The French rugby team took its revenge against Scotland, eight months after its defeat in the 6 Nations Tournament (28-17), the only one recorded during the 2020 edition of the competition, which it has finished in second place. Showing themselves solid, even if they committed many faults and received many penalties, the Blues won 22-15. While remaining on four defeats at Murrayfield, they pocketed their first success on Scottish soil in six years.
If it is difficult to draw great lessons in this unprecedented competition, born of the health crisis and replacing the traditional autumn tour of friendly matches, the French confirm their happy new year 2020, during which they only lost ‘just once.
Sunday, in the damp freshness of Murrayfield stadium, the bosses of a redesigned tricolor XV, like Antoine Dupont, Virimi Vakatawa or Charles Ollivon, once again responded. After a good start to the French match (6-0), the Scots clung, coming back to height in a scoring duel (12-12 at halftime).
Center Virimi Vakatawa came closest to scoring a try late in the first period, but was knocked onto his back at the last moment. It was only a postponement for the man of the match, in all the good ways. Just after the break, Vincent Rattez pierced the Scottish line before slipping the ball to let him flatten into the in-goal.
Virimi Vakatawa comes to speak his power to register the first try of the France team from the start of… https://t.co/Z4LIBBja5V
The Blues then held in a more disjointed game, with many candles between the backs of the two teams. Strongly penalized in the first period (four penalties in the first 20 minutes), they tightened the game against the Scots ultimately not very sharp, and who were never close to scoring a try.
New group for the sequel
This victory allows the France team to be in an ideal position to take the lead in their group. After her victory on the green carpet against Fiji due to a massive wave of contamination with the new coronavirus in their ranks, she ranks second behind Scotland but with a match still to be played, against Italy, Saturday November 28 in Stade de France.
If successful, the French will meet the English for the final of this first Autumn Nations Cup. It will be with a whole new group, the players of the first matches of the XV of France having to find their club due to an agreement between the federation and the Rugby League. The list of 31 players to face Italy, unveiled Friday, November 20, is therefore made up mostly of novices in the selection.
🇫🇷🇮🇹 The #XVdeFrance will welcome Italy – @Federugby at @StadeFrance on Saturday November 28 for its last matc… https://t.co/RHar3msdEH
“It’s just the victory that counts, it’s won and it does everyone a lot of good. We will enjoy it tonight after five weeks together. It’s good to finish with a win. Everyone would have signed up to live such a year with this group ”, rejoiced after the match captain Charles Ollivon, who will return to his Toulon club.
