs. Dulin

:48:49. > :48:51.looks like a bright talent, from a long line of great French

:48:52. > :49:01.full-backs. Talking of talent, coming on in the centre for France

:49:02. > :49:09.is fico. Jim Hamilton is going off, to be replaced by Tim Swinson. *

:49:10. > :49:15.also off. And varies Gael Fickou, still just 19 years old. And Domingo

:49:16. > :49:33.has been replaced as well. The second half has been passing

:49:34. > :49:34.very slowly, so many stoppages. It is still a very finely balanced

:49:35. > :49:55.game. Scotland have it. They have just got

:49:56. > :50:18.to put this in the corner, play down there. Good defence by Chouly. Ross

:50:19. > :50:26.Ford. Denton, over the halfway line. Eventually, Weir decides to kick.

:50:27. > :50:32.The French call for the mark. STEVE DAVIS: --

:50:33. > :50:37.JONATHAN DAVIES: They will be happy with that, Scotland. They will have

:50:38. > :50:47.the throwing, after this. But that is a very good kick. He has played

:50:48. > :50:53.well, Brice Dulin. In a side which is up against it. He has appeared

:50:54. > :50:58.all over the place. His kicking to touch has been good, he has been at

:50:59. > :51:04.first receiver, second receiver, counterattacking, a real bright

:51:05. > :51:12.spark in this French performance. He always looks to run the ball.

:51:13. > :51:21.What is the plan for the replacement hooker here? It goes to Richie Gray.

:51:22. > :51:32.Ten minutes to go. A single-point in it.

:51:33. > :51:46.Taken well by Huget. Machenaud again. He runs into Ross Ford. Why

:51:47. > :51:53.would you run into a front were forward?! Two of them! But they did

:51:54. > :52:02.well after that, France. However, Scotland will have the scrum. Time

:52:03. > :52:12.is now against France. The contact area is forcing France to put more

:52:13. > :52:17.numbers in. As you can see here, Machenaud gets stopped and also they

:52:18. > :52:35.stop him getting the ball back, and Scotland get the scrum.

:52:36. > :52:44.It is worth pointing out again that Scotland have not beaten France

:52:45. > :52:48.since 2006. In fact, France have won 14 of the last 15 meetings between

:52:49. > :52:58.the two countries. They will not get a better chance. Huget going the

:52:59. > :53:03.length of the field, when Scotland had been within ten metres of the

:53:04. > :53:08.French line. But Duncan Weir, who was the hero in Rome, got the

:53:09. > :53:12.penalty to put Scotland back in front here tonight. That is where we

:53:13. > :53:34.find ourselves with eight minutes to go.

:53:35. > :53:42.Scotland cannot just hang on here, they have to try and put it beyond

:53:43. > :53:45.doubt. Yes, keep on playing, keep carrying the ball, look for that

:53:46. > :54:00.penalty, drop goal, anything. Just keep on playing, play in the right

:54:01. > :54:05.areas. It is turning into a scrumathon, it will be boring

:54:06. > :54:13.everyone to death, except Brian Moore! He will be enjoying every

:54:14. > :54:21.moment! So, the crowd tries to inject some urgency, with seven

:54:22. > :54:24.minutes to go. Again, that does not look straight, but the referee

:54:25. > :54:31.eventually gives a penalty to Scotland.

:54:32. > :54:38.Another chance to get three more points, although it is beyond 40

:54:39. > :54:45.metres or so. CHRIS PATERSON: That was a huge

:54:46. > :54:56.effort from the pack. It did not look particularly straight, I must

:54:57. > :55:01.admit. It is so hard to call. And the knock-on effect of a penalty

:55:02. > :55:05.could be massive. The penalty was actually a little bit closer than

:55:06. > :55:11.this, but Duncan Weir said, can I find some firmer ground? The referee

:55:12. > :55:12.said, you can, but you have to go back. So, he has gone back a metre

:55:13. > :55:27.or two. You can see the posts swaying in the

:55:28. > :55:43.wind. Wide and short. So, one point still

:55:44. > :55:49.the difference, with five minutes remaining.

:55:50. > :56:02.Another substitution. Jean-Marc Doussain comes on for Maxime

:56:03. > :56:06.Machenaud at scrum-half. The wind just takes it away at the last

:56:07. > :56:16.minute. They have missed two kicks now. Stuart Hogg sends it high

:56:17. > :56:22.again. And that was Jean-Marc Doussain with his very first touch.

:56:23. > :56:28.France have five minutes to save themselves. Gael Fickou feels the

:56:29. > :56:35.pressure. Chouly is there. And it comes back on the Scotland side!

:56:36. > :56:47.Still with Scotland. Ryan Wilson, however untidy at time,

:56:48. > :56:57.this second half has been... Yeah, great.

:56:58. > :57:02.A great steal there. Pape goes in. And all this does now is give them

:57:03. > :57:06.field position. A big moment in the game. Four

:57:07. > :57:12.minutes to go. France will have the line-out. The one thing that they

:57:13. > :57:18.have to do now, Scotland, is to have faith in their defence. They must

:57:19. > :57:22.not give a penalty away. And put pressure on here. On the

:57:23. > :57:32.line-out. Will this line-out work for France?

:57:33. > :57:39.They have good position. Jean Marc Doussain getting it over

:57:40. > :57:45.sideways. Now France is on the attack.

:57:46. > :57:54.Jean Marc Doussain. He give it is to Pascal Pape. It goes wide.

:57:55. > :58:00.Maxime Medard now. Deep into the 22. Scotland are you now defending. They

:58:01. > :58:07.are defending as if their lives depend on it. This game is in the

:58:08. > :58:12.balance. This is setting them up for the

:58:13. > :58:15.drop-goal if they don't go any further.

:58:16. > :58:20.But they are closing down. Closing in.

:58:21. > :58:25.Scotland's defence is being stretched and tested.

:58:26. > :58:34.Up to within eight metres. Jean Marc Doussain, he looks again.

:58:35. > :58:43.It is carried on by Alexandre Flanquart. A penalty to France! It's

:58:44. > :58:50.the same panality he's given all day.

:58:51. > :58:57.He's been consistent. He has. I would like to see it

:58:58. > :59:03.again, whether Kelly was tackled or not.

:59:04. > :59:08.It is actually, Tim Swinson. Swim

:59:09. > :59:19.Tim Swinson has to let go of that. Well, Machenaud is off.

:59:20. > :59:25.It could be a fairly simple kick to give France the lead.

:59:26. > :59:40.He is going to leave himself with a minute.

:59:41. > :59:45.Well done, Jean Marc Doussain. Whatever you think about the

:59:46. > :59:53.decision, the boos inside Murrayfield are not nice to hear.

:59:54. > :59:58.France had the lead with just one minute remaining. The re-start is so

:59:59. > :00:09.important now. Duncan Weir with a little chip down the middle.

:00:10. > :00:16.So the pressure is coming in. Dulin going for length with a kick.

:00:17. > :00:22.That's a very, very good kick under the circumstances. Come on.

:00:23. > :00:26.It was Dulin again. He cleared it down the field for his

:00:27. > :00:32.team. Let's quickly do Man of the Match.

:00:33. > :00:39.I think that Grant has played well for Scotland, so has Ryan, and

:00:40. > :00:42.Richie Gray and Stuart Hogg but Dave Denton is my obvious Man of the

:00:43. > :00:43.Match. And France may have the ball and

:00:44. > :01:08.they may well have this victory. Scotland's hopes are about to

:01:09. > :01:14.disappear. In a match that they will wonder how on earth they have lost?

:01:15. > :01:19.Jean Marc Doussain says is it over? Yes, the kick is out. France have

:01:20. > :01:28.the victory, one that is so dear and precious to them, but the boos

:01:29. > :01:33.around Murrayfield are only questioning how on earth did

:01:34. > :01:37.Scotland lose that? They should have won that game. Changed the game in

:01:38. > :01:43.the last 20 minutes, kept on driving up the middle. Kept on with the

:01:44. > :01:47.kicking game. The one interception drained the confidence away from the

:01:48. > :01:52.Scottish side. They will look back on this and think, how on earth did

:01:53. > :01:56.Scotland lose this game? The only opportunity was the interception.

:01:57. > :02:00.They took that penalty chance. Somehow they kept themselves in the

:02:01. > :02:06.game, but, unbelievable, how France came out on top of that game.

:02:07. > :02:12.And how important to get a kick, from a distance of 45, 50 yards to

:02:13. > :02:15.get the penalty. They missed two penalties, that would have put them

:02:16. > :02:20.away from the fence. Taken the confidence from France and they

:02:21. > :02:24.could have gone on to win, but by throwing the interception pass,

:02:25. > :02:28.missing the two kicks at goal. One opportunity from field position and

:02:29. > :02:36.they get beat. A reminder of the scorers, two tries

:02:37. > :02:41.for Scotland. Stuart Hogg and Tommy Seymour. Scotland were threatening

:02:42. > :02:45.the France try line but again a win which for France, I suppose, it is

:02:46. > :02:50.still technically keeping them within a chance of the title, but

:02:51. > :02:54.slim hopes with the points difference, but they play Ireland.

:02:55. > :03:00.So it is still there for them, but not a championship-winning calibre

:03:01. > :03:05.of a French side. The best team for me have been

:03:06. > :03:09.Ireland. A great game on England and they deserved their win, but looking

:03:10. > :03:14.at it on form, Ireland should go to France and win, but who knows with

:03:15. > :03:18.the French side? Who knows? They had a couple of tries, they had the

:03:19. > :03:24.chance of winning and they had the Man of the Match. Dave Denton is

:03:25. > :03:29.talking to Jill. Well, David, rugby can be a cruel

:03:30. > :03:36.game. It could have been Scotland's way but not today, your thoughts on

:03:37. > :03:40.this one? This is one of the most disappointing feelings that I have

:03:41. > :03:43.had in the Scotland jersey. We were lucky out there. I would like to say

:03:44. > :03:48.thank you to everyone that came out today and to the England came a

:03:49. > :03:52.couple of weeks ago. The support for the Six Nations has been incredible.

:03:53. > :03:57.Credit to the boys we played really well. It was very close.

:03:58. > :04:05.Scant consolation, I am sure but you are the BS Man of the Match today,

:04:06. > :04:09.but how are you proud of the men that played today? I am hugely

:04:10. > :04:15.proud. This is a French team that came here

:04:16. > :04:19.to beat us up and take us on at the set piece. This is an area that

:04:20. > :04:26.dominated the game. Thank you very much, David.

:04:27. > :04:29.David Denton, the Man of the Match, but thoroughly disappointed as no

:04:30. > :04:33.doubt the whole Scotland dressing room will be, walking away with a

:04:34. > :04:41.defeat. It looked for all the world that was a game for the taking for

:04:42. > :04:48.Scotland. They lost 17-19. Ireland have beaten Italy, 46-7. And

:04:49. > :04:52.Ireland are in the box seat. After that performance, you would that I

:04:53. > :04:56.that Ireland go to their next game as the fancied team to emerge

:04:57. > :05:04.victorious with the championship, but let's talk about this win and

:05:05. > :05:08.that performance. A fine example of snatch snatching defeat from the

:05:09. > :05:14.jaws of Scotland, wasn't it? It was, but all they had to do was to give

:05:15. > :05:19.France a penalties. It was the only way to get into Scotland's half.

:05:20. > :05:22.Scotland were controlling the line-outs. Controlling the

:05:23. > :05:26.possession. It was going back into the French half. They just had to

:05:27. > :05:29.stay patient. That was disappointing. They will look at

:05:30. > :05:34.themselves and say, you know, a couple of penalties given away. Soft

:05:35. > :05:39.penalties. This was the penalty that gave France the opportunity to kick

:05:40. > :05:43.down to then get this opportunity to then be taken forward. Tim Swinson

:05:44. > :05:48.there, he does not release the ball carrier. He goes in and pulls the

:05:49. > :05:53.ball back. If you look at it here, he has not

:05:54. > :05:58.released the ball carrier. You have to release the tactic player.

:05:59. > :06:02.And it has been pointed out that the referee is a Kiwi, he is strict on

:06:03. > :06:06.that. He did that. Yes. He likes to see the ball freed

:06:07. > :06:12.up and to see the players on his feet. He was consistent all game. If

:06:13. > :06:18.you were attacking on the front foot, generally, he stayed with you.

:06:19. > :06:22.Huget is there applauding the French fans. He scored his third try of the

:06:23. > :06:26.championship. It should have been no try at all.

:06:27. > :06:32.Here Duncan Weir puts the long pass out. You don't need to when you have

:06:33. > :06:37.an overlap. It is schoolboy stuff. There is no way that Dave Denton was

:06:38. > :06:43.ever going to stop the right-winger. It was a complete 14-point swing.

:06:44. > :06:47.Look at it here. When Duncan Weir takes it forward. Stop it here,

:06:48. > :06:56.everyone just needs to run straight it is a run in for Stuart Hogg or

:06:57. > :07:01.Seymour, but Huget takes the angle. You don't throw a mispass when an

:07:02. > :07:06.overlap. You just give them the opportunity to do exactly that.

:07:07. > :07:10.That was at 14-9. Scotland could have won that game.

:07:11. > :07:16.Let alone the swing of confidence that the French got from that. They

:07:17. > :07:20.were playing like a group of desperate individuals, weren't they?

:07:21. > :07:25.They were. They were getting isolated. They were running out from

:07:26. > :07:30.the 22. When you have potentially a two-man overlap, to get rid of

:07:31. > :07:33.defenders you use the hands. You don't take attackers away. That is

:07:34. > :07:39.what Scotland did. Of course, if the ball is in the air for a second, you

:07:40. > :07:45.can run a long way in a second as Huget has shown. Really it should

:07:46. > :07:50.have been a walk-in, a walk-in down the left-handside. A good lesson for

:07:51. > :07:58.Duncan Weir. He is finding his feet in international rugby. He was the

:07:59. > :08:04.Man of the Week in rugby last week. They could have redeemed themselves

:08:05. > :08:11.today. At 17-16, his kick nudged Scotland in front, but a couple of

:08:12. > :08:16.missed kicks to are Scotland. That was disappointing, but it was also

:08:17. > :08:21.alluded to that the percentages are not high enough? But this was not an

:08:22. > :08:25.easy kick. This is Greig Laidlaw. Duncan Weir is here. As Chris said

:08:26. > :08:29.in commentary, when you are on the limit, you have to force it, the

:08:30. > :08:35.wind drifted that. That had the legs but it went past. On fine margins

:08:36. > :08:39.games are won and lost. Two weeks ago he was on the right side of the

:08:40. > :08:45.ledger, today he was on the wrong side. He has to learn that.

:08:46. > :08:49.The French, there were all areas of the game when they were falling

:08:50. > :08:53.apart. Here they had an opportunity to counter attack. This goes back to

:08:54. > :08:58.it. It was just farcicle? I don't think that Scotland will have a

:08:59. > :09:03.better opportunity to beat France than here today. We talked about the

:09:04. > :09:07.key players missing, the bang row but the team that came out today,

:09:08. > :09:11.this is possibly about the worst counterattack ever.

:09:12. > :09:14.But I have to say, that there was nothing there. The French only

:09:15. > :09:19.scored with the one opportunity that they had. That was a missed

:09:20. > :09:24.opportunity. Maybe we were being kind in not

:09:25. > :09:30.showing that farcicle attack, Jill has hold of the French coach.

:09:31. > :09:35.Imagine that there are happy players in your dressing room? Yes. We

:09:36. > :09:43.picked the win you know. Fair play to Scotland. They played very well.

:09:44. > :09:49.They played with a lot of spirit. They scored a good try in the first

:09:50. > :09:52.half. The guys carried on. Our discipline was good today. At the

:09:53. > :09:57.end of the game we managed to win, but I can't say it was our best

:09:58. > :10:05.game, but today it is a win. It is three wins in four games. So we will

:10:06. > :10:08.prepare for a big game next week. At half-time you were in touching

:10:09. > :10:13.distance, you asked for patience, you felt in attack that they were

:10:14. > :10:20.being a little impatient. It paid off? Yes. Two or three times we were

:10:21. > :10:24.close to the line. We wanted to score too quickly. We

:10:25. > :10:30.tried impossible passes to build our game.

:10:31. > :10:36.But we have a lot of work. After Scotland, they are good in line-out.

:10:37. > :10:41.We have to improve our line-out, but we have to smile.

:10:42. > :10:46.We have to be positive. A big match next week, can France

:10:47. > :10:53.spoil the Brian O'Driscoll farewell party? I hope so. I hope that this

:10:54. > :10:58.party was today in Dublin and not next week in the Stade de France.

:10:59. > :11:01.Thank you. What an extraordinary championship

:11:02. > :11:05.it is turning out to be. That they have won three of four games and are

:11:06. > :11:09.on for the championship. If you watched that performance in detail

:11:10. > :11:14.today. Of course, England V Wales is to come this weekend. One of those

:11:15. > :11:20.to be elem nated from the title race tomorrow. We are on air longer for

:11:21. > :11:24.you tonight. The Red Button from 7.00pm. Get your thoughts and

:11:25. > :11:29.questions into the panel. The contact is there at the bottom.

:11:30. > :11:40.They want to hear from you not just on this match but the Six Nations in

:11:41. > :11:43.general. A little more about today, because there will be a lot of

:11:44. > :11:50.positives which Scotland will take from that, going into their final

:11:51. > :11:57.game next week, but a real sense of disappointment as well? Yes, hugely,

:11:58. > :12:01.because they got the big things right. The line-out and the scrum,

:12:02. > :12:05.the line-out was a potent attacking part of their game. The scrum held

:12:06. > :12:08.up tremendously well. We should give the front five a lot of credit. So,

:12:09. > :12:14.where they should have had all the strong points, and really, a lot of

:12:15. > :12:18.their play, Denton carried well, Richie Gray was in the game, so,

:12:19. > :12:24.everything was in place to put France away. And I think that will

:12:25. > :12:29.be the huge disappointment. In the end the losing of that game was in

:12:30. > :12:34.Scotland's hands, rather than in France's hands to win it. The key

:12:35. > :12:39.for developing side is to win these tight games. They did it two weeks

:12:40. > :12:44.ago. But today they were not able to close it out. If they had come out

:12:45. > :12:46.of this Championship with two wins, considering where they were when

:12:47. > :12:54.they played England in the Calcutta Cup, they would have taken it. It

:12:55. > :12:58.was a much smaller between the two sides, but the fact that this France

:12:59. > :13:03.side can play so poorly and come away from here with a victory, a

:13:04. > :13:08.side which has been doing pretty poorly away from home as well. Great

:13:09. > :13:12.to hear your thoughts, guys, and tapping into your wisdom this

:13:13. > :13:16.afternoon. That is it from all of us. We are on the red button for the

:13:17. > :13:17.next half an hour or so. Stay with us. Otherwise we will see you

:13:18. > :13:24.tomorrow at Twickenham.