Scotland vs France – Report – Six Nations Championship 2024 – 10 Feb, 2024

A superb solo score from winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey led France to a 20-16 Six Nations victory over Scotland at Murrayfield on Saturday, but there was controversy at the final whistle as the team local was judged to be retained on the test line.

Scotland thought they had crossed for what would have been the winning try with the clock red, but Australian referee Nic Berry disagreed.

The television match official (TMO) took several minutes to review the footage and could not find conclusive evidence to overturn the decision, although it appeared the ball had hit the turf.

It first landed on a French player's shoe, but then appeared to slide across the turf.

“I think the images are quite clear and I don't see how he (Berry) could make any other decision,” France captain Gregory Alldritt told reporters, before revealing that the team was working tirelessly with the defense coach Shaun Edwards to keep teams up throughout the season. test line.

“We have been working for over three years to get the ball carrier behind the line, exactly like it was done,” he said. “When you talk about details, that's part of the problem. It's nice to see it pay off.”

Scotland coach Gregor Townsend disagrees.

“We were partying in the coaches' box [upon seeing the replay]”, Townsend told BBC One. “We could hear the TMO's conversation with the referee, saying: 'the ball was at the foot, then the ball was on the ground', then he changes his mind and says 's' stick to the decision on the ground.” .

“I don't know what you can say. We felt we won the game. We saw the ball on the try line.”

The victory will come as a big relief to France coach Fabien Galthie, who was under enormous pressure following their dismal 38-17 defeat to Ireland in Marseille.

Trailing by six points with 11 minutes remaining, Bielle-Biarrey had three defenders around him, but a smart chip and electric pace he mustered to point and fullback Thomas Ramos' conversion gave the lead to first-time visitors.

Ramos gave another penalty while The Marseillaise rang out on the pitch, with center Gael Fickou scoring his team's other try in the first half.

Scotland dominated much of the match and led 13-10 at half-time thanks to scrumhalf Ben White's score, but were unable to turn the pressure into points on several occasions and were made to pay in a match she seemed to be winning for 69 minutes.

“From a coach's point of view, you have to win the game and not put it in the hands of the TMOs and the refs, and that's what we'll work on,” Townsend said.

“We kept control of the match for most of the match in difficult conditions. We had to play differently and I'm really disappointed that we didn't win the match.”

France struggled in touch and were careless with ball in hand in slippery conditions, while the breakdown was a lottery and not controlled by match officials.

White crossed for Scotland's only try after a radical move down the right wing involving debutant Harry Paterson and center Huw Jones. They ran the yards before White was fed inside and the scrum-half pushed aside two tacklers to concentrate.

Scotland were down to 14 players as flanker Matt Fagerson was treated and France were able to use the width of the pitch for Fickou to gallop for his first score.

The visitors were reduced to 14 players just before half-time when Uini prop Antonio made an unarmed tackle and was sent to the sin-bin.

It was the first time France had trailed at half-time in consecutive Six Nations matches since 2016.

The visitors were dealt a major blow when their outstanding captain Alldritt left the field on a stretcher with a nasty gash on his leg in the 50th minute, but thanks to Bielle-Biarrey and perhaps a little luck, they will leave Edinburgh with a victory he described as “one of their greatest.”

“I’m doing great,” Alldritt said. “The muscle is not affected. It's just the skin that is open but with a few stitches, we will let it heal.

“It’s perhaps a bit stupid what I’m going to say, but it’s one of my greatest victories with the France team.

We had a tough week. We got really close. We wanted to do it for us, and we did it.”