Scotland’s hopes of flying to a first Paris win in 20 years never even got off the ground at the Stade de France as the injury-hit side were beaten far more comfortably than even the 17-point deficit suggests.
France had three “tries” called back by the TV match official and butchered a number of other chances in addition to the four they took. Those misses served to keep Scotland’s interest in the contest alive for much of the game, but it would have been a complete travesty if this had been anything but a dominating French victory.
Scotland never got out of the blocks, their starting backs failing to even make a slight dent in the aggressive French defence. Even if replacement Adam Hastings did inject some flair into the game for the last half-hour, Gregor Townsend’s supposed strength in depth to cover the absence of so many key men like Stuart Hogg, Finn Russell and Huw Jones was exposed by a pretty average French team.
The sun was shining in the same north east corner of the Stade de France as it did when Scotland ran riot in the first half in 1999, but they spent the first half dodging far more bullets than they ever fired.
France started with predictable fury and thought they had a sixth minute try through Damian Penaud after a clever kick behind by Thomas Ramos caught Blair Kinghorn juggling and losing possession.
But after a long study by the TMO it was adjudged Antoine Dupont had knocked on just before delivering the scoring pass to his wing and the Scots were temporarily off the hook.
A Gilchrist turnover in the shadow of the Scottish posts kept the French briefly at bay, but the French did score on 14 minutes when the Scots tried to probe the weakness defending kicks that England had exploited so often two weeks ago.
This time, new full-back Thomas Ramos gathered a long Horne kick and countered at pace, leaving Sean Maitland and Greig Laidlaw in his wake, and although Dupont was felled short of the line, it was worked back for Romain Ntamack to score easily, Ramos converting.
Scotland tried to get something going but when a Pete Horne pass went to ground, France hacked through and although Tommy Seymour recovered the ball, the Scots were penalised under their own posts and Ramos kicked his side 10-0 ahead.
Scotland finally got something going with Horne’s half-break and Jamie Ritchie making the charge, but when the French were caught offside Laidlaw’s penalty hit the inside of the post and somehow stayed out.
Then Yoann Huget saw a yellow card for cynically killing the ball near halfway, but Scots were laboured in an attacking series from a lineout inside the French 22 and were turned over.
And they were again lucky to escape on the half hour as Horne couldn’t hold a high box kick from Dupont, France poured through on the ball and Gael Fickou got to a neat chip from Ntamack to score, but another TMO check showed Wencelas Lauret had knocked on gathering Horne’s fumble.
Scotland were penalised under pressure at the next scrum, but France were denied again when Ramos missed the simple penalty chance, and the visitors somehow got to half-time still within reach.
But if Scotland’s aspirations of getting right back into the game were dashed immediately as France broke out of a maul in their own 22, Dupont did brilliantly to make ground and then Bastareaud’s chip and catch took the French into the Scots 22.
Scotland’s splintered defence was stretched and Dupont finished them off with a sharp pass to Huget to cut inside Kinghorn for an unconverted try with the second half barely two minutes old.
A head knock to Horne brought on Adam Hastings and he did inject some purpose into Scotland in attack, but Kinghorn couldn’t hold a sharp pass and seconds later the full-back had to perform heroics to dodge out of his own in-goal area under pressure.
Scotland were making more inroads and Maitland’s cross-field run was wasted as he and SDeymour got too close.
France were again sparked by Ramos’ quick feet and France should probably have scored when Huget nearly got in, but the Scots somehow wriggled free although Horne was lucky not to be yellow carded for going in to kill the ball.
Scotland were finally finding some space to run and first Hastings and then Kinghorn went through only to run away from their support, and instead it was France denied a third time by the TMO when Fickou reached over a ruck but was adjudged to have knocked on.
But France drove the resultant scrum in powerful style and replacement Gregory Alldrit got the third try that his side unquestionably deserved, although it went unconverted again.
Scotland finally broke through, remarkably easily given their travails in attack all afternoon, with replacement Ali Price on the inside shoulder of Horne to score under the posts when the starting stand-off made a half-break, Hastings converting.
But France finished the stronger, were denied another try chance by the TMO, but seven minutes after the 80 were up they drove another scrum over for Alldritt to claim his second and the bonus point try, converted by Baptiste Serin.
Att 78,000
France: Thomas Ramos; Damian Penaud, Mathieu Bastareaud, Gael Fickou, Yoann Huget; Romain Ntamack, Antoine Dupont; Jefferson Poirot, Guilhem Guirado (capt), Demba Bamba; Felix Lambey, Sebastien Vahaamahina; Wenceslas Lauret, Arthur Iturria, Louis Picamoles.
Replacements: Camille Chat for Guirado 69, Etienne Falcoux for Poirot 69, Dorian Aldegheri for Bamba 69, Paul Willemse for Lambey 65, Gregory Alldrit for Picamoles 69, Baptiste Serin for Dupont 69, Anthony Belleau for Ntamack 76, Maxime Medard for Penaud 69.
Scotland: Blair Kinghorn; Tommy Seymour, Nick Grigg, Sam Johnson, Sean Maitland; Pete Horne, Greig Laidlaw (capt); Allan Dell, Stuart McInally, Simon Berghan; Grant Gilchrist, Jonny Gray; Magnus Bradbury, Jamie Ritchie, Josh Strauss.
Replacements: Fraser Brown for McInally 65, Alex Allan for Dell 65, Zander Fagerson for Berghan 65, Ben Toolis for Gray 55, George Graham for Strauss 65, Ali Price for Laidlaw 65, Adam Hastings for Johnson 53, Darcy Graham for Maitland 65.
Ref: N Berry (ARU)
