France vs Scotland LIVE rugby: Final score and Six Nations result as Gael Fickou seals bonus-point win
France beat Scotland in the final match of the Six Nations third round
France ended Scotland’s hopes of a Six Nations Grand Slam with a 32-21 victory in a high-octane, nail-biting clash with both sides reduced to 14 men early on at the Stade de France on Sunday.
Gael Fickou gave the defending champions a bonus point with a last-minute try to add to those of Romain Ntamack, Ethan Dumortier and Thomas Ramos, who kicked the rest of the points.
Scotland, who defended ferociously and came close to overturning a 19-0 deficit, scored with two tries from Huw Jones and the boot of Finn Russell, who also added a try as the visitors recovered from a woeful start.
They had lock Grant Gilchrist sent off after seven minutes, six minutes before France prop Mohamed Haouas was also shown a red card.
TRY! FRANCE 19-0 Scotland (Thomas Ramos try, 19 minutes)
Picked off by Thomas Ramos!
Another assist for Finn Russell - but to the wrong team! You can applaud the ambition of the fly half, trying to fire a laser across three French defenders to the end-man on the line, but putting it much too close to the defensive line. Thomas Ramos extends a chameleon’s tongue, hauling it back into his grasp and easing up through the gears with no-one in front of him.
The full back converts his own try - France have three tries inside the first 20 minutes.
France 12-0 Scotland, 18 minutes
A first sustained period of Scottish possession in the French half leads to little in particular, forcing Finn Russell to his right boot. An initial charge down sees it end up back in the fly half’s hand, and his second effort is better directed, turning France into their right-hand corner.
France throw the lineout immediately and clear up field.
No try! France 12-0 Scotland, 17 minutes
So close for Zander Fagerson! The tighthead prop squirms out of the maul and reaches for the line, but his arm is agonisingly short, the ball bounced again the floor an inch or so shy with Fagerson’s frustrated face betraying his failure to ground. A quick check with the TMO to make certain, but France survive again.
France 12-0 Scotland, 16 minutes
France are penalised at the maul. Scotland kick further up the touchline to go again.
France 12-0 Scotland, 15 minutes
A superb 50:22 from Finn Russell! The fly-half is rather familiar with the Paris passageways from five years in the French capital with Racing, and picks the right rue to drive a punt down, pitching it a metre in the field of play to earn his side an attacking lineout.
France 12-0 Scotland, 14 minutes
The crowd excites as Julien Marchand and Antoine Dupont try to combine at the front of a lineout, but the scrum-half’s toes were in touch as he tried to tread the tightrope.
Anthony Jelonch will, in fact, return, having passed his HIA - Francois Cros retakes a seat on the bench.
France 12-0 Scotland, 13 minutes
France, by the way, now have a bit of a problem at tighthead with Uini Atonio already on the naughty step for a couple of weeks and Mohamed Haouas all but certain to join him.
Falatea does superbly at his first scrum, though, driving back Pierre Schoeman as Cyril Baille forces Zander Fagerson to pop up, with Gael Fickou lending his weight as a stand-in blindside flanker. Penalty to France, allowing a simple exit of their own 22.
France 12-0 Scotland, 12 minutes
Back to the corner for Scotland for another go at the lineout drive...but George Turner’s toss drifts off line! A chance missed for the visitors.
The scrum necessitates the introduction of Sipili Falatea to provide France with suitably qualified front-rowers. Gregory Alldritt is somewhat surprisingly removed.
RED CARD! Mohamed Haouas sent off! France 12-0 Scotland, 12 minutes
It’s another red for Mohamed Haouas against Scotland! Would you believe it?
This lacks the sheer idiocy of his punch of Jamie Ritchie three years ago, but is pretty daft regardless. Ben White has hands on ball but it’s not yet out of the ruck as Haouas launches at the scrum half around the corner, and the contact is head on head.
Nika Amashukeli initially feels the danger is low, but is talked round by his officiating colleagues - a second brandishing of the red card from the Georgian referee’s pocket inside 12 minutes!
France 12-0 Scotland, 12 minutes
The maul gets a-moving, with George Turner in the chariot travelling ever closer to the line. Have France brought that down legally? Yes, according to the referee, but France are penalised at a ruck soon after.
Hang on - another TMO check required, with Mohamed Haouas’ tackle on a stooping Ben White deserving of further inspection...
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