Scotland v France

:00:47. > :00:52.Springtime in Scotland, and the Six Nations championship could be won ad

:00:53. > :00:56.money field today but not by either side in action. If Scotland triumph,

:00:57. > :00:59.their first against France in a decade would hand the title to

:01:00. > :01:04.England but a French victory and it goes to the final match on the final

:01:05. > :01:07.weekend. So here we have the UNESCO world Heritage site that is

:01:08. > :01:11.Edinburgh on a glorious Sunday afternoon. Murrayfield is

:01:12. > :01:16.resplendent in the middle, the home of Scottish rugby for almost a

:01:17. > :01:18.century. If the Six Nations up until yesterday appeared like rugby with

:01:19. > :01:21.the handbrake on com yesterday, someone released the button at the

:01:22. > :01:25.Aviva Stadium and Twickenham bolster there's a lot the Jonathan Davies,

:01:26. > :01:29.Andy Nicol and Jeremy Gask to talk about in next half-hour or so as we

:01:30. > :01:33.countdown toward kick-off at 3pm here, Scotland against France.

:01:34. > :01:36.Without further ado, let's go back to Twitter then yesterday afternoon

:01:37. > :01:39.and before the match, depending on what side of the beds you are on, it

:01:40. > :01:45.was either all about the Grand Slam orbiting for the corner in the Cup.

:01:46. > :01:48.Either way, once the game began, it produced the match of the

:01:49. > :01:53.championship so far. -- or kicking for the corner.

:01:54. > :02:07.COMMENTATOR: George Kruis, Knole, getting away from George North but

:02:08. > :02:14.Wales quickly regroup. Mike Brown for his club captain, Chris Robshaw,

:02:15. > :02:21.going for the line! Wales scurry back but it is loose and Evans got

:02:22. > :02:27.back. Did he get a hand on the ball? That is the kind of chance that

:02:28. > :02:37.England should take. Tremendous break by Brown, Jack Nowell outside

:02:38. > :02:41.him. Difficult to tell. REFEREE: Looking for clarity as to whether it

:02:42. > :02:49.was knocked on. Does it come back of Liam Williams' elbow? The white

:02:50. > :02:54.player has been tackled and Abbey has gone to ground it is a red elbow

:02:55. > :03:01.that dislodges the ball. Now we need to play through and consider

:03:02. > :03:05.grounding. Thanks. Is that a knock-on or rolling along the ground

:03:06. > :03:08.as it goes up the forearm? If the ball is in the in-goal area, the

:03:09. > :03:20.only has to have the slightest downward pressure. Nine White has

:03:21. > :03:23.proceeded to knock the ball on. So a scrum, knocked on? That is correct.

:03:24. > :03:31.WHISTLE No try, lost forward.

:03:32. > :03:44.Kruis takes the line-out, and setting up the driving maul.

:03:45. > :03:59.Vunipola resets and goes on his own. Youngs. Maro Itoje. Mahler.

:04:00. > :04:12.Youngs. Still Ben Youngs, five metres out. Robshaw.

:04:13. > :04:25.Dylan Hartley, the captain. Four meters. Billy Vunipola, three

:04:26. > :04:39.metres. James Haskell. Two metres. Dan Cole, the prop, so close.

:04:40. > :04:48.Impossible to tell from this angle. Craig Joubert, difficult for him as

:04:49. > :04:52.well. The post was in the way. REFEREE: I have not seen the

:04:53. > :04:59.grounding. I have seen the ball held up initially. So we are taking the

:05:00. > :05:03.footage? Asking the TMO if there's any reason he cannot give a try

:05:04. > :05:07.which means he has to find positive evidence it was not. Here, it is yes

:05:08. > :05:11.or no, your opinion, on the leg, there, does it rollover at any

:05:12. > :05:21.point? That is all. Footage is inconclusive. WHISTLE

:05:22. > :05:26.Inconclusive, held up, five metre scrum. At the end of the day, it was

:05:27. > :05:30.a very marginal call. If they don't see that, they can't get and they

:05:31. > :05:35.should not give it. Quarter of an hour gone, England very much on the

:05:36. > :05:38.attack, two TMO decisions. After all this, England have to score.

:05:39. > :05:46.Interesting formation behind the scrum. Ben Youngs will concentrate

:05:47. > :05:50.on this, personally. -- Thursday. The front row go up and Wales now

:05:51. > :05:53.going backwards but it has gone down, penalty advantage being

:05:54. > :06:00.played. Youngs, held as he tried to break away from the scrum. WHISTLE

:06:01. > :06:10.It is a penalty scrum for England. Decision time! An early one for

:06:11. > :06:13.Dylan Hartley. Take the point. Given the pressure was on Wales in the

:06:14. > :06:15.middle of the field and they had been under pressure earlier, nearer

:06:16. > :06:19.their line, I think they will be relatively pleased it is only three

:06:20. > :06:26.points. A confident start by England. The simplest penalties for

:06:27. > :06:35.Owen two out of two for him from the kicking tee and England lead 6-0.

:06:36. > :06:42.Hartley. Finding Robshaw. Jack Nowell. I don't think that was so

:06:43. > :06:47.smoothly done by England, high tackle by Denny Roberts. Everyone

:06:48. > :06:55.playing on. Itoje, good athleticism by the second row, Mike Brown,

:06:56. > :07:00.Anthony Watson! England in full control, just after the half-hour

:07:01. > :07:06.mark. Great work by Itoje. Mike Brown running the right angle,

:07:07. > :07:13.leaving on the inside shoulder. The defender cannot drift. Good work by

:07:14. > :07:20.Joe Marler, actually. He's a magnificent specimen, Maro Itoje.

:07:21. > :07:24.21. 21 years old and doing that, going through one of the meanest

:07:25. > :07:34.defences in the game. Anthony Watson with the finish but it was as much

:07:35. > :07:42.Maro Itoje's try as anyone's. England's put in and ahead spot up.

:07:43. > :07:46.-- and Lee heads pop up. Samson Lee is at right angles and Joe Marler is

:07:47. > :07:52.straight, it is very obvious. Look at this, Joe Marler is straight, who

:07:53. > :07:57.goes in first? Wales have had so little ball, so little platform from

:07:58. > :08:04.which to work. That is what happens. A couple of changes, the front row

:08:05. > :08:11.go off, Baldwin, Samson Lee and Rob Evans and on com Ken Owens, Paul

:08:12. > :08:17.James and Tomas Francis. -- on com. George Ford, Dan Biggar. Wales B on

:08:18. > :08:24.the scoreboard at last! A gift from England. -- will be. Great work by

:08:25. > :08:28.Dan Biggar. Great work by Dan Biggar but George Ford, well, he had enough

:08:29. > :08:33.time, if there is any danger, move it won on, that is the reason you

:08:34. > :08:36.have Farrell Blair. If there's any doubt, Jamie Roberts is further

:08:37. > :08:41.back, simple ball out to Farrell, who has a bit more time and can be a

:08:42. > :08:48.bit deeper having held out against the stained Welsh pressure, it is a

:08:49. > :08:52.gift. -- sustained Welsh pressure. England, having been in command,

:08:53. > :08:59.rocked by a charge down try. Valet hour and Roberts. Reading it well.

:09:00. > :09:04.-- Toby Faletau. Therefore Gareth Davies, Dan Biggar, Jonathan Davies,

:09:05. > :09:10.big handoff on Jonathan Joseph, George North but the referee's

:09:11. > :09:14.whistle has gone and it won't count. It went off and England player but

:09:15. > :09:25.was it forward out of Jonathan Davies' grasp? Valet out -- Faletau

:09:26. > :09:32.with the line-out, the ball played towards Tipuric. Play on, says the

:09:33. > :09:39.referee, the maul has become a ruck. Hardly did well, there. Two offside,

:09:40. > :09:46.Hartley one of them. Scrum or line-out? It is going to come now.

:09:47. > :09:49.REFEREE: You can't continue to concede penalties every time you are

:09:50. > :09:55.defending. If the trend continues, one goes to the bin. Well, that is

:09:56. > :10:09.quite clear. Wales just have to keep their

:10:10. > :10:15.discipline, here. Set it up properly. Luke Charteris does that.

:10:16. > :10:25.They all pile in. The backs pouring in. England have reduced it to a

:10:26. > :10:29.ruck again which is part of the operation. WHISTLE

:10:30. > :10:36.Someone is going. Someone has to go now, he delivered the warning. It is

:10:37. > :10:44.Dan Cole. It is like Luke Charteris, he looked for the person in pain and

:10:45. > :10:50.compounded it. REFEREE: You collapsed the maul that was going

:10:51. > :10:54.forward. From an England point of view, when they have got the Welsh

:10:55. > :11:00.initial maul going backwards, that is when to take it down, not when

:11:01. > :11:06.you are going backwards. Contact has been made to the face of white

:11:07. > :11:12.number three. This may explain why Dan Cole was in pain. He has not

:11:13. > :11:18.hurt him, it was a flick but it was gouging the eyes. It is just the

:11:19. > :11:22.colour. The red player's fingers have made contact with the base of

:11:23. > :11:25.white three. It is in conclusive, due to only having one angle,

:11:26. > :11:32.whether the action was deliberate or not. I would be satisfied with a

:11:33. > :11:36.penalty kick for contact with the face will stop you know what? That

:11:37. > :11:39.is a copout. If you have an angle which shows you that you what

:11:40. > :11:48.happened, why do you need another to show you is what happened? --

:11:49. > :11:53.exactly what happened. Faletau feeding Rhys Webb. Rhys Priestland,

:11:54. > :11:58.fresh on. Jonathan Davies to Liam Williams and back the Davies Ana

:11:59. > :12:03.Pastor George North! Wales score! -- and the path to George North. Six

:12:04. > :12:10.and a bit minutes to go, George North with a second try for Wales.

:12:11. > :12:15.When you play positively from the scrum ball, you might score again.

:12:16. > :12:21.11 points, the difference. Great off-load. Lovely. Jonathan Davies,

:12:22. > :12:24.this is a difficult pass, well floated beyond the England three

:12:25. > :12:30.quarters and George North with the finish. Suddenly a spring in the

:12:31. > :12:35.Welsh step. Roberts. Liam Williams. Jonathan Davies. Out to the try

:12:36. > :12:47.scoring George North. North, up to the England 22. Reece Webb-Foster

:12:48. > :12:53.Bradley Davies. -- Rhys Webb changes direction. Davies, take the contact.

:12:54. > :13:20.Rhys Webb. Rhys Priestland. A little dart on

:13:21. > :13:30.his own. Webb. Faletau for the line! Wales with a third try! Is their

:13:31. > :13:37.time? Dan Cole's yellow card is proving very costly. As soon as

:13:38. > :13:42.Wales got a bit of belief and a bit of momentum, it's an entirely

:13:43. > :13:51.different game. Charteris is waiting. England's defence around

:13:52. > :13:55.the fringes is solid. What is it like out here? George North for the

:13:56. > :14:02.line! He's in touch. That's it, I think. Ten seconds to go, the

:14:03. > :14:06.referee's whistle has gone. They should take the line-out. Manu

:14:07. > :14:13.Tuilagi returns and makes a contribution by putting George North

:14:14. > :14:20.out of play. Up they go. They win it through Joe Launchbury. Danny Care

:14:21. > :14:26.kicks it into the crowd! England survive the late challenge by Wales.

:14:27. > :14:31.Eddie Jones' team are on track for the Grand Slam but there was drama

:14:32. > :14:39.and to the end. The final score at Twickenham, unbeaten England 25-21

:14:40. > :14:43.Wales. It was two games in one, the 60 minute we were pretty good and

:14:44. > :14:48.the last 20, Wales were pretty good but lucky we had 60 and they only

:14:49. > :14:52.had 20. Where were Wales in the first 40? We were terrible, did not

:14:53. > :14:56.turn up, really unlike us. I said in the box after 25 minutes, did I need

:14:57. > :15:01.to make changes? Make some replacements to get some energy into

:15:02. > :15:03.the first half because like I said, it was very unlike us, very

:15:04. > :15:10.disappointing. It nearly cost us the game. What is it like to be man of

:15:11. > :15:13.the match in your second start for England? I think it is more pleasing

:15:14. > :15:17.to be part of a winning team. I'm very fortunate to be a part of this

:15:18. > :15:22.team. I really enjoyed myself so far. I hope it continues. Do you

:15:23. > :15:27.think Tomas Francis is going to attract the attention of the citing

:15:28. > :15:31.officer? The TMO said it was not conclusive in his opinion, to be

:15:32. > :15:39.honest, when I first saw it, it did not look brilliant. But I've only

:15:40. > :15:44.just seen it like everyone else. You have got one hand on the Six Nations

:15:45. > :15:47.trophy. Finish the job? All we have got to do and worry about is

:15:48. > :15:52.preparing well now. If we prepare well, we will play well so we will

:15:53. > :15:57.prepare well. Happy to embrace the fact the Grand Slam is on in Paris?

:15:58. > :16:05.Yes, that's it now, the aim is to win the Grand Slam. This is how the

:16:06. > :16:08.table looks after Ireland's emphatic victory over Italy, and we will show

:16:09. > :16:14.you the best bits of that in a while. England are set to perhaps

:16:15. > :16:17.take a Grand Slam in Paris next weekend. Lots to discuss about that

:16:18. > :16:20.game, not least things that have come to light this morning. We will

:16:21. > :16:23.talk about Tomas Francis and possibly the eye gouging accusation

:16:24. > :16:29.and also an incident involving Joe Marler, of which more in a moment or

:16:30. > :16:32.so. A lot of Welsh bands last night, with mock irony, where saying it was

:16:33. > :16:36.almost a bigger robbery than Hatton Garden if Wales had come through and

:16:37. > :16:41.won it at the end but right at the end, could Wales have won it if

:16:42. > :16:47.George North... He was not in touch, was he? I don't think he was, no. If

:16:48. > :16:52.you look at the replay, Itoje had got Webb lined up.

:16:53. > :16:58.It goes to the left-hand side. It is a lovely pass and they change their

:16:59. > :17:02.tactics were to change the game. He's not in touch but Itoje is all

:17:03. > :17:08.over Webb. He would have nailed him anyway. Definitely not in touch, the

:17:09. > :17:12.ball is gone, his foot is not in touch, his knee is not on the

:17:13. > :17:18.ground. It is play on. But I think Itoje had it covered. He would have

:17:19. > :17:23.put it into the third row of the stand, maybe so luckily the whistle

:17:24. > :17:26.had gone. What did you make of England? I love the style they are

:17:27. > :17:30.playing with. Eddie Jones has instilled this belief, play what is

:17:31. > :17:34.in front of you, heads up rugby. He's taken his time. It took Stuart

:17:35. > :17:37.Lancaster four seasons and it did not quite happen but with Eddie

:17:38. > :17:42.Jones, they have been heads up and playing with tempo. And the accuracy

:17:43. > :17:46.is what is causing defences problems. Here we see the Welsh

:17:47. > :17:51.defence, all good, so England decide to hit hard and suck in the defence.

:17:52. > :17:53.Dylan Hartley goes in and sucks in the defence. George North is always

:17:54. > :17:57.edging towards the breakdown and that is the space England need to

:17:58. > :18:01.attack. Great off-load from Dylan Hartley, Ford reads it and they

:18:02. > :18:05.attack the space they saw earlier. Great communication and great use of

:18:06. > :18:10.space and accuracy in execution. Again, quick ball after another poor

:18:11. > :18:14.kick from Wales, they capitalise. George Kruis sucking in the defence

:18:15. > :18:18.again. When Young's was brilliant in his distribution and running

:18:19. > :18:21.yesterday. Jack Nowell, they don't lose their heads, they know what

:18:22. > :18:26.they are doing, reproduce the ball, quickly if they can, Davies has

:18:27. > :18:30.overrun so they can bust group and he just needs to pin his ears back

:18:31. > :18:33.and go for the corner. Mike Brown will look at that and be a bit

:18:34. > :18:44.disappointed. He could have scored a try, there. If you just watch, they

:18:45. > :18:48.had a lot of opportunities. They all played really well. Another

:18:49. > :18:52.opportunity, like Jerry said, two against one, if he holds on comedy

:18:53. > :18:56.scores again. That is communication and I guess it is the confidence of

:18:57. > :19:01.George Ford, he should have sucked in Dan Biggar and released Watson.

:19:02. > :19:05.What I like about England, the general we cycling of the ball is

:19:06. > :19:07.very quick. When it was quick, George Ford stepped in and the ball

:19:08. > :19:12.hit him and he controlled it. When it was slow, the forwards were

:19:13. > :19:16.chucking it up so the game management was very good. They had

:19:17. > :19:19.speedy recycling. They cut Wales open in the first ten or 15 minutes

:19:20. > :19:23.and they could have scored a few tries. I was watching it in the

:19:24. > :19:26.stand yesterday and I was impressed with England, the build-up play we

:19:27. > :19:29.have seen and if they'd been a bit more clinical, the game was over by

:19:30. > :19:34.half-time. A hugely dominant first 40 minutes. Warren Gatland said that

:19:35. > :19:39.Wales were terrible in his interview. Why were they terrible?

:19:40. > :19:42.The line speed was poor and the distribution was poor. They made a

:19:43. > :19:49.lot of mistakes and yet the biggest attacking ploy was the up and under.

:19:50. > :19:54.But they lost the aerial battle. The chase was not good, here. They just

:19:55. > :19:57.handed possession over to England. When they had possession, they

:19:58. > :20:01.kicked it and lost the aerial battle and the chase was not good. When

:20:02. > :20:05.they had the ball in the line-out, they lost a few line-outs,

:20:06. > :20:10.crucially, one in the England 22. But also, they missed 19 tackles in

:20:11. > :20:15.the first half, and there's two of them which led to the Watson dry.

:20:16. > :20:19.Add to that turnovers. But no matter how badly Wales played, they had

:20:20. > :20:23.opportunities. Look at this. The ball goes out and he's got to stay

:20:24. > :20:27.on the outside, Baldwin, if he just stayed and goes outside, hits the

:20:28. > :20:34.angle, draws the winger, there's two men on the outside. The ball goes to

:20:35. > :20:42.ground. When Wales were chasing the game, they changed their style of

:20:43. > :20:45.football. Vunipola was in the outside centre position on numerous

:20:46. > :20:49.occasions. If you just sit at watch and look at where he is, no matter

:20:50. > :20:53.how badly Wales played, they still had opportunities. With the risk of

:20:54. > :20:57.sounding like a stuck record, but we have said it in the last two weeks,

:20:58. > :21:00.the whole thing about our Wales are going to go on tour to New Zealand

:21:01. > :21:03.in the summer, how they are going to be the big dogs in the southern

:21:04. > :21:07.hemisphere, you're not going to do it by just defending, are you? You

:21:08. > :21:10.have to be more positive and attacking and in a sense, that is

:21:11. > :21:14.what England were from the first yesterday. I think England have

:21:15. > :21:18.played with that attitude throughout the championship so far, they have

:21:19. > :21:22.had ten or 11 tries, and 80% of them have been from heads up rugby.

:21:23. > :21:26.They've not been caught in the line-out, driven, rolling maul,

:21:27. > :21:30.flopped over the line. It has been playing what's in front of them,

:21:31. > :21:34.with good communication and excellent decision-making. If Wales

:21:35. > :21:37.played against New Zealand for the first 40 minutes, that's 40 points

:21:38. > :21:42.because New Zealand are so clinical when they get those opportunities.

:21:43. > :21:47.They need to step up. Quickly, Maro Itoje, are we seeing the gestation

:21:48. > :21:51.of a potential rugby superstar? I think so, I watched him alone for

:21:52. > :21:54.ten or 15 minutes and it's not just the physical specimen and making

:21:55. > :21:57.good decisions, it is when he chooses to go in and out of contact

:21:58. > :22:02.and what he reads in front of him. He reads the game well. I remember

:22:03. > :22:05.Richard Hill, the great Saracens and England flanker, saw this guy a

:22:06. > :22:09.couple of years ago and he's really come to the fore now. He's

:22:10. > :22:13.outstanding and is only going to get better. It will be dusting to see

:22:14. > :22:20.where his best position is, four or six? Wherever it is only going to be

:22:21. > :22:23.pretty handy. Some controversy to talk about, unfortunately. James

:22:24. > :22:26.Haskell said this week that he feels that slow motion replays in

:22:27. > :22:30.instances of outlay can sometimes slightly miserable event what

:22:31. > :22:35.happened. But we have the Tomas Francis potential eye gouging. What

:22:36. > :22:39.do we think of this? At the very least, it is reckless. You can see

:22:40. > :22:43.him coming in. I think he knows what he's doing. He's going in there and

:22:44. > :22:47.he's great across. You know what? Six weeks ago, we would have had a

:22:48. > :22:50.different view but in light of the precedent set by Chris Ashton who

:22:51. > :22:54.got ten weeks for something that I don't think was as bad as that, I

:22:55. > :23:01.think he will get 12 weeks minimum and maybe more. No matter how you

:23:02. > :23:03.look at it, it does not look good. The only defence he has, when he

:23:04. > :23:07.goes in, his eyes are closed. Maybe that is the only evidence. But they

:23:08. > :23:17.were open just before that as he sweeps through. But I think Ashton's

:23:18. > :23:20.ban has set the precedent now. Now we have two incidents, one

:23:21. > :23:23.definitely involving Joe Marler and one potentially. The first is a

:23:24. > :23:30.forearm jab comes smashed over the goal line. Is that kind of just part

:23:31. > :23:34.of the game? It is, unfortunately. It's not great for the youngsters to

:23:35. > :23:37.see but these two had handbags in early scrum and that is continuing

:23:38. > :23:43.it. Joe Marler had the opportunity to get a little one up on Samson Lee

:23:44. > :23:48.and he did. It was not huge but it was unnecessary. The way the game is

:23:49. > :23:52.going, that is a sighting. Yes, OK kids may be part of the game, the

:23:53. > :23:59.skulduggery of the front row but it is a sighting if they see it on TV.

:24:00. > :24:02.-- he should be cited. Any player who has an opportunity like that

:24:03. > :24:07.today, they will take it but it might get looked at again. One other

:24:08. > :24:10.news story, basically we will stop talking for a moment and play you

:24:11. > :24:14.this bit of BT and you can hear potentially perhaps some racist

:24:15. > :24:15.words that are uttered during the course of the game at Twickenham

:24:16. > :24:36.yesterday. Here we go. You might have heard the words,

:24:37. > :24:39."Gypsy boy" uttered by one player to another. The Six Nations committee

:24:40. > :24:43.have said they are going to investigate that bit of footage and

:24:44. > :24:47.they will act accordingly. We will wait and see what happens over the

:24:48. > :24:52.course of the next 48 hours or so. Staying with yesterday, let's go to

:24:53. > :24:54.the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland winning very conclusively against

:24:55. > :24:59.Italy but perhaps more to the point, there was a moment in this match

:25:00. > :25:05.yesterday, a throwback to the 1970s, try that absolutely magnificent. --

:25:06. > :25:10.a try that was absolutely magnificent.

:25:11. > :25:13.COMMENTATOR: Angus Gardner, the Australian referee, taking charge of

:25:14. > :25:17.his first Six Nations game. Conditions near enough perfect at

:25:18. > :25:20.the Aviva Stadium, Lansdowne Road. Of the outside of the boot by

:25:21. > :25:23.Sexton, touched in flight as well and Italy are panicking slightly,

:25:24. > :25:28.picked up by Jared Payne, looking for support. Ireland with their

:25:29. > :25:34.first real threat. It goes left and it will be a try, surely for Andrew

:25:35. > :25:38.Trimble? Can he get it down? He does. His strength is there and so

:25:39. > :25:42.is the dry and Island opened the scoring through Andrew Trimble.

:25:43. > :25:48.Conor Murray has a look at what is on offer. Devin Toner is there. He

:25:49. > :25:56.tumbles to the ground. Murray thinks he sees a gap. CJ Stander has a

:25:57. > :26:00.drive. Ireland, making good ground, Jack McGrath is there and he is

:26:01. > :26:07.over! But it looks to be held up. We will see. Try all not, simple

:26:08. > :26:10.question, not that it is held up, it is whether he dropped it going over

:26:11. > :26:18.the line, Jack McGrath. Oh, that is a try. Ireland's line-out, very

:26:19. > :26:23.quiet around this stadium. Van der Flier. Murray. Sexton, lovely pass

:26:24. > :26:28.to Keith Earls, who has support, flings it out wide and it is Trimble

:26:29. > :26:35.again! He checks, still going, looking for support, Keith Earls is

:26:36. > :26:45.there. Five metres short. The try line was calling. Andrew Trimble

:26:46. > :26:50.once again. Rory Best. Ireland is now trying to do it through the

:26:51. > :26:54.forwards. Murray to CJ Stander. Driving and still going and

:26:55. > :27:00.stretching and scoring, CJ Stander! Ireland's third try. A first try in

:27:01. > :27:09.Irish colours will CJ Stander. And a hat-trick of tries now for Ireland.

:27:10. > :27:13.-- for CJ Stander. Sexton, looping around McFadden and Simon Zebo into

:27:14. > :27:17.the space. Lovely off-load, finding support from Jared Payne and back to

:27:18. > :27:22.Sexton. Wonderful play by Ireland. Trumbull looking for support

:27:23. > :27:26.infield. McFadden is there. He has support outside in Jamie Heaslip

:27:27. > :27:31.will arrive! What a try, what a try, to bring the Aviva Stadium to its

:27:32. > :27:37.feet and end this first half! Ireland have a fourth try and what

:27:38. > :27:43.try it was. Four good tries for Ireland, one very good try to finish

:27:44. > :27:47.the first half. Palazzani, finding Padovani. Interception and a drive

:27:48. > :27:51.for Ireland! Jared Payne takes the gift and scores the try! Ireland

:27:52. > :28:00.with a fifth, right at the start of the second half. Best again. This

:28:01. > :28:03.time, it is to Ryan at the back and Island, pouring around the fringes

:28:04. > :28:08.and driving up to within a few metres again. CJ Stander in there.

:28:09. > :28:12.Playing it back for our -- laying it back for Ireland to come again.

:28:13. > :28:14.Murray has forward that close quarters, driving through the front

:28:15. > :28:21.row, towards the line, Murray tries to diving himself and so close.

:28:22. > :28:28.Still there, for Ireland. McGrath at the back. One hand on it. He goes,

:28:29. > :28:36.now. Still just short. Heaslip, in support. Heaslip, now, towards the

:28:37. > :28:42.line, over the line and down! The try is there! Another try for

:28:43. > :28:50.Ireland! Half a dozen, and Jamie Heaslip again gets over the line.

:28:51. > :28:54.Keith Earls takes it quickly. Taken by Sarto but not held back on his

:28:55. > :29:01.feet and driving on and Murray picks up and feeds and a drive for Cronin,

:29:02. > :29:07.his seventh drive for Ireland. They are cutting loose. Smiles all round.

:29:08. > :29:11.-- be seventh try for Ireland. It is becoming something of a rout, here.

:29:12. > :29:16.Italy in a threatening position. WHISTLE

:29:17. > :29:21.Great play from Campagnaro. Italy get a penalty and take it quickly.

:29:22. > :29:26.Padovani, for the line himself. Three or four green shirts suddenly

:29:27. > :29:31.appeared to drive him back. Long, looping pass and a chance! Italy

:29:32. > :29:41.have a try! Something to celebrate, here. And avid idiot he gets his

:29:42. > :29:46.first try for Italy. -- O'Dea yeti gets his first try. Cronin, ma'am

:29:47. > :29:53.Ian, Madigan and round the corner he goes for the try! Ian Madigan gets

:29:54. > :29:57.over. Ireland have another try. They passed 50 point and it was coming

:29:58. > :30:01.and it comes eventually for Ian Madigan.

:30:02. > :30:07.Italy threatening once more, Sergio Parisse is the link man. Flung out

:30:08. > :30:11.wide and it will be a run in four Leonardo Sarto and Italy's second

:30:12. > :30:19.try and eventually, Ireland's defence breaks down. 14 phases and

:30:20. > :30:23.counting now as Ruddock carries it in. Almost breaks free and the crowd

:30:24. > :30:28.begins to make a bit more noise. Oh, straight through to McFadden and he

:30:29. > :30:34.scores! Ireland will have the final say in this match. A thumping,

:30:35. > :30:41.really, of Italy and they move on with a 58-15 win over Italy.

:30:42. > :30:45.Ireland were pretty good. I was expecting Phil Bennett to appear

:30:46. > :30:49.somewhere in that Irish try somewhere. It was a throwback.

:30:50. > :30:53.Brilliant try. Ireland went out to play. They had something to prove.

:30:54. > :30:57.They've been disappointing this year. They were disappointed with

:30:58. > :31:03.themselves. It's a lovely run around. Zebo adds a little bit of

:31:04. > :31:13.class. Inside support. They all want to score. Look at them. Heaslip

:31:14. > :31:18.finishes. A brim yn try. Perfect day. Conditions were fantastic for

:31:19. > :31:22.rugby and they came to play. Ireland have had a lot of problems with

:31:23. > :31:25.injuries and maybe not playing great. That was a day they went out

:31:26. > :31:29.and played. We know their players are good. They showed that. I

:31:30. > :31:35.thought, I have to say, that Italy were really poor. If you were Connor

:31:36. > :31:40.O Shea who is going to take over the Italy team and you saw that are you

:31:41. > :31:43.thinking have I made a poor decision here? You are probably - well, not

:31:44. > :31:47.poor decision but the only way is up. They can't get any worse. They

:31:48. > :31:54.have better players than they showed yesterday. In particular the backs,

:31:55. > :31:57.they've got something. A few players they can build a team around but

:31:58. > :32:01.that was poor yesterday. There is enough class in there for the likes

:32:02. > :32:05.of Connor to work with and improve. I think they've dropped down a

:32:06. > :32:08.little bit because not so many players are playing overseas,

:32:09. > :32:12.they're playing in Italy. Fitness, there is a good enough skills set to

:32:13. > :32:18.challenge even harder. OK. I can tell you I heard in the last minute

:32:19. > :32:22.or so after what we mentioned earlier on about the statement about

:32:23. > :32:27.somebody offering racist abuse at Twickenham yesterday that the RFU

:32:28. > :32:31.have issued a statement in the last few moments saying that Joe Marler

:32:32. > :32:36.apologised at half-time during the game at Twickenham yesterday and

:32:37. > :32:39.Eddie Jones, the England coach, apparently, has reminded Joe of his

:32:40. > :32:43.responsibilities as an England rugby player. Not sure if that means it's

:32:44. > :32:48.the end of the matter. Subsequently it was clearly the matter was

:32:49. > :32:53.addressed in the immediate heat of the moment yesterday at Twickenham

:32:54. > :32:58.at half-time in the match with England and Wales. Obviously, the

:32:59. > :33:01.potential citing incident of Thomas Francis, we will wait and hear about

:33:02. > :33:06.that in the next 48 hours. Enough of yesterday. Let's move on to today.

:33:07. > :33:10.What can we expect at Murrayfield this afternoon?

:33:11. > :33:14.After 15 tries yesterday, there is a huge travelling support for the

:33:15. > :33:18.French team as there was in Wales two weeks ago. This is a big, big

:33:19. > :33:24.chance for Scotland because only once, only once in the history of

:33:25. > :33:29.the Six Nations have they beaten France.

:33:30. > :33:40.Scotland against the French. An upset might not be out of the

:33:41. > :33:46.question today. This is scintillating stuff. They

:33:47. > :33:51.have to score, they do score! What a magical start for Scotland. They are

:33:52. > :33:57.ahead. The forwards have taken the game to

:33:58. > :34:02.the French. They've driven them back ten metres. Goodness me! Oh!

:34:03. > :34:08.Extraordinary. This is much better from the French.

:34:09. > :34:20.Surely they must score. And they do. Oh! It gives them a glimmer.

:34:21. > :34:23.Scottish pandemonium. The most extraordinary result. Scotland have

:34:24. > :34:31.beaten the French at Murrayfield for the first time in a decade.

:34:32. > :34:37.So, here are the Scottish team and the French team arriving, a decade

:34:38. > :34:42.on from that. There's not a single player in the French squad who has

:34:43. > :34:47.ever lost to Scotland. There is only one player in the Scottish team,

:34:48. > :34:51.Sean, Lamont who has ever beaten France. The history books are very

:34:52. > :34:54.much against Scotland today. But it's an intriguing game,

:34:55. > :34:57.nonetheless. Penny for the coach's thoughts at the moment. We have

:34:58. > :35:05.upgraded while you were watching those pictures. We have got a shot

:35:06. > :35:10.of Jonathan and Andy and replaced them. Afternoon guys. One of of the

:35:11. > :35:13.extraordinary mysteries of not just this championship but the last few

:35:14. > :35:17.championships, has been where has the French rugby team gone? There

:35:18. > :35:20.were moments in Wales two weeks ago where it looked like they never met

:35:21. > :35:31.before. The might game. Rugby under the

:35:32. > :35:42.stars. New France coming to Cardiff and play. Like this. Oh, yes. The

:35:43. > :35:56.more familiar scenes of the Six Nations. Boom, boom, boot! The

:35:57. > :36:05.skilful talk The physically dominant rule. Use the ball. Lose the ball

:36:06. > :36:13.and there is a price. A sweet left boot and George's right. A

:36:14. > :36:18.write-off. Right back on. Everything all right on the night. Five

:36:19. > :36:23.consecutive wins for Wales over France. This balance between ruling

:36:24. > :36:33.power and lost poetry. It's a head scratcher.

:36:34. > :36:39.France and Wales two weeks ago. A bit of a mess, let's be honest,

:36:40. > :36:43.weren't they? Yeah, it was. I have lost against Scotland a long time

:36:44. > :36:46.ago, but when you play for France the crowd always expect that you are

:36:47. > :36:50.going to win against Scotland but this Scottish team plays much

:36:51. > :36:55.better. I think the confidence is not there into the French camp. OK.

:36:56. > :37:02.We can get reaction, or thoughts from the French camp.

:37:03. > :37:05.The history books say that France have beaten Scotland for the last

:37:06. > :37:16.ten years. It's a new year. A new team. Are France favourites today? I

:37:17. > :37:22.don't think so. Since two seasons they are doing a magnificent job.

:37:23. > :37:32.Scotland is improving season after season. We know that the last World

:37:33. > :37:40.Cup Scotland could be a fantastic semifinalist. So on new way since

:37:41. > :37:42.the World Cup and trying to create our own history, we don't care about

:37:43. > :37:47.statistics and history. We know Scotland will be a tough, a very

:37:48. > :37:50.good opponent today. In the preparation for this match what has

:37:51. > :37:58.France been working on to ensure that they get a win over Scotland

:37:59. > :38:04.here at Murrayfield? On our two last games, the beginning of the match

:38:05. > :38:09.was not really not fantastic for us. Against Ireland and against Wales.

:38:10. > :38:13.Our first half were really poor, so we train to start very well the game

:38:14. > :38:17.today. We know it's really important because Scotland is a very proud

:38:18. > :38:25.team and the crowd is fantastic here so we have to make a good first half

:38:26. > :38:28.if you want to have a victory here. One of the extraordinary things

:38:29. > :38:32.about French rugby over the last five years has been the lack of

:38:33. > :38:37.consistency in selection at halfback. You can see that today we

:38:38. > :38:44.have the 19th pairing in 48 matches with the scrum-half and the

:38:45. > :38:49.outside-half, numbers nine and ten. Trinh-Duc, finally, gets the nod to

:38:50. > :38:52.start today in the number 10 jersey. Thomas, you have been a huge fan of

:38:53. > :38:56.Trinh-Duc for many years. Yet he is in one moment, he is out the next.

:38:57. > :38:59.How can you ever establish any authority in that position if you

:39:00. > :39:04.never know if you are going to be picked? Yeah, it's very hard. When

:39:05. > :39:08.you have to be a leader of the team, when you have to bring your team

:39:09. > :39:12.forward you have to know that your coach is confident in you and that

:39:13. > :39:16.wasn't the case. He has been picked for the World Cup for trainings, but

:39:17. > :39:19.he hasn't been picked then for the selection. Now he is called back. He

:39:20. > :39:24.has lots of experience. His defence is very good. I think he learned a

:39:25. > :39:28.lot from that. When he came on against Wales France did start

:39:29. > :39:31.playing better. Yeah, he came on and in a good situation because France

:39:32. > :39:36.had to play and I think Scotland was a bit tired. Every time you can see

:39:37. > :39:40.when there is a mismatch to the defence he manages to find the gaps.

:39:41. > :39:47.His eyes are always open to go to the defence. He attacks the line

:39:48. > :39:52.quite well. The guys playing with him they know if you don't run after

:39:53. > :39:57.him quickly they can not reach him because he is very quick. He has

:39:58. > :40:04.depth and time to pass or to kick. With the Scotland today that will be

:40:05. > :40:09.the main point. If Trinh-Duc can get this from the forwards today against

:40:10. > :40:13.Scotland with Vakatawa, if the communication is good and the

:40:14. > :40:19.execution and decision-making in tandem, then Scotland's defence has

:40:20. > :40:23.to be rock solid. That's a bunch of talent. We have seen Trinh-Duc's

:40:24. > :40:27.vision. He has brought in defenders. He knows space is out there. As long

:40:28. > :40:31.as he can draw those defenders in France is away. That's what he will

:40:32. > :40:35.be hole be to do this afternoon. It's a shame over the last seasons

:40:36. > :40:38.we have seem to be looking at the negatives from a French perspective.

:40:39. > :40:42.Do you think at least one positive is that you now have a captain who

:40:43. > :40:47.really is leading by example and somebody who might in years to come

:40:48. > :40:52.be a real talisman for the side? Yeah, we had concern at the start of

:40:53. > :40:55.the tournament by naming Guirado as the captain because we weren't sure

:40:56. > :41:00.about his abilities but he has shown, game after game, that he is

:41:01. > :41:03.the leader of that team. He made fantastic contributions to the

:41:04. > :41:12.games. His line-outs were very good. Every time he had the ball he went

:41:13. > :41:17.forward. He can make yards in difficult moments. OK. His

:41:18. > :41:19.improvement - he is going as a leader and Scotland have to be aware

:41:20. > :41:26.of him this afternoon. All right. We will talk about

:41:27. > :41:31.Scotland in a moment. Next weekend it's the culmination of our sports

:41:32. > :41:36.re - Our Sport Relief weekend, if we go down to the touchline Lee is down

:41:37. > :41:40.there with a young man who can tell you what it does in a practical way.

:41:41. > :41:46.Yeah, I am here with Kevin, a huge supporter of Sport Relief because it

:41:47. > :41:50.has been such a huge supporter of him. Tell us about the involvement

:41:51. > :41:58.of Sport Relief and the charity you work with. Well, I came through, I

:41:59. > :42:03.have been there four years, I came through on an apprenticeship

:42:04. > :42:08.programme with a Sport Relief fund. I have been there four years. You

:42:09. > :42:13.work with them as a community project. They also helped you go to

:42:14. > :42:20.university. You finished university in May, as well. I did - I worked my

:42:21. > :42:24.myself up to college and uni. I am finishing in May. It's exciting

:42:25. > :42:28.times. It is and it's exciting here today, as well. Tell us about what

:42:29. > :42:32.you are here to do. You are going to be on the pitch, not playing for

:42:33. > :42:38.Scotland, you are relieved. I am going to be a flag-bearer, I will

:42:39. > :42:43.come out and hold the flag up for RBS in Scotland in front of 67,000

:42:44. > :42:46.fans, which is brilliant. You become one of those fans and get one of the

:42:47. > :42:51.best seats in the house. Kevin, thank you for talking to us. Enjoy

:42:52. > :43:00.the day. Thank you very much. You can donate ?5 to Sport Relief by

:43:01. > :43:08.texting rugby to 70005. 100% of that money goes to Sport Relief. You must

:43:09. > :43:12.be 16 or over and ask the bill payer's permission. You can go to

:43:13. > :43:15.the website for full conditions. To Scotland this afternoon. More

:43:16. > :43:22.importantly, to Scotland two weeks ago. A victory, at last.

:43:23. > :43:30.Scotland's challenge, how to make a kiwi smile in Rome. How to break a

:43:31. > :43:38.run of nine defeats in the row in the Six Nations. This will do for

:43:39. > :43:48.starters. And this will do for seconds. Careful, Vern! Italy doing

:43:49. > :43:54.the sums. Working out the numbers. Staying in the chase.

:43:55. > :43:59.Scotland with the last word. A little piece of Stuart Hogg and his

:44:00. > :44:03.most artful, relief and joy for Scotland. Clear and obvious. Vern

:44:04. > :44:16.smiling? Nearly there. That last long overdue victory last

:44:17. > :44:21.time out, I am sure you are going to tell me there's been no change since

:44:22. > :44:26.then, has there been a change in atmosphere in the camp, relief? It

:44:27. > :44:32.would be fair to say that training on Tuesday was a happier occasion

:44:33. > :44:35.than it has been previously. So, it didn't stop us getting down to

:44:36. > :44:38.quickly looking at the French and what they're going to offer here.

:44:39. > :44:42.What they can possibly offer. The focus has shifted to that, which is

:44:43. > :44:48.a good thing because it's nice to win and perhaps we don't win as

:44:49. > :44:51.often as we would like. We did take the positives from it and tried to

:44:52. > :44:56.put on a game plan for today's match. You know the French rugby

:44:57. > :44:59.well. Wesley this week said he was everything to you in terms of

:45:00. > :45:08.getting his break. What do you expect of this French side today, do

:45:09. > :45:14.they hold fear for Scotland? Look, it's been ten years since we have

:45:15. > :45:19.beaten them, one day we will. Is it going to be today? The guys here, in

:45:20. > :45:23.a good manner, we need to put in a sustained effort for 80 minutes. And

:45:24. > :45:26.try and improve on things that we did last week. It wasn't perfect,

:45:27. > :45:32.so, it's been a real challenge within the group to get better, get

:45:33. > :45:36.your feet back on the ground and try and rise to the challenge. I think

:45:37. > :45:39.we have a few arguments we can put out there on the paddock and

:45:40. > :45:45.hopefully they can have them chasing us around.

:45:46. > :45:49.Here is a fact. Since the Finley Brothers played for Scotland in

:45:50. > :45:56.1875, 46 sets of brothers have played international rugby for

:45:57. > :46:04.Scotland, only 21 in the same match. The Grays, there is Richie are the

:46:05. > :46:15.brothers in arms today. Who is the most organised? Who is the best

:46:16. > :46:18.dancer? Yeah, you too. How would you describe your brother's game?

:46:19. > :46:22.Probably speed. Speed and strength. Physical. If you need somebody to

:46:23. > :46:28.pick up a ball and go forward, he is your man to do it. Just a great

:46:29. > :46:35.all-rounder who works hard. Who takes the longest to get ready?

:46:36. > :46:41.Yeah, hair and stuff. To get that Six Nations win last time out how

:46:42. > :46:46.special was that? Seymour seals the deal! Yeah, everyone was very proud

:46:47. > :46:50.of it. Every year, every game is getting harder and teams are getting

:46:51. > :46:54.better. We were up against a tough physical pack and some runners

:46:55. > :46:58.there. So, we looked at it and what improvements to be made. To finally

:46:59. > :47:02.get the win against a tough opposition in Rome was great. A

:47:03. > :47:06.sense of relief, enjoyment and it was great. But we need to continue

:47:07. > :47:12.to work hard and hopefully get one this weekend, as well. Who is the

:47:13. > :47:17.best cook? Without a doubt. Yeah, true. Do Scotland have what it takes

:47:18. > :47:21.to beat France on Sunday? Yeah, I think we do. We know how hard it's

:47:22. > :47:25.going to be. We looked at France and we are going to be under stress at

:47:26. > :47:31.the weekend. They're a big physical side. Big heavy guys with some very

:47:32. > :47:38.decent backs, as well. It will be a very tough challenge at the weekend.

:47:39. > :47:46.Who will finish up their Scotland career with the most caps?

:47:47. > :47:49.Johnny has time on his side, he is five years younger than his brother.

:47:50. > :47:51.It seems from that short piece there, are they different

:47:52. > :48:03.personalities? Absolutely. Completely different. Richie is more

:48:04. > :48:06.extroverted. In terms of leadership Johnny leads the Glasgow Warriors,

:48:07. > :48:10.he leads by example. His work rate is phenomenal. He almost breaks

:48:11. > :48:16.records for the number of records he holds. And his carries and tackles,

:48:17. > :48:20.it's a phenomenal player. He has helped Richie, he has seen his

:48:21. > :48:25.little brother coming along and that rivalry has pushed him along. He has

:48:26. > :48:28.made 100 consecutive tackles at the moment, Johnny, which for a second

:48:29. > :48:31.row is extraordinary. Talk about their role in the restarts. The

:48:32. > :48:35.restart is such a fundamental area of the game these days in terms of

:48:36. > :48:42.either winning possession back or retaining it. Where do they fit in

:48:43. > :48:48.that? This is one of the biggest from Italy. You see after the

:48:49. > :48:55.restarts, the first thing they do is recognise the chaser. All three

:48:56. > :48:58.times here it's Parisse. The kick-offs are flat. They're low. It

:48:59. > :49:01.doesn't give the defending team to get a lifting pod underneath the

:49:02. > :49:08.ball to lift. That's where you have to get off the ground really

:49:09. > :49:12.quickly. For me this afternoon the midfield, Lauret may chase.

:49:13. > :49:16.Identifying who is likely and getting a body in front is important

:49:17. > :49:19.for Scotland. We have spent time here talking about Scottish

:49:20. > :49:22.forwards, perhaps less time talking about Scottish backs. Tommy Seymour

:49:23. > :49:26.seems like the real deal as far as playing on the wing is concerned. He

:49:27. > :49:30.plays well really well. The back three play well together. He has

:49:31. > :49:34.lots of speed and lots of steps. Every time he gets the ball he is a

:49:35. > :49:39.danger, a threat. That will be a concern for the French kicking game.

:49:40. > :49:45.If we kick back and these players can make the difference. You can see

:49:46. > :49:52.there, he is very opportunistic. Every time he can get the ball, he

:49:53. > :49:58.can get involved, he does. Tommy Seymour scored seven tries in the

:49:59. > :50:04.last eight appearances, including the World Cup. I think he scored 13

:50:05. > :50:07.out of 25 caps. This is partly Tommy Seymour's brilliance and also Stuart

:50:08. > :50:11.Hogg and the length in that back three and how Vern Cotter wants

:50:12. > :50:16.Scotland to play. We can see the strike rate and how

:50:17. > :50:19.high up he is in the pecking order of all-time Scottish try scorers.

:50:20. > :50:24.One of the key elements about playing on the ring is you have to

:50:25. > :50:28.have players inside who can give you the ball at the right time. What do

:50:29. > :50:32.you make of the centre partnership? They've been flush with the quality

:50:33. > :50:36.they've had the last few seasons. They've had injuries which means

:50:37. > :50:41.that the combinations haven't had a time to bed in. When you have

:50:42. > :50:45.players like Duncan Taylor playing at Saracens and the quality they're

:50:46. > :50:49.playing, they're sizeable guys, as well, they can put a good dent into

:50:50. > :50:55.this French defence. The interesting thing this weekend is Taylor has

:50:56. > :51:04.moved from 12 to 13. Dunbar into the side, he has been out over a year

:51:05. > :51:08.with his knee. He is so explosive. If we go back to the forwards, how

:51:09. > :51:13.important is Josh Strauss in providing the ball for players like

:51:14. > :51:16.Dunbar to play with? What Scotland need this afternoon more than

:51:17. > :51:23.they've needed in previous games is bulk. Josh Strauss brings that.

:51:24. > :51:28.He is a tremendous ball carrier. I assume we will see Ryan Wilson come

:51:29. > :51:37.on later in the game. You need to face up to the French pack and this

:51:38. > :51:41.man will give you that. We say often enough sometimes to no avail

:51:42. > :51:44.whatsoever, it's a glorious spring afternoon, mid-March in Scotland.

:51:45. > :52:14.It's mild, it's a great day to watch rugby and a great day to play rugby.

:52:15. > :52:24.Seymour seals the deal! Vakatawa, try. Surely a try for Scotland.

:52:25. > :52:31.Taylor will score for Scotland! They finish with a flourish.

:52:32. > :52:35.There are the teams in the tunnel waiting for the call to go out on to

:52:36. > :52:39.what looks an absolutely magnificent setting. The pitch these days at

:52:40. > :52:42.Murrayfield is fantastic. When we look at the French team there's lots

:52:43. > :52:46.of changes in the back division again. Finally, do you think, there

:52:47. > :52:53.might be a balance there that can play what we would describe as

:52:54. > :52:57.French rugby? I am scared of that. If we play - playing against

:52:58. > :53:01.Scotland, it might, you know, expose you to turnovers and to rucks where

:53:02. > :53:06.Scotland are very good. If we lose the ball and give the ball to

:53:07. > :53:13.Scotland, you know, in open play we might struggle. We need to push them

:53:14. > :53:22.with the forwards. Be very active with the forwards and then maybe the

:53:23. > :53:28.second half play rugby. Greig Laidlaw, coming out with a 25th cap

:53:29. > :53:32.as captain. Chris, your thoughts? The changes France have made make

:53:33. > :53:35.them more dangerous. They need good possession. They're a good team of

:53:36. > :53:41.individuals, I have not seen them play as a unit. Scotland play well

:53:42. > :53:52.as a unit. I am looking forward to a cracker. The French team. I like

:53:53. > :53:55.that accuracy. This could be Scotland's day. I am hoping it is,

:53:56. > :54:00.they scored a lot of good tries against Italy. Hopefully they can

:54:01. > :54:05.score more today. As the team lines up and before the anthems and

:54:06. > :54:10.commentary led by Andrew Cotter we will have time for reflection now

:54:11. > :54:14.and we are going to have a moment's silence as the French around us

:54:15. > :54:18.start singing, but we will have a moment's silence which is of

:54:19. > :54:22.particular poignancy and sadness for everybody, Scottish and French, who

:54:23. > :54:26.is here today. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and

:54:27. > :54:32.girls, 20 years ago to this very day, our nation grieved after the

:54:33. > :54:37.unimaginable tragedy at Dunblane Primary School. We shared in the

:54:38. > :54:40.agony of France after the terrorist atrocities in Paris four months ago.

:54:41. > :54:44.Today, please be upstanding if you can as we remember all victims and

:54:45. > :55:22.their family and friends with a moment's silence. Thank you.

:55:23. > :55:27.APPLAUSE AND CHEERING Thank you very much

:55:28. > :55:30.everybody. Please remain standing as we observe the anthems for both

:55:31. > :55:45.countries. First of all, for France. # Allons enfants de la Patrie

:55:46. > :55:52.Le jour de gloire est arrive # Contre nous de la tyrannie,

:55:53. > :55:58.# Entendez-vous dans les campagnes Mugir ces feroces soldats

:55:59. > :56:05.# Aux armes, citoyens Formez vos bataillons

:56:06. > :56:17.# Qu'un sang impur Abreuve nos sillons

:56:18. > :56:30.# Conduis, soutiens nos bras vengeurs Liberte, Liberte cherie

:56:31. > :56:35.# Combats avec tes defenseurs Combats avec tes defenseurs

:56:36. > :56:38.# Sous nos drapeaux que la victoire Accoure a tes males accents

:56:39. > :56:41.# Que tes ennemis expirants Voient ton triomphe et notre gloire

:56:42. > :56:47.# Ils viennent jusque dans vos bras Egorger vos fils et vos compagnes. #

:56:48. > :57:00.Thank you very much. Now Flower of Scotland.

:57:01. > :58:20.APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

:58:21. > :58:24.How keenly Scotland want to bring the feeling of victory back to hair

:58:25. > :58:28.home. Vern Cotter's side remains fairly stable in terms of selection.

:58:29. > :58:36.In the forwards there is one change, Josh Strauss comes in at number 8.

:58:37. > :58:39.Dickinson, and the Gray bother brothers will be at the heart of

:58:40. > :58:43.what they home is an improved lineout. The significant switch

:58:44. > :58:49.comes in the back line with Dunbar returning from a run of injury to

:58:50. > :58:55.replace Bennett midfield. What a threat Seymour is with 13 tries in

:58:56. > :59:03.25 caps. As for France, they have a deep pool of talent and found a

:59:04. > :59:09.strong side. Maestri is back. The captain has had a dull campaign.

:59:10. > :59:19.Look out for Camara. The real changes come in the back line. As

:59:20. > :59:27.expected, Trinh-Duc returns. Fickou is back. Spedding again at full

:59:28. > :59:33.back. As for the bench, there will surely be a first cap for Edinburgh

:59:34. > :59:41.prop Rory Sutherland. For France, some enormous might from the south

:59:42. > :59:45.seas in Pelo and Vahaamahina. A wonderful noise inside Murrayfield.

:59:46. > :59:49.The referee is Glen Jackson, a decent player himself, spent a lot

:59:50. > :59:59.of time at Saracens, the man from New Zealand. The swell of noise

:00:00. > :00:04.grows. France still have very, very slim hopes of winning the title but

:00:05. > :00:10.the points difference is entirely unrealistic. France in recent times

:00:11. > :00:11.have simply dominated this fixture. Scotland are hungry for far more

:00:12. > :00:21.than one win over Italy. The countdown is over and we are

:00:22. > :00:26.ready for the last game of the penultimate weekend of the RBS Six

:00:27. > :00:30.Nations. Russell gets Scotland, in their change strip, underway. A

:00:31. > :00:38.misjudgement of the lifter, but France have it. An immediate chance

:00:39. > :00:43.for the heavy men, Rabah Slimani, the tight head, to carry. You can

:00:44. > :00:49.hear the number of French bands that are here. They love this match.

:00:50. > :01:03.Trinh-Duc. Straight to Russell. Seymour. Already making some good

:01:04. > :01:12.ground. WP Nel, onto Jonny Gray. And there is Strauss.

:01:13. > :01:21.Jonny Gray again. Scotland with plenty of ball. Richie Gray makes

:01:22. > :01:27.the link and then takes a thump. Stuart Hogg stand strong and Laidlaw

:01:28. > :01:35.gives it to Dunbar. Just slowing down for a moment. Great comes into

:01:36. > :01:42.play scrum-half and then carried forward by Nel. Just grinding to a

:01:43. > :01:49.halt for the moment. Scotland try again. Strauss nearly through.

:01:50. > :02:01.Barclay. Told to release the tackler. Wenceslas Lauret. Still

:02:02. > :02:06.with Scotland, wider it goes, a little chip chase and into touch.

:02:07. > :02:11.Scotland will have the territory, all the ball to play with in the

:02:12. > :02:14.opening exchanges, Scotland. Are very confident start by Scotland,

:02:15. > :02:17.I've been impressed by the manner in which they have varied where they

:02:18. > :02:21.take the ball into contact. Sometimes they are moving to man

:02:22. > :02:30.out. You have forward to being dextrous. Jonny Gray involved twice,

:02:31. > :02:34.there. Seamlessly handling it. That was an important skill, good play

:02:35. > :02:40.which they need to continue, move this big French defence around.

:02:41. > :02:47.Pressure on the captain, Guirado. Won safely, Chuli going up. France

:02:48. > :02:50.have the penalty. -- Damien Chouly. That is a dumb penalty. And because

:02:51. > :02:54.all France were going to do was clear their lines and then Scotland

:02:55. > :02:58.would still have a line-out in the French 22, most likely. Very

:02:59. > :03:01.disappointing, taking him in the air. You want to be competing as

:03:02. > :03:04.soon as they touch the ground but the key point is they have to touch

:03:05. > :03:11.the ground before you can tackle them. The big right boot of Scott

:03:12. > :03:15.Spedding, the South African born French international, a full French

:03:16. > :03:22.citizen now. The other thing is, you have to be more subtle than that if

:03:23. > :03:27.you are going to do that. France with a line-out, more at ease,

:03:28. > :03:36.further up the pitch. Arad oh again, this time, safely to Flanquart. --

:03:37. > :03:44.Guilhem Guirado. Trinh-Duc. Good running but then Trinh-Duc has to

:03:45. > :03:48.tidy up. A battering ram from Maestri, good support from his

:03:49. > :03:55.fellow flanker, Flanquart. Machenaud. Spedding is in the

:03:56. > :04:00.fly-half position and Gael Fickou, nearly through himself. Barclay

:04:01. > :04:09.eventually gets to him and France are menacing now. Fickou, just about

:04:10. > :04:16.laying it back. Finn Russell is in a bit of trouble, as you can see.

:04:17. > :04:22.Machenaud, as France, on. -- as France come on. Scotland with 14

:04:23. > :04:24.men. Russell in bother. Jefferson Poirot, the loosehead carries for

:04:25. > :04:31.France and Machenaud gets the backline going again. Out wide it

:04:32. > :04:35.goes to Guilhem Guirado, and then to Vakatawa, who has support inside and

:04:36. > :04:40.Fofana is there and then onto Guilhem Guirado, for the try! What a

:04:41. > :04:47.try for France, and the scores, Guilhem Guirado. Having labelled the

:04:48. > :04:52.French dull, boring and predictable, I think I might have to retract

:04:53. > :04:58.that, certainly in respect of this period of play. The ball had been

:04:59. > :05:03.swung from left to right, off-loading very confidently. If you

:05:04. > :05:07.want to be picky, when a player is on the floor and he has released the

:05:08. > :05:12.ball, he's not allowed to roll it back and keep touching it. But the

:05:13. > :05:18.technicality, and in the wider scheme of things, that was a very

:05:19. > :05:21.good try. -- it is a technicality. Celebrations for France and great

:05:22. > :05:25.news for them and as we watched the replay, Finn Russell is coming off.

:05:26. > :05:29.His game is over and I think Peter Horne will be coming on so a double

:05:30. > :05:33.blow for Scotland. Very much so. Finn Russell took a bad knock, and

:05:34. > :05:37.I'm watching him in front of me, going down the tunnel, he does not

:05:38. > :05:42.look happy. They will assess him, do a head injury assessment and then

:05:43. > :05:47.work out whether he can return to the build-up play. Peter Horne is in

:05:48. > :05:51.his place, normally a centre as we know so that is a big blow to

:05:52. > :05:56.Scotland at the moment. They have ten minutes for the HIA as Francois

:05:57. > :06:08.Trinh-Duc repairs to try to add the two points. -- prepares to try.

:06:09. > :06:16.That was not a conversion befitting the try. But a very good opening for

:06:17. > :06:23.France, after a bright opening couple of minutes. Good. There's

:06:24. > :06:26.Peter Horne. You can see, the head and the foot, it was actually John

:06:27. > :06:30.Barclay's left leg which caught Finn Russell after the tackle. That is

:06:31. > :06:33.what caused the injury and they will be assessing that right now below

:06:34. > :06:39.us. They have nine more minutes to see if he can come back on. A long

:06:40. > :06:45.restart, Horne as you said, place in the centre but he can certainly play

:06:46. > :06:47.fly half. That try for France, I liked the early stages with

:06:48. > :06:51.off-loading. We have not seen much of that in the early games of the

:06:52. > :06:55.Six Nations. They have been quite one-dimensional but there are, they

:06:56. > :06:58.got in behind, what we would go classically French. That has been

:06:59. > :07:01.the difference, because in previous games they've been try to off-load

:07:02. > :07:06.going backwards when they are static, which does not work. When

:07:07. > :07:09.you go onto the ball at pace and you off-load, it's devastating. The

:07:10. > :07:16.line-out works well. And may have the ball just inside the French

:07:17. > :07:24.half. Horne, getting it wide to Stuart Hogg.

:07:25. > :07:31.France, trying to hold up Ross Ford. He gets it to ground. WHISTLE

:07:32. > :07:40.But France have the penalty, holding onto the ball. It was quite

:07:41. > :07:43.muscular, wasn't it? Right on top of Ross Ford, who fought to get to the

:07:44. > :07:48.ground but I think it was Rabah Slimani who got in on him and really

:07:49. > :07:51.forced the turnover. It has been a muscular start, what we were

:07:52. > :07:54.exciting. We all knew that France were going to play really direct

:07:55. > :07:59.physical upfront but they have brought that of flair which we have

:08:00. > :08:04.not seen, really which makes them a very potent combination. Spedding

:08:05. > :08:07.kicks for touch again. Well, Scotland were looking to keep France

:08:08. > :08:13.quiet in the opening few minutes and they certainly have not. Guy Noves

:08:14. > :08:23.watches from the shadows. Listen to the sound again at Murrayfield!

:08:24. > :08:30.Guirado, the try scorer, Captain and hooker, finding his mark again.

:08:31. > :08:38.Flanquart, a bit loose and a huge bump coming in from John Hardie. --

:08:39. > :08:42.huge thump. Still with France, poked through by Fickou, deep into the 22

:08:43. > :08:46.again. Scotland being kept on the back foot. That is a very

:08:47. > :08:52.intelligent kick forward and well executed. Keeps the pressure right

:08:53. > :08:59.on Scotland. John Hardie was Doctor snaffled up, fantastic. That is

:09:00. > :09:03.high. -- just snaffled. Quickly taken. That did not look too good on

:09:04. > :09:07.the replay but nothing seen by the referee who was happy for play to

:09:08. > :09:14.continue. Scotland under all sorts of pressure now, deep inside their

:09:15. > :09:18.own line. But the clearing kick works well, almost clipping Vakatawa

:09:19. > :09:21.as it went past from Stuart Hogg. He will be looking to make amends

:09:22. > :09:25.because it was a one-on-one tackle against Berardo for the try and he

:09:26. > :09:29.missed it, slapped the ground in frustration. That's an example of

:09:30. > :09:31.how they have had to readjust their structures because I reckon if Finn

:09:32. > :09:35.Russell had been on the pitch, he would have been clearing their lines

:09:36. > :09:40.but now beta one is in at number ten, Stuart Hogg is doing the

:09:41. > :09:49.clearing. -- Peter Horne is in. Wiranto again. -- Guirado again.

:09:50. > :09:53.Flanquart was there and then a loose pass and Gael Fickou has do stretch

:09:54. > :10:03.to take it. Then he makes good ground. Advantage and nothing coming

:10:04. > :10:08.from the advantage. Offside, Scotland. France have the penalty in

:10:09. > :10:12.a very kickable position. That is the kind of penalty that coaches go

:10:13. > :10:19.absolutely berserk about. It has not really cost... It does not really do

:10:20. > :10:24.anything to the plate, it is a technical offence but it is one

:10:25. > :10:28.which the back snow and they ought not to transgress. -- to the play.

:10:29. > :10:32.The referee holds its hand up and they can't go before he puts it

:10:33. > :10:35.down. The touch judge gives the lines of you know exactly where you

:10:36. > :10:40.are, it is a silly penalty and frustrating. Trinh-Duc again, a

:10:41. > :10:44.great running fly half, not particularly known for his kicking,

:10:45. > :10:51.but a chance to give France an 8-point lead, here. Ideal kidney

:10:52. > :11:09.conditions -- kicking conditions, scarcely a breath of wind.

:11:10. > :11:18.That is another one he has just hooked. Struggling a bit, two kicks

:11:19. > :11:27.missed and the leader remains five points. Well, who knows how costly

:11:28. > :11:31.that might be? You don't know. That is not international class kicking!

:11:32. > :11:36.You can't have that. The try was fairly tough but that was a slam

:11:37. > :11:40.dunk, Street in front of the posts. A long restart and a pretty one but

:11:41. > :11:47.losing low towards Trinh-Duc and he is ambling around with Fofana, who

:11:48. > :11:55.eventually takes it himself. Horne takes it and takes the hit. The

:11:56. > :12:00.penalty this time goes to Scotland. It was a good take by Horne and

:12:01. > :12:06.Scotland get the decision. It seems the virus is catching. Again,

:12:07. > :12:11.swimming around the side, crawling around the side, right in front of

:12:12. > :12:19.the referee. I like the idea that dullness is a virus. There should be

:12:20. > :12:24.a Latin name for it! That is a good take and he knew he was going to be

:12:25. > :12:28.under pressure. Scotland have to reboot and reset, here, having

:12:29. > :12:31.conceded five points, Ben Wright up against it in the opening 12

:12:32. > :12:36.minutes, they are fortunate to only be five points behind and will look

:12:37. > :12:39.to start again. Ford, and under pressure again, the Scottish

:12:40. > :12:43.line-out has not been functioning in this championship, and Fofana with a

:12:44. > :12:47.wonderful run, tries to off-load but secured by Scotland, for a chance to

:12:48. > :12:52.counter. Barkley gives it to Dickinson.

:12:53. > :13:03.Jonny Gray. Strauss on his shoulder. Just slowing again for a moment. A

:13:04. > :13:09.bit of a standstill, confusion, Tim Visser carries. John Barclay,

:13:10. > :13:29.upended. Scotland looking for a bit more zip.

:13:30. > :13:30.Richie Gray on the charge and Duncan Taylor was looking for the path on

:13:31. > :13:42.the shoulder. Good strength from Tim Visser and

:13:43. > :13:54.various WP Nel. A little rolling ball of muscle, Nel. -- there is.

:13:55. > :13:57.Scotland making good ground and now Hardie is there. A change of mind

:13:58. > :14:02.from Laidlaw and there was Ross Ford.

:14:03. > :14:09.And again, down the crowded blindside, Stuart Hogg trying to

:14:10. > :14:13.skip through the traffic. France with hands on and Vakatawa looks to

:14:14. > :14:23.turn it around but still with Scotland. Nel again. And now

:14:24. > :14:26.Scotland finding a few spaces and Stuart Hogg almost three but

:14:27. > :14:37.eventually, Maestri got to him. Creeping towards the 22. Barclay.

:14:38. > :14:42.Advantage Scotland, penalty coming. In the 13th, 14th phase, they will

:14:43. > :14:45.try something. Horne, a little chip through and hoping for the bounce.

:14:46. > :14:50.They will have the penalty as Spedding clears it over this town

:14:51. > :14:53.and beyond. It's only going to be a penalty but I must say, this game

:14:54. > :14:59.has been entertaining right from the word go. The sides are playing with

:15:00. > :15:03.ambition and no little precision. The number of phases that Scotland

:15:04. > :15:07.are going through, they just need, on one of those breaks or half

:15:08. > :15:12.breaks, to get someone on the shoulder. A lots of really powerful

:15:13. > :15:16.carries by John Barclay, Strauss, Nel, who always gets over the gain

:15:17. > :15:20.line and Jonny Gray, obviously but what impressed me, Peter Horne mixed

:15:21. > :15:23.it up, but the ball through his hands for many faces but then went

:15:24. > :15:27.himself and got half through. That is what the stand-off has to do.

:15:28. > :15:31.They will have practised all week with Finn Russell at number ten but

:15:32. > :15:35.beta-1 will have come in. Finn Russell is not coming back. He's in

:15:36. > :15:38.his tracksuit. That's it. Peter Horne is going to be calling this

:15:39. > :15:39.came from stand-off all the way through now and he's made an

:15:40. > :15:50.encouraging start. So, to Laidlaw. CHEERING

:15:51. > :15:54.He does not make the mistakes that Randiv has made so far. Scotland

:15:55. > :16:00.have three points. 15 minutes gone. -- mistakes that Trinh-Duc has made.

:16:01. > :16:03.Since the opening minute and a half, Scotland with their first child and

:16:04. > :16:07.they take three points. They will take that, after the pressure, we

:16:08. > :16:15.could have been eight or ten down if the kicks had gone over. They are

:16:16. > :16:19.trying to wait for the first pass which is getting them through some

:16:20. > :16:22.of the strong defenders, good play. Trinh-Duc... Play on, said the

:16:23. > :16:28.referee even though all the French players on the far side were leagues

:16:29. > :16:34.offside. But they kind of checked their runs so the referee was happy.

:16:35. > :16:41.Barclay takes it in. The penalty this time goes to Scotland. I'm

:16:42. > :16:43.going to say what I said about Scotland, although were going to do

:16:44. > :16:46.there is clear their lines and France would have the line-out. They

:16:47. > :16:50.gave away a silly penalty, not rolling away and in Scotland easily

:16:51. > :16:54.cleared their lines with Stuart Hogg again, who has taken the

:16:55. > :16:57.responsibility of the kicking, he has got a fantastic boot on him and

:16:58. > :17:04.now Scotland have an attacking line-out on the ten yard line. We

:17:05. > :17:12.saw Finn Russell smiling in the stand which is good to see. But he

:17:13. > :17:17.will be hugely frustrated not to be on the pitch in this match. He would

:17:18. > :17:21.revel in this kind of game but Peter Horne has made a bright start, and

:17:22. > :17:28.this ball is taken by Richie Gray down to Laidlaw and then see more

:17:29. > :17:33.coming in. -- Tommy Seymour. Barclay gives it to his back row colleague,

:17:34. > :17:38.in fact, it was Duncan Taylor and now Jonny Gray lays it back.

:17:39. > :17:57.Out to Nel. Such a low centre of gravity. A good bit of weight as

:17:58. > :18:01.well. Scotland again, this time, poked through by Taylor but it goes

:18:02. > :18:07.into touch. Scotland are warming to their task. If you are going to use

:18:08. > :18:10.that ploy, and it has kept the pressure on France, the forwards now

:18:11. > :18:16.need to do their job and contest this ball. I think it was the right

:18:17. > :18:20.decision, but I would like to see France take it out my blood is the

:18:21. > :18:24.France do that. Duncan Taylor has been really good since he came into

:18:25. > :18:28.the game in Cardiff. He's really impressed me. He's almost taken on

:18:29. > :18:30.the mantle of the number one is a double stop Matt Scott is injured

:18:31. > :18:34.and Mark Bennett is not quite back to his best after the injury he had

:18:35. > :18:38.after the World Cup. Alex Dunbar has just come back from injury. Scotland

:18:39. > :18:42.do have an abundance of ridges that centre but Duncan Taylor has taken

:18:43. > :18:47.himself right to the top of the list. -- abundance of riches. This

:18:48. > :18:52.was the try earlier. The off-loading that we are talking about, the end,

:18:53. > :18:57.Vakatawa inside and then be finish by Guilhem Guirado. He has been

:18:58. > :19:05.France's best player so far in the Six Nations. Without a doubt, by

:19:06. > :19:10.quite a long way as well. Talking about the off-loading of France, Guy

:19:11. > :19:12.Noves played with Toulouse and -- coach Toulouse and now France and

:19:13. > :19:16.the courage is constant off-loading which sometimes seems rather aimless

:19:17. > :19:19.and leads to nothing but they are off-loading far more than any other

:19:20. > :19:23.side. In this match already, a long way ahead of Scotland in that

:19:24. > :19:31.respect. Good take by France, Yoann Maestri taking it down safely.

:19:32. > :19:34.Wenceslas Lauret. A fumble from Flanquart so Scotland have the ball

:19:35. > :19:44.and they will have the scrum in a very good position.

:19:45. > :20:02.Hardie on Flanquart, there. What is French for handbags, Brian?

:20:03. > :20:08.Something sac, probably! I know how to swear in French but I probably

:20:09. > :20:12.won't. It was pure frustration, he looked up to see he was about to get

:20:13. > :20:16.smashed and he dropped the ball, and any saw that Hardie was coming in,

:20:17. > :20:19.comes in and has a dig at Jonny Gray, cheap shot, the whistle had

:20:20. > :20:28.gone and John Hardie goes to tell him off and then it is a bit of

:20:29. > :20:33.handbags. The first scrum of the game. This will be important. This

:20:34. > :20:40.is where the French are powerful. Let's see, you can see how they are

:20:41. > :20:49.lining up from above. Can they keep square? WHISTLE

:20:50. > :20:52.A bird's eye view of crumbling. Scotland have the heavy bag. Let's

:20:53. > :21:02.hear what Glenn Jackson says about this. -- heavier pack. REFEREE:

:21:03. > :21:13.Number six, please. Just taking a moment. Nel against Jefferson

:21:14. > :21:17.Poirot, what a great name! This is a great attacking opportunity. And may

:21:18. > :21:21.have lined up with four of the backs on the nearside closes to us, and

:21:22. > :21:27.Stuart Hogg as more than half the width and Tommy Seymour can see --

:21:28. > :21:31.you can see Stuart Hogg, with a lot of space to attack the coup on the

:21:32. > :21:36.right-hand side. Down it goes again and Glen Jackson says penalty, it is

:21:37. > :21:39.a gift of three points but Scotland had that great attacking position.

:21:40. > :21:47.Everybody runs in now and says well done. They are definitely going to

:21:48. > :21:51.get a shot at three points. It does not matter how many men line up left

:21:52. > :21:54.or right, they are not going to get quick ball because Ross Ford does

:21:55. > :21:58.not look. They walk the ball over, that is what they do and you can't

:21:59. > :22:08.get it away quickly. -- Ross Ford does not Hyypia. -- hook. We

:22:09. > :22:11.suspected they would not be so dominant today but the signs are

:22:12. > :22:15.quite positive from Scotland's point of view in the scrum. But difficult

:22:16. > :22:21.for Glenn Jackson to interpret what is going on in that fierce contest

:22:22. > :22:29.as well. So, Laidlaw, 21 minutes gone, to give Scotland the lead.

:22:30. > :22:34.They were rather shocked at Murrayfield when Guilhem Guirado

:22:35. > :22:39.went over for the first try and a couple of missed French kicks as

:22:40. > :22:42.Robert Scotland are in front. In this kind of game, when they have

:22:43. > :22:44.not beaten France that such a long time, it is important they just

:22:45. > :22:48.nudge in front because the crowd then picks up and everything they

:22:49. > :22:53.do, the crowd will chair, every mistake that France may, the crowd

:22:54. > :22:58.will lift and Scotland will go again. Trinh-Duc, sending it high

:22:59. > :23:06.towards Strauss, who takes it in and then takes on two or three French

:23:07. > :23:10.defenders. Looking to carry through the forwards again, a couple more

:23:11. > :23:14.phases, Jonny Gray sets it back before it goes double, just gets the

:23:15. > :23:22.kick away ahead of Camara, and Trinh-Duc gives it to Spedding, who

:23:23. > :23:26.is a huge man, bounces it into Nel and that was some collision.

:23:27. > :23:30.Machenaud feeds Trinh-Duc and a little juggle and then a fumble and

:23:31. > :23:38.then a spill from Maxime Mermoz. A couple of mistakes from France. But

:23:39. > :23:42.what a collision that was, Spedding is a huge full-back and it was on

:23:43. > :23:47.his fellow original South African, double. That sums up modern-day

:23:48. > :23:50.rugby that a full-back has bounced a tight head prop. Spedding is

:23:51. > :23:54.massive. This is Maxime Mermoz taking his eye off the ball, simple

:23:55. > :23:58.mistake, he almost gets it and clears it up but then loses it. Look

:23:59. > :24:05.at Spedding, Nel in a good position but that is the size of a full-back

:24:06. > :24:09.these days. That is the difference between real-time and slow motion

:24:10. > :24:13.replays because at full speed, it looked as though that was a no arm

:24:14. > :24:16.tackle but when you see it in slow motion, which sometimes you need,

:24:17. > :24:20.you could see he was trying to wrap his arms around him but he just

:24:21. > :24:26.bounced off him. France with a free kick of the scrum. This scrum does

:24:27. > :24:31.not work well for Scotland, their ball turns into French ball and

:24:32. > :24:34.quickly taken by Machenaud. He has got Trinh-Duc who delays the past

:24:35. > :24:41.beautifully, and Wesley Fofana spin Sinfield! France, pouring on now.

:24:42. > :24:43.Great pace in the attack. And then a little bit of confusion between

:24:44. > :24:48.Maestri and Flanquart coir and another knock-on. -- Flanquart, and

:24:49. > :24:52.another. The two second row is getting in each other's way. That is

:24:53. > :24:57.the obsession with off-loading for the sake of it. In close contact, in

:24:58. > :25:00.any doubt, when you are in that position in the 22, just told onto

:25:01. > :25:05.the ball, especially when you are going forward. REFEREE: Captains,

:25:06. > :25:08.come here. If someone does that again, the third person will be

:25:09. > :25:14.penalised. Go and tell them, these, if they keep on running in, I'm

:25:15. > :25:19.going to have to penalised them. He's saying if there's any offers,

:25:20. > :25:22.the third person will get penalised to risk what has happened before. So

:25:23. > :25:28.you want to be the fourth or the fifth guy running in. Or the second!

:25:29. > :25:31.France I try the floats, six or seven but handling errors, they are

:25:32. > :25:34.not going to add and there's no point off-loading if it's not going

:25:35. > :25:41.to hand and you're not going to get in behind. A big sign from the

:25:42. > :25:44.French and inside Murrayfield. -- a big sound from the French fans

:25:45. > :25:48.inside Murrayfield. The Scotland fans have the ball but it's --

:25:49. > :26:00.Scotland have the ball but it's no good if you don't win your own ball.

:26:01. > :26:08.Nel against Poirot and Guirado going forward and Slimani and Dickinson on

:26:09. > :26:25.the near side. Down it goes. The decision from

:26:26. > :26:27.Glenn Jackson. On that occasion, I thought it was a Scottish loosehead

:26:28. > :26:40.who took that down. The French tight head, you will see,

:26:41. > :26:45.is not doing what most tight head do, he keeps a long wind, looking to

:26:46. > :26:52.go under the armpit, which he did not before, onto the arm, which is

:26:53. > :26:56.much more -- a much more technically advantageous position. Let's look at

:26:57. > :27:02.it from there, Slimani against Dickinson on the near side.

:27:03. > :27:11.Scotland's ball but not far from their own line. Down it goes again

:27:12. > :27:23.and the referee says "Use it". Stuart Hogg. He really does have a

:27:24. > :27:27.huge boot on him. Great exit. Absolutely, great exit but it came

:27:28. > :27:30.from such a solid platform. When you have got a scrum mike that, a good

:27:31. > :27:35.pass from Greig Laidlaw and France did not exert any pressure on Stuart

:27:36. > :27:38.Hogg, who was able to take his time. He's got the range, but it almost up

:27:39. > :27:43.to the halfway line which is exactly what you are looking for when you

:27:44. > :27:46.are doing your exit strategies. French ball at the line-out.

:27:47. > :27:49.Scotland have not had much joy on their own line-out but when you have

:27:50. > :27:58.the grey brothers in there, you can always threaten opposition as well.

:27:59. > :28:01.-- the Gray brothers. They do disrupt the bounce of the ball but

:28:02. > :28:07.it was a penalty, John Hardie offside. France with a penalty,

:28:08. > :28:10.taken quickly by Machenaud. Through a forest of white shirts, into the

:28:11. > :28:19.22, lays it back and Vakatawa comes there now. And France on the front

:28:20. > :28:25.foot again. Camara. A rather ugly pass to Trinh-Duc, into Hardie,

:28:26. > :28:33.trying to hold him up. But Trinh-Duc gets to ground. A scrum to Scotland.

:28:34. > :28:36.You know what I love? Scrum-half that try to get pace into the game

:28:37. > :28:39.and Machenaud has done that twice with a free kick and then a full

:28:40. > :28:43.penalty. You saw how quickly they got in behind the Scottish defence.

:28:44. > :28:47.It was not organised. That was great to see, the scrum-half trying to

:28:48. > :28:51.inject pace in tempo into their play. And the word has got to go out

:28:52. > :28:55.now, that is the second time Scotland have been caught on the

:28:56. > :29:01.back foot, not anticipating what is likely to happen. That is energy

:29:02. > :29:06.sapping defence from Jonny Gray and John Hardie, to keep them up but

:29:07. > :29:12.what it does... Here is Machenaud, in amongst it, a lot of traffic but

:29:13. > :29:15.he saw there was a gap. Everyone has their Baghdad. They could not touch

:29:16. > :29:16.because they were not back ten, great play by Machenaud but it did

:29:17. > :29:27.not come to anything. So, once more to the scrum. Scotland

:29:28. > :29:31.with a slender lead but you feel as though they have been really up

:29:32. > :29:35.against it. I don't know about you but I would be in favour, until the

:29:36. > :29:40.ball comes in, not starting the clock again because this sequence,

:29:41. > :29:52.that is a relatively short one but it can take a long time. That is not

:29:53. > :29:56.steady. Too much movement both ways. I agree, we waste far too much time

:29:57. > :30:01.resetting the scrum. The ball is not in play and no one is excited about

:30:02. > :30:04.it. Funnily enough, it does not matter what you do before the

:30:05. > :30:09.engagement. You could do a dance if you wanted to go in and then go

:30:10. > :30:15.down, if the referees just made it an absolute certainty that you don't

:30:16. > :30:23.push before the ball is introduced and that the binding is right and

:30:24. > :30:27.the hook is there and the feed is straight, they would cut out as many

:30:28. > :30:36.problems as is possible under the laws.

:30:37. > :30:46.Penalty to Scotland this time. The magic roundabout. A better shove

:30:47. > :30:49.there from Scotland. It was. There is no doubt Dickinson forward and

:30:50. > :31:01.Nel. They're a good front row. We saw that in Rome. Scotland have to

:31:02. > :31:05.develop the back-up now. Sutherland and Murray Low on the bench. You

:31:06. > :31:16.need that squad, it can't just be the first set that go on. You do.

:31:17. > :31:22.They would have to have more aerobic type fitness and you get rewards in

:31:23. > :31:27.the last 20 minutes of hard work in the first 60 when players tire and

:31:28. > :31:40.then you get gaps. Ford goes long. This one taken

:31:41. > :31:46.safely by Barclay. Hardie has it. Seymour, nothing doing there. Judge

:31:47. > :31:56.touch's flag goes up, Wayne Barnes on that side. Hello, Vakatawa is

:31:57. > :32:04.off. A technicality at the line-out time. Glen Jackson has a technical

:32:05. > :32:16.point. It's a free kick from the line-out. They've chosen to take the

:32:17. > :32:23.scrum. Asking for an explanation, he doesn't seem pleased with it. Some

:32:24. > :32:25.good scrums in this game already. Half an hour gone and a single point

:32:26. > :32:48.is Scotland's lead. Down it goes. Everyone wants to get

:32:49. > :32:51.the game going. Laidlaw fires it out. On to Dunbar.

:32:52. > :33:12.To ground it goes. Taylor is there. Scotland threatening the French 22

:33:13. > :33:13.for the first time in a while. France reset the defence. Hardie

:33:14. > :33:37.gives it to Dickinson. Scotland enjoying a bit of

:33:38. > :33:44.possession. On it goes to Taylor. Hands off one

:33:45. > :33:51.man! Machenaud comes in and barges him down. Laidlaw thinks about the

:33:52. > :33:54.blindside and switches. The Gray brothers in tandem. Down the blind

:33:55. > :33:57.side they go. Hogg delays the pass. On to Taylor. Hangs on with Dunbar

:33:58. > :34:13.on his shoulder. The noise grows and Scotland creep

:34:14. > :34:19.forward and Horne is through! He has support. It's Richie Gray five meet

:34:20. > :34:23.frers the line. Scotland lining up outside. Taylor. They're still

:34:24. > :34:28.crying for it out wide. Hogg trying to skip through. Try for Scotland!

:34:29. > :34:33.What a try, as well. Stuart Hogg scores.

:34:34. > :34:38.The whole team and Murrayfield celebrates. And no more than that

:34:39. > :34:51.particular passage of play deserved. High tempo. Quick ball. Accurate. He

:34:52. > :34:58.stepped inside I thought they missed the opportunity but a good line.

:34:59. > :35:02.Stuart Hogg finishes it off. Take a bow Peter Horne. Absolutely pulled

:35:03. > :35:10.the strings there. Look at that. Has a go himself. Offloads to Richie

:35:11. > :35:14.Gray. It was only going to end up in a try. You can see Stuart Hogg

:35:15. > :35:20.brings it in here off the step. There he goes. Great finish. Peter

:35:21. > :35:24.Horne controlled those number of phases brilliantly for a guy that

:35:25. > :35:32.has just come in from standoff. That's exactly what I was going to

:35:33. > :35:37.say. Finn Russell, a lot of people here were looking when he went off

:35:38. > :35:44.the field fearing the worst but it's been almost seamless. So Laidlaw.

:35:45. > :35:48.He has not brought it around enough. That's a rare miss for Laidlaw. Not

:35:49. > :35:52.a difficult kick but Scotland are six points to the good. Stuart Hogg

:35:53. > :35:56.has been Scotland's outstanding player in this Six Nations, maybe of

:35:57. > :36:03.the tournament. He set up two tries in Rome two weeks ago and here he is

:36:04. > :36:07.finishing one off. Fantastic finish. The restart is taken by Taylor. He

:36:08. > :36:16.is hit in the area. Scotland have a penalty. Camara just mistimed it

:36:17. > :36:20.slightly. Yeah, that one is where you can forgive him. The crowd will

:36:21. > :36:29.always make it sound worse than it was because of their reaction. He

:36:30. > :36:35.Here comes Spedding again for France.

:36:36. > :36:47.Hogg fields. Offloads to Jonny Gray.

:36:48. > :37:01.Five minutes to go in this first half.

:37:02. > :37:15.Dickinson carries. Laidlaw shapes to clear himself.

:37:16. > :37:27.Trinh-Duc waiting for this one. Trinh-Duc offloads and does well.

:37:28. > :37:41.France again and Trinh-Duc gives it deeper to his captain. Infield to

:37:42. > :37:45.support. The whistle goes. The penalty to Scotland. Taken quickly

:37:46. > :37:49.by Duncan Taylor, he is away. He has support. Duncan Taylor is still

:37:50. > :37:59.going! Duncan Taylor reaching for the line! Taylor will score! What a

:38:00. > :38:05.try, what a try from Duncan Taylor! A huge reward for quick thinking.

:38:06. > :38:09.And your own ability. He was labouring to the line at the end,

:38:10. > :38:13.Duncan Taylor. He was reaching and straining. He had company, as well.

:38:14. > :38:17.Almost offering him protection to the line, Duncan Taylor. But he saw

:38:18. > :38:25.that opportunity. I said earlier how much I like the scrum-halves

:38:26. > :38:28.injething pace into the game. Duncan Taylor, brilliant against Wales.

:38:29. > :38:32.This is even better. What a try, what a finish. Murrayfield is

:38:33. > :38:39.absolutely rocking. What a game so far. What a game!

:38:40. > :38:47.Duncan Taylor had a late try against Wales. Hello! Going to check

:38:48. > :38:54.something. Nine white holding six blue. The

:38:55. > :38:58.breakaway occurs. Oh, dear! Right, potentially Laidlaw was... Looking

:38:59. > :39:04.at the actions on six in the breakaway. No, Wencelas Lauret.

:39:05. > :39:14.Usually doesn't end well for the scoring. He will know. No chance.

:39:15. > :39:19.Would he have caught him? You can't tell, can you? He didn't break

:39:20. > :39:28.stride. He touched the shirt and no more. The thing is that's clear.

:39:29. > :39:32.It's interesting again in slow motion because in slow motion he is

:39:33. > :39:37.obviously hanging on to the shirt for longer. Try. Time on. That's

:39:38. > :39:43.interesting Glen Jackson has taken the decision quickly.

:39:44. > :39:48.I tell you the difference here, I think, the reason that Glen Jackson

:39:49. > :39:53.has made that decision is he is a former player. It comes from a

:39:54. > :40:01.player's point of view. He has taken the line that you have taken, that

:40:02. > :40:13.it didn't make any difference. Rather than a law-maker's one.

:40:14. > :40:18.Greig Laidlaw from that far touch, what a kick that is perhaps to make

:40:19. > :40:26.up for the last missed conversion. Scotland are 13 points in front

:40:27. > :40:31.before the break. I said earlier on how costly might those misses be.

:40:32. > :40:36.They've a decent lead going in, it will be still much better for France

:40:37. > :40:39.had those kicks gone over. Well fielded, as well. An important

:40:40. > :40:46.restart. Scotland still flinging it around. It goes to Laidlaw

:40:47. > :40:51.eventually. Into Spedding. Trinh-Duc. France

:40:52. > :40:55.looking to strike back before the break.

:40:56. > :41:01.They continue to offload as if their lives depend on it.

:41:02. > :41:08.Chouly again. Carried by Maestri. The mainstay of

:41:09. > :41:11.the French pack. There is a rare sound at Murrayfield, Scottish fans

:41:12. > :41:22.singing along. Penalty to France.

:41:23. > :41:29.That's such a shame. That was collectively brilliant defence by

:41:30. > :41:34.Scotland. Peter Horne, and Tim Visser followed him. France were

:41:35. > :41:39.under severe pressure. Unfortunately, John Barclay has been

:41:40. > :41:42.penalised for not rolling away. Spedding's kick will give France

:41:43. > :41:46.this line-out just inside the Scottish 22. A final minute of the

:41:47. > :41:50.first half to come. Peter Horne comes in and puts

:41:51. > :41:54.pressure on Spedding. Tim Visser puts it on Fickou, as well. They

:41:55. > :42:02.followed each other. Good defence by Scotland.

:42:03. > :42:05.Final minute of the first half. Guirado looks for a target and finds

:42:06. > :42:16.it. France trying to get this maul

:42:17. > :42:19.going. This is a tactic they know can work against Scotland in driving

:42:20. > :42:22.their way on. Guirado has it at the back, the

:42:23. > :42:33.captain. Just breaks away.

:42:34. > :42:37.Camara then. Lauret has it. Camara looking for it again. France are on

:42:38. > :42:43.the March. Machenaud takes it away now.

:42:44. > :42:46.Carried in by Mermoz. France looking for a score before the break. The

:42:47. > :42:53.clock is go to go red. Camara feeds on.

:42:54. > :42:58.Scotland now defending desperately as the ball bounces around for a

:42:59. > :43:07.moment. But still with the men in blue, Machenaud has a look.

:43:08. > :43:19.Carried on by Yacouba Camara again. Wide Gaza Machenaud. -- wide again

:43:20. > :43:26.by Machenaud. Taylor. Picked up by... Still with France.

:43:27. > :43:29.The final act of this first half. Lauret looks to pick and go from the

:43:30. > :43:38.base. Up to within six metres of the Scottish line.

:43:39. > :43:39.Wider now for France. Trinh-Duc almost through but held by John

:43:40. > :43:49.Barclay. Still the opportunity for France.

:43:50. > :43:55.Guirado trying to slip through himself. Machenaud moves out again.

:43:56. > :44:02.Maestri carries. Machenaud once more. Wide it goes. Fickou for the

:44:03. > :44:09.score, try France! France hit back with a final say in this first half.

:44:10. > :44:13.That ultimately came from Scotland transgressing when the breakdown was

:44:14. > :44:16.in the French half. That's the result. They could have gone in at

:44:17. > :44:21.half-time before that. You have to say it's a tremendous try by France.

:44:22. > :44:28.It's been a tremendous half of rugby. Lots to see. Lots of really

:44:29. > :44:33.good from both sides. Scotland ran out of numbers. So much pressure,

:44:34. > :44:37.you are conceding and absorbing in your own 22. Players like Fickou and

:44:38. > :44:40.Mermoz. They're going to get in behind. Scotland will be

:44:41. > :44:43.disappointed they've not closed out the half but will still be pleased

:44:44. > :44:48.with what's happened in the first 40 minutes. It's been a cracking game

:44:49. > :44:54.of rugby. 14 of the French team go in to a huddle.

:44:55. > :44:56.One on the far side there, Trinh-Duc prepares to kick. Machenaud has

:44:57. > :45:05.taken over kicking duties, in fact. Final touch of the first half for

:45:06. > :45:23.Maxime Machenaud. It's a beautiful kick. He brings

:45:24. > :45:30.France within six points at half-time in a half of rugby.

:45:31. > :45:44.Scotland lead France half-time 18-12.

:45:45. > :45:50.STUDIO: Perhaps the highlight of that first 40 minutes Duncan

:45:51. > :45:56.Taylor's burst down the touchline to give Scotland the lead at that point

:45:57. > :46:05.after Laidlaw's conversion. It's 18-12 at half-time. There is a

:46:06. > :46:10.wonderful vista across the city. The 1812 Overture looks even in terms of

:46:11. > :46:15.statistics made. Possession, 59% to Scotland.

:46:16. > :46:20.41 terse to France. Tom -- 41% to France. Thomas, you

:46:21. > :46:23.were smiling so broadly at the start when France scored within four

:46:24. > :46:26.minutes. You thought this could be the moment when France ignites and

:46:27. > :46:31.then the flame went out very quickly. Yeah, we played really well

:46:32. > :46:36.the first ten minutes. We missed some opportunities. I don't

:46:37. > :46:41.understand why Machenaud didn't kick from the start. He is a kicker, we

:46:42. > :46:45.put him under massive pressure coming into that game. He did really

:46:46. > :46:53.well. The animation of the back line is quite well organised. I think

:46:54. > :46:56.that kicking pressure, that's why Machenaud kicked. Chris, from that

:46:57. > :47:00.point Scotland got back into the game and played pretty well.

:47:01. > :47:04.Absolutely. What a game to start with from both sides. The French

:47:05. > :47:09.first try was sublime. It was back to what we love about French rugby.

:47:10. > :47:12.Scotland after that slowly got themselves back into the game and

:47:13. > :47:17.then took the rest of the half with a bang, the way they scored those

:47:18. > :47:21.two tries. I have loved both sides' endeavour to make space and score

:47:22. > :47:26.tries. We have seen good carrying but the defences on both sides have

:47:27. > :47:29.been very hard and are blocking like that ambition from either side. The

:47:30. > :47:34.few opportunities both teams have had they've taken advantage of. The

:47:35. > :47:40.French back line, you know, in defence we are slow, we should rush

:47:41. > :47:44.more like Scotland is doing. We let Scotland come at us a and every time

:47:45. > :47:50.they get the ball they're dangerous. Lovely first try. Yeah, you can see

:47:51. > :47:53.the platform is good. The drives are quite good in line-out and you can

:47:54. > :47:57.see the back line is much more organised. You can see we make some

:47:58. > :48:03.breaks, even if we drop that ball, but every time someone to pick it

:48:04. > :48:07.back. Instead of, you know, being too negative we try to build and we

:48:08. > :48:12.try to offload most of the time, even if we have errors in the first

:48:13. > :48:15.half. When it's in positive it's been quite good. You can see there

:48:16. > :48:19.the organisation is not too bad. The pressure comes from the Scottish,

:48:20. > :48:23.from the back line. Here the rush defence didn't work. You can see

:48:24. > :48:33.Vakatawa, could have thought that he was going to score. But instead of

:48:34. > :48:40.that started really well and you can see Fofana. What we saw here was the

:48:41. > :48:46.Scottish defence really slow to get back. Strauss is wading in thick mud

:48:47. > :48:51.there. He gets back to tackle but he stopped earlier, if he had carried

:48:52. > :48:55.on he may have prevented that try. The first French hooker to score two

:48:56. > :49:02.tries in a championship for those of you who like that information. Every

:49:03. > :49:06.time we watch Italy and we talk about Parisse, everybody says what

:49:07. > :49:11.an unbelievable player he could be. You could almost say the same about

:49:12. > :49:15.Stuart Hogg, if he was in the All Black team shall we say what an

:49:16. > :49:18.extraordinary player he is. He is so incredible with the ball in hands,

:49:19. > :49:22.his defence is improving. He has taken over kicking duties. There is

:49:23. > :49:25.a lot of pressure on him. He is the most attacking player in Scotland.

:49:26. > :49:29.All that pressure for these fans inside, they expect it. The play he

:49:30. > :49:37.has played this afternoon and scored in the opening half. The second try,

:49:38. > :49:41.as well, Duncan Taylor's try, he won the penalty for Taylor to score.

:49:42. > :49:44.Scotland have been probing that French defensive line and have been

:49:45. > :49:49.looking for a dog-leg. It's been hard to spot because the French have

:49:50. > :49:55.been really good, coming up as a line, not creating that dog-leg. But

:49:56. > :50:00.Horne and Russell and the team are looking for the opportunities. Where

:50:01. > :50:04.is it going to come? Can they spot it? Eventually one of the French

:50:05. > :50:08.defenders comes out of the line and Horne is there in a flash. This is

:50:09. > :50:13.earlier on in that half where they're probing, they're looking and

:50:14. > :50:16.getting there. Eventually they do. Hogg's try, look Scotland have been

:50:17. > :50:20.looking for the same holes again. Waiting for that opportunity.

:50:21. > :50:24.Because Horne has seen it once he spotted it again. A defender comes

:50:25. > :50:31.out. There is the dog-leg. Horne is through. The Scottish support is

:50:32. > :50:33.there. That's a good example of what Thomas was saying about the French

:50:34. > :50:39.defence. Scotland are working really hard to get around the corner but

:50:40. > :50:42.the French defence are allowing Scotland to attack them. His

:50:43. > :50:47.strength and power to finish off a patient attack with Scotland. Is

:50:48. > :50:52.this the loudest PA system probably in the world, do we think! Great

:50:53. > :50:56.finish by Stuart Hogg to put Scotland in the lead. Then, of

:50:57. > :51:00.course, Taylor's try that came from nothing. I think Andrew Cotter

:51:01. > :51:03.mentioned in commentary a couple of times how great it is to see

:51:04. > :51:07.somebody tap and go. Machenaud done had. Here is Scotland putting people

:51:08. > :51:12.on the back foot and making space from nothing. Yeah, the French had

:51:13. > :51:17.two or three kicks. Taylor thought I want a piece of that, as well. The

:51:18. > :51:20.tackle was by Hogg. Taylor has been outstanding since he is come in.

:51:21. > :51:25.Scored a wonderful try against Wales in Cardiff. This is him playing with

:51:26. > :51:29.confidence. Breaking Vakatawa's tackle and having the energy and the

:51:30. > :51:33.power to outrun defence. Vakatawa maybe shouldn't have made the tackle

:51:34. > :51:38.so early, maybe he should have waited to bring the defence with

:51:39. > :51:43.him. I think the shirt was taken by Laidlaw. The referee should have

:51:44. > :51:46.come back on that. You don't believe that. You are just saying that

:51:47. > :51:52.because you are French. No, honestly. I am proud to be French.

:51:53. > :51:58.Do you believe that? Brian Moore said in commentary, Glen Jackson, an

:51:59. > :52:05.ex-player would understand. He has been naughty with the French.

:52:06. > :52:13.Laidlaw took the shirt off Camara. He would not have tackled him In the

:52:14. > :52:17.end, one inch makes a difference. You think well played Glen Jackson

:52:18. > :52:22.there. He has empathy with the game having played it to a great level.

:52:23. > :52:28.He feels, and rightly in my opinion, it wouldn't have affected the

:52:29. > :52:34.outcome. You don't like the French! I love the French, you know I do. I

:52:35. > :52:40.like the first half, every time he had the ball he was creating. You

:52:41. > :52:47.can see he makes the decision. To be a runner, to take option when he got

:52:48. > :52:51.the ball. That's what he did. Here the try wasn't made. He tried to run

:52:52. > :52:55.hard into defence. The way he moved from right to left. Catching the

:52:56. > :52:59.ball on the slide almost. That's a really good score and patient score

:53:00. > :53:02.for France. That was good French handling but there were several

:53:03. > :53:05.moments in the first 20 minutes where the ball went astray and there

:53:06. > :53:09.were opportunities but the ball hit the deck. We took some risks.

:53:10. > :53:15.Sometimes when you take risks that pays but sometimes that doesn't pay

:53:16. > :53:19.and you can see there the complication with 9 and 10 was

:53:20. > :53:28.complicated too. You can see that, no one knows who is going to get the

:53:29. > :53:34.ball. That's the role of him. You can see the team is struggling.

:53:35. > :53:38.These errors lower your confidence. You are a team struggling to get

:53:39. > :53:41.something happening. Whilst the offloads are great intention, the

:53:42. > :53:45.execution is poor. You are thinking the next time they do it why are we

:53:46. > :53:52.trying this? Why don't we keep it simple? The last one, the defender,

:53:53. > :53:57.Hardie stepped in and the space was there. The middle period of that

:53:58. > :54:00.half was blighted by a lot of scrums going down and playground to a halt.

:54:01. > :54:04.We have a scrum here where a penalty is awarded. You think that they

:54:05. > :54:08.ought to change the scoring system, that this should not be three points

:54:09. > :54:10.for something like this? To get three points because you have a

:54:11. > :54:16.scrum going down and you don't really know who made the fault, you

:54:17. > :54:20.can see maybe Scotland took... To get three points against you on

:54:21. > :54:23.that, that's a bit harsh. I think that three points has to remain as a

:54:24. > :54:28.penalty otherwise you are going to get people infringing more on

:54:29. > :54:32.purpose knowing they're going to get lesser penalty. That could have gone

:54:33. > :54:37.either way to be honest. Is it worth three points? That's the point

:54:38. > :54:42.Thomas is saying. We had a similar penalty, it went Scotland's way and

:54:43. > :54:46.it was a clear penalty. That one, it's so hard. The three points has

:54:47. > :54:50.to remain otherwise there will be so many. You have to create maybe 20

:54:51. > :54:56.phases now because the defence are well organised. To get three points

:54:57. > :55:01.because of that... A solution for that, less substitutes alloweded on

:55:02. > :55:08.to the field. Foul play, three points for a penalty for foul play

:55:09. > :55:14.and a technicality like that is the same. Just for you we will show the

:55:15. > :55:17.shirt tug here. You are obviously totally impartial here. Watch Greig

:55:18. > :55:24.Laidlaw here. Is this a penalty or not? I don't think it's a penalty. I

:55:25. > :55:28.mean, it's not affecting play in any way or stretch or fashion. That will

:55:29. > :55:33.happen almost every ten seconds in the game. You fight your way to get

:55:34. > :55:37.past a defender. You really do. I think Glen Jackson was completely

:55:38. > :55:43.right. He says that because we did it many times! I couldn't catch you.

:55:44. > :55:46.Changing your mind? No. OK. Right. It's also the fourth weekend of the

:55:47. > :55:47.women's Six Nations. Here is Lee with a round-up of what's been

:55:48. > :55:57.happening. Just like their male counterparts,

:55:58. > :55:59.the Grand Slam is still on for England's women after their victory

:56:00. > :56:04.over Wales yesterday. Kerry Large got England off to a flying start

:56:05. > :56:08.with two first-half tries. Wales, like their male colleagues, seemed

:56:09. > :56:12.like a different side after the break with their first try against

:56:13. > :56:18.England away from home for ten years. But it wasn't enough. 20-13

:56:19. > :56:21.the end score. France managed to put a shock defeat

:56:22. > :56:25.against Wales behind them with a victory over Scotland.

:56:26. > :56:29.The Scots battled but conceded penalty tries either side of

:56:30. > :56:33.half-time. The French managed two more tries in the final 11 minutes

:56:34. > :56:38.as Scotland failed to get on the board. The final score, 24-0.

:56:39. > :56:44.This is how the women's championship looks at the moment.

:56:45. > :56:47.England played four and won four so similar in many ways to what's

:56:48. > :56:50.happening with the men's championship. Talking about the

:56:51. > :57:03.men's event, next Saturday night it's the Grand Slam showdown.

:57:04. > :57:17.The calm before the storm. You could hear the drop of a pin. Never been

:57:18. > :57:31.claustrophobic but now the walls are closing in. What a try for England!

:57:32. > :57:37.England cutting loose. A smile for Eddie Jones.

:57:38. > :57:42.# Here comes judgment day... The final weekend of the championship

:57:43. > :57:48.next weekend. Let's hope it's 60% as good as the final weekend was last

:57:49. > :57:57.year. Wales and Italy. Ireland and Scotland then. France and England,

:57:58. > :58:01.the Grand Slam beckoning perhaps. The world Twenty20 cricket on

:58:02. > :58:04.Wednesday. For the first time you can watch highlights via the BBC

:58:05. > :58:09.Sport website and the app. Since we were last with you a fortnight ago

:58:10. > :58:15.for round three there's been a furore about the report by a lot of

:58:16. > :58:19.medical experts, some more expert than others, about the possibility

:58:20. > :58:25.or the value of banning tackling in schools rugby which has caused a

:58:26. > :58:31.huge furore. I am sure you have all read it and we have a few examples

:58:32. > :58:36.here of tackles taking place during matches this weekend. In principle,

:58:37. > :58:39.Jerry, would do you stand on this debate? I stand with good coaching,

:58:40. > :58:45.good technique of tackling will always be safe for players. On this

:58:46. > :58:47.occasion, even a seasoned international like George North can

:58:48. > :58:53.get in wrong in the heat of the moment. He has his head on the wrong

:58:54. > :58:56.side. He should - he led with the right shoulder but should have had

:58:57. > :59:00.his head behind the legs there. We highlight it every time we see a

:59:01. > :59:04.poorly executed tackle. George has played since he was a youngster. He

:59:05. > :59:07.has been taught how to tackle since he was six and seven by his father

:59:08. > :59:10.and then other coaches. Every guy that goes on to this field of play,

:59:11. > :59:14.every rugby player that plays on a Sunday and every kid that goes out

:59:15. > :59:19.in school is taught how to tackle properly and that's how it has to

:59:20. > :59:25.remain. I think world rugby do a good job of taking advice on board

:59:26. > :59:29.but with a progressive sport it's a staggered approach. In Scotland

:59:30. > :59:34.there's no tag rugby until you are eight and then eight to 12 it's

:59:35. > :59:38.around the waist tackles and thereafter it's staggered again.

:59:39. > :59:42.Learning a skill I think is very, very important before you bring the

:59:43. > :59:46.full physicality. If you didn't learn the skill properly then having

:59:47. > :59:51.not practised when you are 18 and physically more powerful it may add

:59:52. > :59:53.to more problems. The game shouldn't be complacent but should be aware of

:59:54. > :00:03.the issue, is that fair? I think you're right and you need to

:00:04. > :00:06.learn the technique, how to tackle on the ground because if you don't

:00:07. > :00:12.learn that, you might get big injuries. We want to highlight it

:00:13. > :00:15.should be the child's choice at school whether he wants to play with

:00:16. > :00:20.contact or not. We should never force it on kids to tackle if they

:00:21. > :00:27.don't want to. Kids playing at whatever level is by perhaps too one

:00:28. > :00:30.day playing at a venue like this and the game is fascinatingly poised, a

:00:31. > :00:37.deemed too old to the good. -- 18-12 to the good.

:00:38. > :00:40.COMMENTATOR: No changes at half-time so does the original switch with

:00:41. > :00:44.Peter Horne on early in the first half for Finn Russell after

:00:45. > :00:54.Russell's head knock and Ford carries for Scotland. There is

:00:55. > :00:59.Horne. Anybody's to challenge for. It goes back to Duncan Taylor,

:01:00. > :01:04.eventually come into Gael Fickou, and his late, late try in the first

:01:05. > :01:12.half exit a 6-point game. A rather loose pass from Horne and a

:01:13. > :01:16.wonderful take by Ross Ford. Penalty to Scotland is the first referee

:01:17. > :01:20.decision of the second half. Just about the first mistake Peter Horne

:01:21. > :01:23.has made. You can't give him too much credit for how he played in the

:01:24. > :01:28.first half, coming off the bench within ten minutes in such a pivotal

:01:29. > :01:33.position as number ten, and then to pull the strings like he did in the

:01:34. > :01:38.first half, really impressive. A big old boot from Stuart Hogg into touch

:01:39. > :01:39.on this nearside. It was Jefferson Poirot who was getting the talking

:01:40. > :01:58.to, the French Lu said. -- French loosehead. Good work by

:01:59. > :02:03.Ross Ford and now straight into the man with the duties of finding his

:02:04. > :02:05.man at the line-out. Barclay. Hardie has it, a little stocky figure at

:02:06. > :02:11.the back. There is Horne. He is taken by

:02:12. > :02:40.Maxime Mermoz. Strauss. Good effort from a standing

:02:41. > :02:44.start. Goes deeper to Horne this time, for Visser to chase, landing

:02:45. > :02:48.just outside a 22, well-placed, Spedding, thought he could call the

:02:49. > :02:52.mark but lost his bearings. Machenaud, feeding it to Vakatawa.

:02:53. > :03:08.Tries to bounce off his man but Laidlaw clinging on like a terrier.

:03:09. > :03:16.Yoann Maestri. Guirado. Machenaud sends it up. Our eyes on the ball.

:03:17. > :03:25.Referee says it is a fair contest. Comes back to Strauss. Slimani.

:03:26. > :03:30.Advantage, Scotland. WHISTLE Just a scrum advantage from the

:03:31. > :03:33.French knock-on. Did well to recover that because the French chase was

:03:34. > :03:41.good. Three players putting pressure on the ball. Strauss has made an

:03:42. > :03:45.impact, hasn't he? Carried the ball like he has ever since he came to

:03:46. > :03:49.Scotland with Glasgow Warriors. Vern Cotter made two changes from a

:03:50. > :03:52.winning team last week, the first time Scotland have won in ten

:03:53. > :03:56.attempts in the Six Nations and it could have been easy for Vern Cotter

:03:57. > :03:59.to say, same again, boys but tactically, he knew he had to bring

:04:00. > :04:02.someone in who could carry the ball like Josh Strauss. Ryan Wilson

:04:03. > :04:06.offered something very difficult. Dunbar is the other change, as not

:04:07. > :04:12.had as much to do and as much impact but I think that was good tactical

:04:13. > :04:17.selection by Vern Cotter this week. The first scrum of the second half

:04:18. > :04:22.and it goes down again on the Scottish loosehead side. Glen

:04:23. > :04:27.Jackson was there and says it is just a slip. That is where most of

:04:28. > :04:34.the crumbling is happening. -- crumbling. Macri yellow.

:04:35. > :04:40.If you have a hooker who does not do it properly, does not hook and let

:04:41. > :04:44.the ball get to the back and you end up with an arm wrestle over the

:04:45. > :04:48.ball, slow, and the other thing is this, the way that the props line-up

:04:49. > :04:53.with their feet level alongside each other means that they cannot keep

:04:54. > :04:58.the scrum up once it goes below the perpendicular. If they put their

:04:59. > :05:03.right or left foot forward, they could bend much further. But they

:05:04. > :05:06.don't do it. All the French replacements are having a Little

:05:07. > :05:11.wonder, warming up around the pitch. The scrum looks to be going down

:05:12. > :05:18.again. He's not allowed to play that. Here is good. This is

:05:19. > :05:22.something for people to do at home, put your feet level and rider Ben

:05:23. > :05:27.Ford and see how far you get the falling over. If you put one foot

:05:28. > :05:34.forward a foot, see how far you can get your torso down, you can get it

:05:35. > :05:38.almost to the ground. All together now! After 3Com in your home. Lots

:05:39. > :05:44.of people doing that ran the country now. You have got time now.

:05:45. > :05:50.Precisely. This is the foot of Wenceslas Lauret coming in and Greig

:05:51. > :05:57.Laidlaw says, "Come on, now". He's right. The sea, no hook the ball

:05:58. > :06:00.stays there. -- you see. I'm not even bothering to comment on the

:06:01. > :06:07.angle of the feet because why bother? I think Glen Jackson is

:06:08. > :06:11.quite passive in his refereeing at the scrum because a lot of referees

:06:12. > :06:19.would have pinged either side, rightly or wrongly but he has gone

:06:20. > :06:25.for the reset quite a lot. Crouch! No one wants to take away the

:06:26. > :06:33.contest. It just needs to be more positive, that's all. The front rows

:06:34. > :06:37.popping up. WHISTLE A bit of a mess and the decision is

:06:38. > :06:43.penalty to Scotland this time, according to Glen Jackson. The

:06:44. > :06:52.French front row coming up first. Stay in.

:06:53. > :07:01.Shot at goal! Stuart Hogg has a huge boot on Gimenez has certainly got

:07:02. > :07:07.this distance but it is interesting. -- on him and has. It's only a good

:07:08. > :07:10.decision if it goes over because he did take this into the 22 and it

:07:11. > :07:13.will be a great attacking opportunity. But varies the

:07:14. > :07:18.confidence there. He's definitely got the distance. He's done it from

:07:19. > :07:22.his own half many times before. And I about the bigging is, from a 22

:07:23. > :07:28.restart, you are going to get the ball back. -- I suppose the thinking

:07:29. > :07:33.is. The flags are hanging limply on top of the East stand, there are,

:07:34. > :07:37.and this is 54 metres. Gavin Hastings used a back heeled over

:07:38. > :07:46.from this distance! -- used to backheel them over. It is coming

:07:47. > :07:50.back! CHEERING It is a good decision now as

:07:51. > :07:55.Scotland moved past 20 points with the boot of Stuart Hogg giving them

:07:56. > :07:58.the first point of the second half. Yet again, Stuart Hogg has had a

:07:59. > :08:01.huge influence for Scotland the day, scoring tries, dropping penalties

:08:02. > :08:05.over and also leading the line kicking as well. He's up for the

:08:06. > :08:12.challenge and playing really well so far. Great kick. Great penalty.

:08:13. > :08:23.Trinh-Duc with the restart and Richie Gray looking for this one.

:08:24. > :08:37.Laidlaw. Box-kick. No one able to get to Machenaud to challenge him.

:08:38. > :09:00.Yacouba Camara. Straight through, backwards. A bit

:09:01. > :09:04.messy from France but secured by Duncan Taylor. A little knock-on and

:09:05. > :09:09.France will have the ball at the scrum. A bit of inaccuracy from

:09:10. > :09:13.France. A little bit. You have to be so careful. One of the problems is,

:09:14. > :09:17.when you get wrapped up with the ball, the law says they are supposed

:09:18. > :09:20.to let you go immediately and they never do, some keeps an arm on the

:09:21. > :09:23.ball and you don't want to let go of it because you know very well but

:09:24. > :09:26.there is someone there to steal it and then people pile in and you

:09:27. > :09:37.can't place it where you want. These kind of things, France... Yes, it

:09:38. > :09:40.was just still forward. But it was there to win. Scotland exerting a

:09:41. > :09:44.lot of pressure on France at close quarters and they are winning the

:09:45. > :09:47.contract battle at the moment. I tell you what, Duncan Taylor has

:09:48. > :09:51.brought a lot to the Scottish team, not just for his creativity, which

:09:52. > :09:57.is one thing and that is very important but his hard work on his

:09:58. > :10:00.knowledge of the game. And also, his on field leadership. I watched him

:10:01. > :10:05.very closely at Cardiff and he was really helping Finn Russell. Penalty

:10:06. > :10:10.to France this time. I think that what the other way because Scotland

:10:11. > :10:17.were going forward. Yes. We talk about scrums endlessly and it is

:10:18. > :10:23.difficult but as you say, Scotland had the forward momentum and I'm

:10:24. > :10:27.sure words to that effect are coming from Vern Cotter. But France can peg

:10:28. > :10:38.Scotland back all the way and it's a very good kick to touch as well.

:10:39. > :10:43.Here we go, well, there is no reason for the Scottish loosehead, Alasdair

:10:44. > :10:47.Dickinson, to turn in when he is driving forward. If you are

:10:48. > :10:55.straight, you don't turn your body sideways, not least because it hurts

:10:56. > :11:01.and you can't push. Be shortened line-out, taken well by Flanquart. A

:11:02. > :11:07.massive hit from Hardie, almost dislodging the ball but it is still

:11:08. > :11:12.there for France. Guirado again. Smuggling his way into the 22 and a

:11:13. > :11:18.French penalty. Two in the side and on the ground. Ross Ford this time.

:11:19. > :11:25.John Hardie, feeling the effects of that challenge that he made. What a

:11:26. > :11:29.challenge it was, too. This time last year, no one in Scotland knew

:11:30. > :11:33.anything about John Hardie and he came over, flew himself over head of

:11:34. > :11:36.the World Cup, they were in the training camp for a few weeks and he

:11:37. > :11:41.had to introduce itself but this is what he has brought, this

:11:42. > :11:44.physicality. Look at that, standing straight, knocking Machenaud, really

:11:45. > :11:48.physical. You can see from this angle, he's not taking any dummy

:11:49. > :11:50.comedy was going through to hit Machenaud, irrespective of what

:11:51. > :11:55.happened and it was brilliant timing. It ends in a French penalty

:11:56. > :12:09.and for Machenaud. A simple swipe of the boot and

:12:10. > :12:14.France drawback within six points. Honours even in the first few

:12:15. > :12:18.minutes of the second half and France looking to make a change,

:12:19. > :12:25.Vahaamahina is about to come on in the second row. He is no small boy,

:12:26. > :12:29.is he, either? If you could see the warm up he has been doing on the

:12:30. > :12:32.touchline, one train was having to hold him back while he was being

:12:33. > :12:40.smacked backwards. He comes on for Flanquart. You look at the size that

:12:41. > :12:43.France have on the bench and they will be looking to the last 20

:12:44. > :12:47.minutes or so, which is so important in any rugby match now it is a squad

:12:48. > :12:52.game, using the reserves and France are certainly have plenty of muscle,

:12:53. > :12:53.there. Back to a 6-point gap and Stuart Hogg with the restart, taken

:12:54. > :13:06.by Maestri. Guirado gives it to Trinh-Duc and on

:13:07. > :13:09.it goes to Fickou and now Spedding, out into the open. He has got

:13:10. > :13:16.Vakatawa outside him but Spedding to ground. France with the momentum

:13:17. > :13:24.now, flinging it deep. It goes through Mermoz to Camara. Something

:13:25. > :13:28.back Nel. Trinh-Duc again. Why did goes. Fickou, men over from France,

:13:29. > :13:32.Spedding with a little chip. Scotland racing back there and

:13:33. > :13:36.Laidlaw and all kind of pressure and just had to send it out as he takes

:13:37. > :13:42.the thump from Spedding. Well-placed kick. Fantastic play by France, my

:13:43. > :13:47.goodness, they have got the space and they worked it very well, it was

:13:48. > :13:53.old-style France, dare I say? Narrow channels. This was the very end of

:13:54. > :13:57.it when they could have kept it in hand but it has turned out very

:13:58. > :14:00.well. In the first half, Scotland were knocking them into touch which

:14:01. > :14:03.gave the line-out to did defending side but France kept this one in

:14:04. > :14:11.three Spedding and it gives them the attacking line-out. A long

:14:12. > :14:16.deliberation and discussion between the French forwards ahead of this

:14:17. > :14:23.line-out. They really do have the wind in their sales now, France.

:14:24. > :14:31.Guirado goes on. Camara is there. France will look for the driving

:14:32. > :14:35.maul. They know they can make ten metres or so, Scotland desperately

:14:36. > :14:39.trying to defend and disrupt it somehow but France and the backs

:14:40. > :14:45.piling in as well, towards the line and over! Just short. Machenaud

:14:46. > :14:50.dives in, trying to get over the body of Nel. Vakatawa is there, the

:14:51. > :14:57.wing. Poirot, looking to pick and go. Offside, and in front of the

:14:58. > :15:01.line. Offside, advantage right, they think they have it over but it is

:15:02. > :15:05.still a fraction short of the line. Why it goes, playing advantage so

:15:06. > :15:11.they will come back for the penalty. WHISTLE

:15:12. > :15:15.Offside. Scotland were offside. In the wider scheme of things, I think

:15:16. > :15:23.Scotland will be happy to give three points away rather than seven. Very

:15:24. > :15:28.much so. Guirado is suggesting, possibly looking for a penalty try?

:15:29. > :15:32.I think it was just the lack of composure. They could have walked

:15:33. > :15:35.that line-out drive over, but they got white line fever and they try to

:15:36. > :15:39.take it on when they were absolutely set. Look at this, they are going

:15:40. > :15:44.for the corner. Wow. They are looking for a drive. And the drive

:15:45. > :15:49.over the line instead of three points. A little council of war

:15:50. > :15:54.between the French forwards. This is an outcome, biased, as you say, if

:15:55. > :16:01.it goes well, fine, it will be a body blow against Scotland. If they

:16:02. > :16:07.manage to get it over. The best way to stop this maul is to drop its

:16:08. > :16:16.straightaway. Drop it, whatever happens, straightaway. Take your

:16:17. > :16:21.chances. Guirado, the captain, goes to the middle and Damien Chouly is

:16:22. > :16:26.there. Held aloft for a long time and now it is back with the captain,

:16:27. > :16:32.Guirado. Scotland's trying to shove them back a few more metres.

:16:33. > :16:35.Machenaud. As if and. Vakatawa alongside him but it is spilled and

:16:36. > :16:42.Dunbar comes away with it and France waste their chance. Scotland,

:16:43. > :16:45.looking for quick ball, they could have countered. Laidlaw sending it

:16:46. > :16:52.into touch and Scotland survive the threat. The reason they did not come

:16:53. > :16:57.down is that the jumper is being held in the air by his support

:16:58. > :17:00.players. One of the reasons for doing that, it gives you more time

:17:01. > :17:04.to set it up and get your players into it. But it also gives the

:17:05. > :17:07.defence the time to get the driving position in there. France never

:17:08. > :17:14.recovered from him being in the air that long.

:17:15. > :17:24.It was Horne and Hardie and you can see Machenaud's frustration. But

:17:25. > :17:26.France still have the ball. Their line-out has worked beautifully

:17:27. > :17:32.again, Damien Chouly this time, through Lauret to Machenaud. Spilled

:17:33. > :17:36.by Vakatawa, trying to get back there. The ball is on the ground and

:17:37. > :17:46.available for the moment but still, French ball and they have the

:17:47. > :17:49.penalty. Jonathan Humphreys, chewing furiously on a pen. Just when

:17:50. > :17:53.Scotland were beginning to creep away from the data variables. The

:17:54. > :17:57.excitement, they saw the ball on the ground and thought it was a mistake

:17:58. > :18:01.and they could make something of it. But it went backwards. That is a

:18:02. > :18:04.discipline issue, a thinking under pressure issue. Yes, it is making

:18:05. > :18:08.the right decision. The ball was on the ground for a moment. If it had

:18:09. > :18:16.been kicked through by a white sock then it was a foot race to the end.

:18:17. > :18:20.It would have been very different. Guirado, making sure that the

:18:21. > :18:23.referee is on top of things as captains can do, they have a direct

:18:24. > :18:29.line of communication to the referee. Machenaud is going to have

:18:30. > :18:32.a pop at goal, about 45 metres away. 40 metres further back than they

:18:33. > :18:35.were three or four minutes ago when it was an easy kick. This might be

:18:36. > :18:55.and as you were, really. It was a good strike, a great sound,

:18:56. > :19:05.sailing between the posts, wonderful kick for Machenaud and France are

:19:06. > :19:08.within three points. I have to reiterate Thomas Castaignede's

:19:09. > :19:16.incredulity about why he was not kicking from the start. It seems an

:19:17. > :19:21.average decision, to me. -- aberrant decision. The French travelling fans

:19:22. > :19:29.are happy. Stuart Hogg with the restart again. The into the French

:19:30. > :19:38.22. -- deep into. Fofana. Stay on, two. Machenaud again. A good

:19:39. > :19:41.clearing kick. Really important. Scotland to get a foothold back in

:19:42. > :19:45.this game. They have fallen out of it in the last five or ten minutes,

:19:46. > :19:49.France have dominated possession and territory. They have six points back

:19:50. > :19:53.after Scotland had taken the lead. Really important that they get their

:19:54. > :19:57.game going again. It's also important that they don't lose the

:19:58. > :20:01.ambition that brought them success in the first half. It would be very

:20:02. > :20:06.easy to try to retrench, to play this game out tactically and I don't

:20:07. > :20:14.think they are equipped to do that. Ford, this time, to find his mark in

:20:15. > :20:25.the line-out. It is Richie Gray, a sizeable target. Hardie again.

:20:26. > :20:27.Vahaamahina. Trying to drag him in. Horne flings it wide to Stuart Hogg,

:20:28. > :20:44.up against Vakatawa and others. Ross Ford once more. Into Maestri.

:20:45. > :20:52.Vahaamahina. On it goes, shovelling through the Gray brothers to

:20:53. > :21:00.Strauss. A bit deeper now, to Horne and a little chip through from

:21:01. > :21:06.Duncan Taylor. Made a little bit of ground but Scotland have made no

:21:07. > :21:10.real dent in the French line-out. Of their choice is to keep the ball in

:21:11. > :21:13.hand, especially when you have relatively little ball in the last

:21:14. > :21:17.ten minutes, it might have been better to just recycle that. But it

:21:18. > :21:21.showed the ambition you asking for, Brian, they got the ball wide to

:21:22. > :21:25.Stuart Hogg, and Peter Horne is putting big, long passes on which is

:21:26. > :21:29.good to see but it is the final execution and decision-making that

:21:30. > :21:37.they need to sharpen up on. Guirado on the abbreviated line-out. The

:21:38. > :21:42.French line-out again works wonderfully well to Damien Chouly,

:21:43. > :21:45.initially and then a bit messy but Machenaud slipped this to Vakatawa

:21:46. > :21:50.and he freed himself, looking for support and finding it from Maestri.

:21:51. > :21:54.The giant crashes onto the ten metre line. France on the front foot

:21:55. > :21:58.again. The coup. He has to leap to take it but no way through for the

:21:59. > :22:05.past will stop Tim Visser was there. -- for the passive. Income is Richie

:22:06. > :22:14.Gray to free the ball. Leaving it to Laidlaw. Barclay. Scotland looking

:22:15. > :22:21.for a bit more fluency again. Horne giving it on. Carried by Dickinson.

:22:22. > :22:28.WHISTLE Penalty to France. Scotland, unable

:22:29. > :22:31.to clear out the ball. It was Guirado, again, the captain, he is

:22:32. > :22:40.having another very strong game, isn't he? So, once more, Spedding

:22:41. > :22:51.will be looking to put Scotland all the way back in the danger area for

:22:52. > :22:56.them. This is the tackle. Once you are on the floor and a man is on top

:22:57. > :23:00.of you, there's nothing you could do. You just have to get the support

:23:01. > :23:04.players there more quickly. These are hard times for Scotland has

:23:05. > :23:11.avoided they are to win this match. Josh Strauss is being replaced by

:23:12. > :23:14.Ryan Wilson. That man has put in a strong 61 minutes, a complete mirror

:23:15. > :23:18.image of two weeks ago when Ryan Wilson started the game and Strauss

:23:19. > :23:24.came on to close it out. Now Ryan Wilson has to bring his quality to

:23:25. > :23:34.the last 18 minutes also. And also a change for France. Vincent Pelo has

:23:35. > :23:42.come on and Uini Atonio. Slimani and Jefferson Poirot have come off. And

:23:43. > :23:49.France, making good ground as well for this driving maul. Down it goes.

:23:50. > :24:01.The referee says it is OK. But still, French ball. Machenaud,

:24:02. > :24:09.burrowing away. Carried by Atonio. And now Mermoz. France attacking all

:24:10. > :24:16.positions. Vakatawa runs into his own man and Maestri, what a mistake

:24:17. > :24:20.to make. It spares Scotland. Scotland are leading but the feeling

:24:21. > :24:24.overall that I am getting from here is that they are tiring little bit

:24:25. > :24:29.and that the French, who are a powerful side, are making them pay

:24:30. > :24:36.in terms of the amount of energy they are having to expend in the

:24:37. > :24:38.tackle that they are making, as they can't leave this territory and

:24:39. > :24:43.period of possession, in the next, well, the next ten minutes, I think

:24:44. > :24:47.that the last ten will be very difficult. -- if they can't leave

:24:48. > :24:50.this territory. This is when you start looking to the bench to see

:24:51. > :24:54.what influence you can bring on and I think Stuart McInally will come on

:24:55. > :24:57.soon. Ross Ford is injured by Vern Cotter, again, this is one thing

:24:58. > :25:02.I've been oppressed within his ten year so far, he does not just make

:25:03. > :25:05.changes for the sake of it. It's for impact. He's getting front row

:25:06. > :25:10.players on that ordinarily would be off after 60 minutes. -- keeping

:25:11. > :25:14.front row players. This is where Scotland have not really done

:25:15. > :25:17.anything. It was 65% early in the second half so France have really

:25:18. > :25:26.turned it around and that has all been in the last 10-15 minutes. Ross

:25:27. > :25:29.Ford is OK to continue for now. Possession stats are very misleading

:25:30. > :25:32.because it depends where the possession is and the impression is

:25:33. > :25:38.that the majority of Scottish possession has been nearer to their

:25:39. > :25:45.line. They have certainly had very little in the French 22 in this

:25:46. > :25:49.half. Scotland possession, Scotland scrum is inside their own 22 as well

:25:50. > :25:55.and that French front row is a different now. I tell you what,

:25:56. > :25:59.though, the replacements are very good. WHISTLE

:26:00. > :26:03.Free kick. It's all good. They've just given a free kick away at! They

:26:04. > :26:11.are very good but they had poor timing. Vincent Pelo, the La

:26:12. > :26:17.Rochelle prop, struggling a bit with his shoulder. But he and Uini

:26:18. > :26:22.Atonio, as Stuart Hogg kicks it straight down field, are both just

:26:23. > :26:29.enormous men. Spedding. A good chase on that Stuart Hogg kick. It will

:26:30. > :26:34.only give Scotland a line-out just inside the French are. Very simple

:26:35. > :26:38.play by Stuart Hogg, a huge spiral kick. As you don't see many of them

:26:39. > :26:42.these days and he chases them tick, put pressure on Spedding and now

:26:43. > :26:48.Scotland have a line-out in the French half. -- he chases the

:26:49. > :26:54.Spedding kick. Are other changing the French back row. It looks like

:26:55. > :27:02.Pirlo is only going to have a short stay. He is down, still holding his

:27:03. > :27:05.shoulder. It's a different air at Murrayfield from when Scotland were

:27:06. > :27:09.18-5 up with two minutes to go at the end of the first half. Then it

:27:10. > :27:15.was buoyant and jumping and everyone was very excited. At 21-18, it's a

:27:16. > :27:18.bit nervy. And as Brian was saying, if Scotland were doing, their best

:27:19. > :27:21.chance -- their best distilled to attack and play positive rugby but

:27:22. > :27:24.you get so nervous, that when you get close to the line you withdraw

:27:25. > :27:28.into yourselves a bit. And to do that you have to have the ball and

:27:29. > :27:31.they just have not had the ball in the last ten minutes. A lot of

:27:32. > :27:37.players will be welcoming the injury treatment for some of their

:27:38. > :27:40.colleagues, here. That was a very brief appearance for Pelo. Made of

:27:41. > :27:46.cardboard! But I wouldn't say that to his face. It is a shame for

:27:47. > :28:01.Vincent Pelo. But Jefferson Poirot has come back on. And also, on

:28:02. > :28:05.Jefferson Poirot, just that reversal, and now Scotland with this

:28:06. > :28:08.position, just inside the French half. A shortened line-out this

:28:09. > :28:18.time. WHISTLE And a penalty to Scotland. France

:28:19. > :28:22.interfering, just getting an arm on their opponents. That is a dull

:28:23. > :28:27.thing to do, isn't it? It really is. Stuart Hogg will come up. Surge

:28:28. > :28:31.Blanco, what a player he was! I'm not sure if he's as fast as he once

:28:32. > :28:39.was. He's faster to his plate, obviously! Stuart Hogg into touch.

:28:40. > :28:43.Good have been a shot at goal but that is the decision. You never know

:28:44. > :28:48.exactly when the decisive periods are in a game until you look back.

:28:49. > :28:52.But I suggest this might be one, the next five minutes, with this

:28:53. > :28:57.platform, here. They really need to come away with three points,

:28:58. > :29:04.minimum. 15 minutes to go in this game, Scotland looking for their

:29:05. > :29:05.first win over France in ten years. And three points the different at

:29:06. > :29:15.the moment. You can feel the tension around

:29:16. > :29:21.Murrayfield. Safely taken aback by Barclay. Our Ding comes away with

:29:22. > :29:29.it, really in space and a crash ball to Dunbar. -- Hardie. Scotland

:29:30. > :29:32.making good round, Richie Gray to within five metres! Stuart Hogg was

:29:33. > :29:40.on his shoulder. Scotland come again. Nel, so close, rolling his

:29:41. > :29:44.way over again! Advantage, Scotland. They have that at least. They want

:29:45. > :29:49.far more. It goes wide and Stuart Hogg flips it on and this with

:29:50. > :29:54.skill, what a finish! Visser has been tried. And! What a play by

:29:55. > :30:03.Stuart Hogg, aware of what he is doing. He knew and this new as well,

:30:04. > :30:06.wonderful skill by Stuart Hogg, great finish by Visser, and Scotland

:30:07. > :30:13.have another try, and extend their lead at Murrayfield. Again, a great

:30:14. > :30:17.team try, finished off by the outside backs. Look at this, a big,

:30:18. > :30:23.long past and Stuart Hogg knows exactly what he's doing and where

:30:24. > :30:26.Visser is. What a finish. I want to highlight some thing we have not

:30:27. > :30:31.seen, that was brilliant but the break by Richie Gray, he went for an

:30:32. > :30:36.off-load, he looked at it, and he decided it was not on. That is the

:30:37. > :30:39.kind of decision which allowed the recycling. He could easily have got

:30:40. > :30:44.carried away in the moment and tried to off-load and spilled it and the

:30:45. > :30:47.chance was lost but instead, he made the right decision to retain the

:30:48. > :30:53.ball and that led to that bit of brilliance.

:30:54. > :30:58.The magic of Hogg will again be remembered. Laidlaw to try to add an

:30:59. > :31:06.extra two. Far out from the touchline.

:31:07. > :31:14.What a kick that is from Laidlaw. Does it have the legs? It does not.

:31:15. > :31:18.Just faded at the last. Scotland's lead is eight points.

:31:19. > :31:23.Ross Ford is replaced by Stuart McInally. But worth another look at

:31:24. > :31:29.this. What I liked about that it was penalty advantage. So many times you

:31:30. > :31:39.see them going for the one-yard gain. Laidlaw threw at it and it

:31:40. > :31:45.paid off. A long way to go. A knock-on. Scotland will have the

:31:46. > :31:53.scrum. 12 minutes remaining and an 8-point lead is slender. There is

:31:54. > :31:57.Stuart McInally. The Edinburgh hooker replacing his team-mate, Ross

:31:58. > :32:05.Ford. Here is the flick. A big long pass.

:32:06. > :32:12.Stuart Hogg knew exactly where Visser was. Outstanding. France

:32:13. > :32:29.making a change at fly-half, as well. Francois Trinh-Duc coming off.

:32:30. > :32:32.Maxime Medard is going on. I think it's a better back line for France

:32:33. > :32:41.now with the changes than when they started. I agree. Here is Plisson.

:32:42. > :32:56.He was a victim after that performance and game against Wales.

:32:57. > :33:13.If you watch here, this is a decisive one. He looks for the

:33:14. > :33:21.offload there but decides it's not on. Retains the ball and from there

:33:22. > :33:26.that was the result. These are the decisions that make those scores. He

:33:27. > :33:31.deserves credit for that. A great decision. He looked for the offload

:33:32. > :33:36.which was right to look for but choose not to go through with it.

:33:37. > :33:42.Great decision-making. I tell you what he is going to do now, he is

:33:43. > :33:51.going to advise, instead of saying I will penalise you.

:33:52. > :33:59.The thing is what is the point in asking the forward in the front row

:34:00. > :34:13.or anywhere else who is at fault, they'll just say it's not me. Glen

:34:14. > :34:24.Jackson is saying sort it out... On comes Camille Chat. He is a younger

:34:25. > :34:37.player. Crouch. Bind. Set.

:34:38. > :34:42.Scotland still resisting the urge to change their props.

:34:43. > :34:45.The decision from Glen Jackson is... Everyone holds their breath when the

:34:46. > :34:51.scrum goes down. What's the decision to be? All the time the clock is

:34:52. > :34:58.ticking away. It favours Scotland, but it shouldn't. I agree. Stopping

:34:59. > :35:04.the clock until we get a successful one, then we wouldn't be robbed of

:35:05. > :35:11.this time. There's been seven scrums. But probably been 14-18 sets

:35:12. > :35:14.of scrums in there because they go down, reset and go again. We have

:35:15. > :35:16.only had seven scrums that the ball has come out or a penalty has

:35:17. > :35:28.happened. Crouch. Nine minutes to go. Eight

:35:29. > :35:34.points the difference. Scotland looking for a second win in the Six

:35:35. > :35:36.Nations, first time second successive win since 2013. Free kick

:35:37. > :35:52.to Scotland the decision this time. It's only going to be a free kick to

:35:53. > :35:58.Scotland but whilst they see the throw... Oh, put it in the air. Here

:35:59. > :36:01.we go. Up it goes. Length on it from Hogg, as well. The chase is fast

:36:02. > :36:05.from Seymour. Nothing much to do in this game

:36:06. > :36:14.today, Seymour. Vakatawa clings on to it for France.

:36:15. > :36:20.France come from some depth again. Richie Gray summoning across the

:36:21. > :36:27.Scottish defence. Back to Plisson. Here is Spedding. Out wide to

:36:28. > :36:36.Fofana. Nearly gets away. Machenaud. All sorts of pressure now from Gray.

:36:37. > :36:43.Hanging on to that ball. France trying to scrabble out of their own

:36:44. > :36:47.22. Wide it goes. In the spill the knock-on inside their own 22. The

:36:48. > :36:53.tide is beginning to turn in favour of Scotland.

:36:54. > :36:58.Now you wonder whether - it should do - they discuss these scenarios

:36:59. > :37:09.where from here you manufacture a position where the minimum you get

:37:10. > :37:22.is a drop at goal. Moray Low coming on. Another impressive game from

:37:23. > :37:25.Nel. For France, there was scoreline pressure and time pressure. Then

:37:26. > :37:29.there was also the physical pressure that Scotland were exerting on

:37:30. > :37:37.France which resulted in that long pass thrown within their 22. A

:37:38. > :37:43.little spill from dam yen Chouly gives Scotland this position. -- dam

:37:44. > :37:47.yen. You do realise if Scotland win, England win the championship today.

:37:48. > :37:51.I don't want to put a dampener on it. Every Scottish fan will take

:37:52. > :37:57.back-to-back wins without a doubt, irrespective of the consequences.

:37:58. > :38:07.Down goes the scrum. Decision a penalty to Scotland is the decision

:38:08. > :38:17.this time for Glen Jackson. With an eight-point lead, what will

:38:18. > :38:24.Laidlaw's thoughts be? He is an enormous figure but gives away

:38:25. > :38:31.penalties. Perhaps the scrummaging technique not where it should be.

:38:32. > :38:37.Although he is square, the French tight head, no reason for that to go

:38:38. > :38:42.down unless he wants to roll it in. The other thing is if you drop it as

:38:43. > :38:48.a loose head you go down on your knees and drop it, you don't hurl

:38:49. > :38:56.your body around sideways and land on your face. All eyes turn once

:38:57. > :39:08.again to the smallest man on the pitch.

:39:09. > :39:12.It is good from Greig Laidlaw and with just over five minutes to go

:39:13. > :39:20.Scotland now lead France by 11 points. The important thing is that

:39:21. > :39:26.is a try and penalty on drop goal. It's three scores of some sort for

:39:27. > :39:30.France here - can France score in five minutes? Scotland soaked up

:39:31. > :39:38.that pressure from France and have come away with a try and penalty.

:39:39. > :39:43.Restart taken. Seymour is there. He hasn't had a huge amount to do. A

:39:44. > :39:54.pristine white shirt today. He has played his part.

:39:55. > :39:57.Laidlaw looks and ponders. He kicks himself.

:39:58. > :40:01.Seymour chasing this one. Seymour claiming it. That's what he has done

:40:02. > :40:13.so well often in the past. He does it now at this crucial moment.

:40:14. > :40:22.Penalty to France. Holding on to the ball.

:40:23. > :40:26.There is still time for France, but they need to score now and Spedding

:40:27. > :40:41.knows there is a matter of urgency. That's even on penalties conceded.

:40:42. > :40:44.Four minutes to go. 11 points, they need a converted try and another try

:40:45. > :40:55.after that. Taken down by Chouly for France.

:40:56. > :40:59.They try and maul and drive. Advantage to France. Flower of

:41:00. > :41:05.Scotland around Murrayfield. France have it all at the moment but also

:41:06. > :41:07.have it all to do. Still held at the back by Chat, the replacement

:41:08. > :41:12.hooker. He is still there with his hands on

:41:13. > :41:17.the ball. The referee still playing French advantage. It goes wide. Now

:41:18. > :41:20.it will be a try. No, forward pass. It will come back. Fickou is through

:41:21. > :41:26.for what he thought was a second try. He will come back for the

:41:27. > :41:36.penalty. The clock is friendly now to Scotland. Forward pass. That was

:41:37. > :41:41.the key. If Scotland can just... They won't go for the three points.

:41:42. > :41:45.Again good pressure. It looked like there was going to be - is that a

:41:46. > :41:51.forward pass? Glen Jackson was right in line there. It was a good line

:41:52. > :41:58.taken. Here is Chat, the replacement hooker. He finds his man right at

:41:59. > :42:05.the back. Three minutes to go at Murrayfield.

:42:06. > :42:07.The penalty this time - it's not a penalty but it's a scrum to

:42:08. > :42:16.Scotland. The game surely now is theirs.

:42:17. > :42:23.Given it's three minutes, yes, I think it is. Scotland are looking

:42:24. > :42:29.for a first double win in the Six Nations since 2013 and a first win

:42:30. > :42:33.over France in ten years. That's why the reaction of Greig Laidlaw at

:42:34. > :42:36.this moment... You can imagine if you didn't know the circumstances of

:42:37. > :42:42.that, it was a final whistle with a reaction like that. He knew how

:42:43. > :43:00.important that was. Tim Swinson is on for Richie Gray.

:43:01. > :43:07.Into the final two minutes at Murrayfield.

:43:08. > :43:17.Scotland with a near enough now insurmountable 11-point lead.

:43:18. > :43:21.France get the squeeze on. Use it, says Glen Jackson. Laidlaw feeds

:43:22. > :43:32.Alex Dunbar. Back it comes for the clearance from

:43:33. > :43:36.Hogg. Into touch it goes. France looking

:43:37. > :43:41.to play it quickly. Man of the Match time. Well, great contributions from

:43:42. > :43:48.Josh Strauss taking the ball forward. Richie Gray, Duncan Taylor.

:43:49. > :43:55.But Stuart Hogg, all-round contribution. Safe on to the high

:43:56. > :44:07.ball, creativity, that long penalty. Tremendous. Stuart Hogg is our Man

:44:08. > :44:13.of the Match. His smile means he knows the game is sealed now. Into

:44:14. > :44:21.the final minute. Maestri with a loop around from

:44:22. > :44:34.Bezy. Back to Maestri. Plisson.

:44:35. > :44:40.Scotland looking to hold up... The decision is scrum to Scotland. That

:44:41. > :44:43.will be the final say in the match. The ball will be out and Scotland

:44:44. > :44:48.will win and that's why the celebrations begin on the pitch and

:44:49. > :44:52.around the ground. Yeah. Really physical, really

:44:53. > :44:55.muscular. It's been a really good team performance with Scotland. It's

:44:56. > :45:01.really important to back up that win in Rome two weeks ago and they've

:45:02. > :45:04.done it here. The atmosphere at Murrayfield, first time Scotland

:45:05. > :45:09.have back-to-back wins for a long time. You have to say they

:45:10. > :45:12.thoroughly deserve it. The way they've fought in periods when

:45:13. > :45:18.they've been under pressure and the way in which they started and

:45:19. > :45:23.completed the first half, it's been a tremendous team performance by

:45:24. > :45:30.Scotland. So the formality to go through of this scrum. But Laidlaw

:45:31. > :45:33.still cries to his players for one last effort. A win which will move

:45:34. > :45:43.Scotland up to third in the table. A game against Ireland to come.

:45:44. > :45:45.What's been interesting and really satisfying from Scotland's

:45:46. > :45:48.perspective they've got every better in every game. It was a slow start.

:45:49. > :45:51.No one disputed that against England, they didn't play well but

:45:52. > :45:55.got better in Cardiff and Rome and I think today this has been the best

:45:56. > :45:59.performance of the Six Nations. There's been no element of luck in

:46:00. > :46:05.this. Wonder what France will produce against England in a week's

:46:06. > :46:09.time? England will be confirmed with this victory as the 2016 Six Nations

:46:10. > :46:16.champions. This is a day for Scotland and what

:46:17. > :46:21.is going to be another victory. The ball is stolen and a knock-on.

:46:22. > :46:22.The referee says let it go. Let's play on.

:46:23. > :46:35.Play on deep into red time. The referee says enough is enough.

:46:36. > :46:40.Scotland have their second victory. It's been sometime nervy in the

:46:41. > :46:43.second half but it's hard-earned and the tries in the first half as well,

:46:44. > :46:48.and a well-deserved win for Scotland. Yeah, it was. I think that

:46:49. > :46:54.what will be satisfying for Vern Cotter is how they absorbed all that

:46:55. > :46:58.pressure and still came back and got that try by Tim Visser. That's a

:46:59. > :47:03.good victory for Scotland. Nothing more to say.

:47:04. > :47:06.Scotland are the winners today. England the champions, of course.

:47:07. > :47:08.Scotland today it's about their victory over France. Their second

:47:09. > :47:13.victory in the Six Nations. They move on to the game against Ireland.

:47:14. > :47:18.They move up to third place in the table. In recent years they have had

:47:19. > :47:23.just crumbs from the Six Nations table. Today they had a great win.

:47:24. > :47:26.Vern Cotter, my goodness, he has seen many close things and struggles

:47:27. > :47:31.and getting there. Something to celebrate. Yeah, I think that's the

:47:32. > :47:36.most animated you ever see Vern Cotter. He will just be really

:47:37. > :47:43.delighted with how the team played collectivelily. Yes there have been

:47:44. > :47:45.standout plays by Stuart Hogg and Richie Gray and Hardie. There was a

:47:46. > :47:49.togetherness there and understanding of how to play the game and they

:47:50. > :47:52.deserved it. That was a very good performance by Scotland and deserved

:47:53. > :47:56.the victory. Well, three tries in there. This is Stuart Hogg. He

:47:57. > :48:01.scored one of them. Duncan Taylor and Hogg created. Along with a few

:48:02. > :48:05.others, created the try for Tim Visser, as well. Stuart Hogg was the

:48:06. > :48:08.Man of the Match. He is with Lee now.

:48:09. > :48:13.Stuart, the medal says it all. The smile says even more. What a

:48:14. > :48:18.fantastic performance. You scored your own try. You assisted in the

:48:19. > :48:21.try. Incredible penalty. You must be delighted with your performance and

:48:22. > :48:27.the team. Yeah, obviously the team worked incredibly hard to get that

:48:28. > :48:31.victory. I can see how much it means, in front of the home fans t

:48:32. > :48:34.means so much to us. It's been a long time coming, a victory here at

:48:35. > :48:39.Murrayfield in front of this crowd. Definitely. Obviously we have had

:48:40. > :48:42.poor performances in the past. But to make amends today it's brilliant.

:48:43. > :48:47.We are going to Ireland next week now. We know how close Scotland have

:48:48. > :48:51.come in previous matches. What's been the difference in the last two

:48:52. > :48:54.against Italy and here against France today? You don't get many

:48:55. > :48:58.opportunities in an international rugby and the times that we have

:48:59. > :49:00.created opportunities we finished them well. We worked hard in

:49:01. > :49:04.training on that and it's great to see it coming off in the game.

:49:05. > :49:07.Before you head off, just tell us about your own try and that

:49:08. > :49:16.incredible assist for Tim Visser, as well. Yeah, just a lit of -- a

:49:17. > :49:20.little bit of luck on Visser's try. We will take it. Delighted for the

:49:21. > :49:24.victory and we will move on now. Congratulations, you are the Man of

:49:25. > :49:33.the Match. A delighted Greig Laidlaw joins us.

:49:34. > :49:36.This must be the reason that you turn up and play Murrayfield, you

:49:37. > :49:44.have had bad times but these are great times. This is the reason why

:49:45. > :49:47.we put on this jersey and make so many sacrifices. To follow Scotland,

:49:48. > :49:52.that was for us, it was for the fans. What pleased you most about

:49:53. > :49:58.Scotland's performance today? There was so many strong aspects of it. I

:49:59. > :50:01.thought we scored a couple of great tries in amongst some gritty

:50:02. > :50:04.defence, France put width on the game, sometimes we had to scramble

:50:05. > :50:07.and fought for each other and kept France from the line a couple of

:50:08. > :50:13.times, we managed to kick the ball clear. You saw what it meant to us

:50:14. > :50:18.all. In terms of your own representation of Scotland and your

:50:19. > :50:22.50th cap, 25th time that you have led Scotland out tying with David

:50:23. > :50:28.Song, how much does that mean to you? Listen, to lead this team into

:50:29. > :50:32.Murrayfield is something that will stay with me forever. It's not about

:50:33. > :50:36.individuals. We spoke about that, it's the whole team and the crowd at

:50:37. > :50:46.Murrayfield, we are as one today. Outstanding. Enjoy it, thank you.

:50:47. > :50:51.Well, the captain and Stuart Hogg the Man of the Match and the man of

:50:52. > :50:54.the moment. His moment of the Six Nations championship, that fantastic

:50:55. > :50:59.assist for Tim Visser which we will show new a few moments. The RBS Six

:51:00. > :51:04.Nations trophy sitting alongside us here will be going to Paris next

:51:05. > :51:07.weekend and dill Lynne Hartley as England captain will lift it,

:51:08. > :51:11.whether it's as a Grand Slam captain we will find out next Saturday when

:51:12. > :51:16.France against England rounds off this championship. You can see it

:51:17. > :51:21.live here on BBC One. Chris, two from two Scotland. I have

:51:22. > :51:27.a big smile on my face and what Greig Laidlaw said there was

:51:28. > :51:30.perfect. It was the epitome of a team performance. The French side

:51:31. > :51:33.didn't click and have discipline as a team. Scotland fought hard in

:51:34. > :51:37.defence and brave in attack and worked together and got the second

:51:38. > :51:43.win in a row. The contrast with the French team was very obvious. Yeah,

:51:44. > :51:47.but the best team won. You must not forget that the fly-half, change

:51:48. > :51:51.from the start. They played really Westminster. The bench didn't have

:51:52. > :51:56.the same effect -- played really well. Scotland were much better than

:51:57. > :52:02.us. The discipline and we lost too many points from the start of the

:52:03. > :52:05.game. The point was made about how Scotland have improved since the

:52:06. > :52:10.first match against England here weeks ago. If you could be specific

:52:11. > :52:14.what areas am of Scotland's game have changed in that month? I

:52:15. > :52:21.remember the England game and they made so many errors, they turned the

:52:22. > :52:26.ball over I think 14-16 times. In this game today three. That's a huge

:52:27. > :52:30.transformation from the first game to this, the fourth game. That's

:52:31. > :52:33.where they were able to keep continuity, get phases of play,

:52:34. > :52:40.build pressure and score the tries. I think for me they backed up a good

:52:41. > :52:42.win and victory in Italy with a great performance here and another

:52:43. > :52:47.good win against a decent French side. We spoke at half-time about

:52:48. > :52:51.what a fantastic player Stuart Hogg is but what great players do is

:52:52. > :52:55.sometimes see the moment before the moment arrives. And then execute it.

:52:56. > :53:03.Stuart Hogg's contribution to this try is wonderful. Yeah, it is. Also

:53:04. > :53:07.the decision, we thought maybe should have kicked at goal. It's a

:53:08. > :53:11.first phase move. You can see how hard the players are working to get

:53:12. > :53:17.around the corner. Running at speed, which is so impressive. Scotland get

:53:18. > :53:21.a penalty advantage just here. The players know that. Sometimes the

:53:22. > :53:24.freedom comes, you try things you wouldn't normally try, if you didn't

:53:25. > :53:28.have that advantage. Stuart Hogg was calling for a kick through. He

:53:29. > :53:32.decided against it. Look at that. Great vision from Laidlaw and the

:53:33. > :53:35.flick on. He knows exactly what he is doing. He celebrated before. He

:53:36. > :53:41.will have communicated this with Visser. He knows it's coming. There

:53:42. > :53:46.you go. Like a salmon. There you go, have that. Visser knows that he can

:53:47. > :53:51.get the ball like this. They know this guy is special, different. He

:53:52. > :53:57.can do a trick, something that no one else can do. He is waiting. The

:53:58. > :54:00.French had good numbers in defence. What Tim Visser did well, other than

:54:01. > :54:05.score the try, was keep width. Stay in close to the touch and allowed

:54:06. > :54:10.that. Well done, Stuart Hogg. If we look at the tries Scotland scored in

:54:11. > :54:12.the first half. There was a lot of ingeneral uity. It came down to

:54:13. > :54:20.teamwork. And patience, as well. We said in

:54:21. > :54:25.the first half that France didn't put a lot of pressure on the attack.

:54:26. > :54:32.That's sometimes hard to break down, as well. You have to keep the ball.

:54:33. > :54:37.There is Peter Horne who saw the gap in the dog-leg defence. It was about

:54:38. > :54:42.knowing your roles. The default is to go the same way, get your elusive

:54:43. > :54:46.players on the ball. Again it's access with Laidlaw, straight out to

:54:47. > :54:50.Hogg and the footwork. I am disappointed by the back row from

:54:51. > :55:01.France. I think in France and in attack they didn't bring something

:55:02. > :55:04.special. You can see there that he is by himself. Vakatawa gets

:55:05. > :55:11.involved too quickly. Then a try. No try. But at this it's well played.

:55:12. > :55:17.To be honest... It was a try. I would give it now. It's a signs of

:55:18. > :55:22.confidence, as well. We spoken about Taylor making an impact. That's

:55:23. > :55:27.confidence to take those quick taps and score from 50 yards. The

:55:28. > :55:29.confidence comes from a player like Taylor playing at Saracens, used to

:55:30. > :55:34.winning and passes that on to the Scottish side. They were unlucky in

:55:35. > :55:37.my opinion against England. They built this strength and inner

:55:38. > :55:41.belief, belief in what they can do is going to transform into wins. Now

:55:42. > :55:46.they've to back it up again against Ireland. As we look at the French

:55:47. > :55:50.tries from the first half. Both were excellent tries. It's a consistency

:55:51. > :55:55.of performance that France need and looking to next weekend France need

:55:56. > :55:59.to play more like this. Even if we have lost today I can see some

:56:00. > :56:05.positives. There are things that you see that we didn't see for a long

:56:06. > :56:09.time. You can see that we make some passes. They are some offloads,

:56:10. > :56:15.sometimes too many. We had handling errors in that game. Guys like

:56:16. > :56:20.Guirado, who made a fantastic game today once again, is there. In a

:56:21. > :56:24.position where normally a hooker shouldn't be. You can see that, the

:56:25. > :56:28.French team follow the steps of these guys then we can improve. This

:56:29. > :56:34.French team has individual talent. They come under a new coach, Guy

:56:35. > :56:39.Noves and he is assessing who is what, where they are, who and what

:56:40. > :56:45.they can contribute to a decent side. This guy has made good

:56:46. > :56:49.strides, he is a confident young player. They've got to start using

:56:50. > :56:54.these players as best they can. It's a great day for Scottish rugby and

:56:55. > :56:58.looking forward to going to Dublin next weekend for the final weekend,

:56:59. > :57:03.a match against Ireland. The first match next weekend will be Wales

:57:04. > :57:08.against Italy at the Principality Stadium and the championship will

:57:09. > :57:11.finish at the Stade de France with France and England. England going

:57:12. > :57:16.for the Grand Slam. England are the champions. We can go live to Surrey

:57:17. > :57:21.and Sonia is there with someone who I suspect is very delighted.

:57:22. > :57:26.Eddie Jones just sat down with a huge smile on his face because he

:57:27. > :57:30.knows that England are champions with a game to spare, as well. He

:57:31. > :57:34.has delivered silverware at the first time of asking.

:57:35. > :57:38.What were the emotions as you watched the final moments of

:57:39. > :57:42.Scotland and France? A bit mixed to be honest. You know, it's obviously

:57:43. > :57:45.nice to win the championship. I think as a team we feel we haven't

:57:46. > :57:50.achieved what we wanted to achieve yet and that's the Grand Slam. You

:57:51. > :57:54.bumped into Dylan Hartley. We didn't know whether to shake hands, give

:57:55. > :57:57.each other a hug or get on with business. We shook hands and decided

:57:58. > :58:02.what we will do tonight and what we will do for the week. Given where

:58:03. > :58:06.England were in the autumn, how big an accomplishment is this? I think

:58:07. > :58:11.it's a fantastic achievement by the team. When you talk about the

:58:12. > :58:15.players you look at the squad and it's still very much the same squad

:58:16. > :58:21.as the World Cup. That squad has changed themselves and the credit

:58:22. > :58:29.goes to the players. There's been standout performance. Who is your

:58:30. > :58:36.Englishman of the Six Nations? So far cryst Robshaw. -- Chris.

:58:37. > :58:40.Everyone in the team appreciates the work he does on and off the field.

:58:41. > :58:43.He is one of those guys always at the end of training helping guys

:58:44. > :58:47.with other areas of their game. He has been huge for us. What's the

:58:48. > :58:49.fundamental difference do you think that you have managed to instill in

:58:50. > :58:53.this group of players that might not have been there before? Well, I

:58:54. > :58:57.don't know what wasn't there before. I think we tried to get players to

:58:58. > :59:00.be more responsible. We have tried to create a game style that suits

:59:01. > :59:07.the resources we have got. We have tried to get the players to enjoy

:59:08. > :59:11.it. 13 years since England won a Grand Slam. How optimistic are you

:59:12. > :59:14.that you can go to Paris and make it five from five? I think if we

:59:15. > :59:18.prepare well we will do the business. We will go to Paris

:59:19. > :59:25.confident. France are always going to be a difficult side and they

:59:26. > :59:29.showed at times today they can play sublime rugby, other times it's not.

:59:30. > :59:32.We have to make sure they don't have too many sublime moments. You

:59:33. > :59:35.discussed what you will do this evening, what did you come up with?

:59:36. > :59:38.We will have a normal squad meeting after dinner and might go down to

:59:39. > :59:42.the bar and have a couple of beers. A couple. Why not, you deserve it.

:59:43. > :59:44.Congratulations, England are champions of 2016. Thank you very

:59:45. > :59:53.much. He's quite a coach and an arch

:59:54. > :59:57.politician as well. From one victorious coach to another. Huge

:59:58. > :00:01.congratulations commie must be very proud of this column's performance

:00:02. > :00:05.because that was no easy French side. It was a tough game and we

:00:06. > :00:09.lost Finn Russell our playmaker early as well. I thought the guys

:00:10. > :00:12.kept their shape, they got an early lead and we built the game well from

:00:13. > :00:20.there. Once again, I thought the set piece was good. They showed some

:00:21. > :00:24.character. Good ingredients if you want to get somewhere in the game.

:00:25. > :00:29.I'm very proud of them. Always nice to get a win. It's been ten years

:00:30. > :00:34.since we have won against France. The guys are a humble bunch. They

:00:35. > :00:37.will want to enjoy this but they know there's another game. There

:00:38. > :00:44.were individual tries and great performances and a great team try

:00:45. > :00:47.that Stuart Hogg got on the end of Anders grommet seem to be working

:00:48. > :00:55.much better than France's. What pleased you most? I think that --

:00:56. > :00:59.and the scrum seemed. The game was built piece by piece. You need a

:01:00. > :01:01.good scrum to do that. Even though the boys were under pressure at

:01:02. > :01:07.times, they kept their heads and made good decisions. They know their

:01:08. > :01:14.strengths. They are getting to know them better, at least. And they are

:01:15. > :01:18.playing to them. We are happy. We are off to the red button in a

:01:19. > :01:21.few minutes so if you have any thoughts, then give us a shout, next

:01:22. > :01:26.weekend, Wales against Italy on BBC One from 2pm on Saturday and Ireland

:01:27. > :01:30.and Scotland, can Scotland make it three in a row after victory this

:01:31. > :01:34.afternoon? And then France against England to round things off at

:01:35. > :01:39.7:20pm on Saturday night. We are on the red button at the moment, as I

:01:40. > :01:39.say, and you can catch up on anything that has happened this

:01:40. > :01:46.weekend from tomorrow. George North, all the way! What they

:01:47. > :02:10.try! -- to try. We ought to finish before we go to

:02:11. > :02:15.the red button by saying England are the champions. How far on the road

:02:16. > :02:19.to wherever it ends are they? Eddie Jones promised us and changes and he

:02:20. > :02:22.has delivered and I think the side, more importantly, as responded to

:02:23. > :02:27.whatever questions he has been asking. I have enjoyed their heads

:02:28. > :02:32.up rugby. I love how intuitive the site has been. There are not too

:02:33. > :02:36.many systems. It's literally, "Guys, if you produce quick ball, you can

:02:37. > :02:42.attack where you want, look for the space and really exploit it". They

:02:43. > :02:46.have got new impetus in the defence, and it's in one performance and

:02:47. > :02:50.deserved jabbing. Can Francis Boyle the party? Yes, but this English

:02:51. > :02:54.team deserve better than winning the championship, they want to win the

:02:55. > :02:58.grand slam and it's a good game to stand up for France because it will

:02:59. > :03:03.show exactly what we can do against that team, after the last two

:03:04. > :03:07.disappointing results. Are they good enough to do that? On one game, I

:03:08. > :03:11.think but I have been really oppressed by the way England play.

:03:12. > :03:15.But it is Scotland's day, let's take nothing away from a hugely improved

:03:16. > :03:19.performance. Fantastic, to win two games in, the set piece and

:03:20. > :03:22.scrummage was outstanding. I wrote bravery and teamwork, they worked

:03:23. > :03:26.hard for each other, sparkling attack and they will look forward to

:03:27. > :03:29.Dublin next weekend. Absolutely. Thanks to the guys. It's been a

:03:30. > :03:33.great atmosphere at Murrayfield as I'm sure you read behind us and with

:03:34. > :03:38.three matches to go, England are the champions but at Murrayfield today,

:03:39. > :03:41.Scotland were high on the hog. See you next week. Goodbye.