The Wooden Spoon

Losty Dublin

Live on BBC1 and VM1.

France: 15-Ramos, 14-Penaud, 13-Bastareaud, 12-Fickou, 11-Huget, 10-Ntamack, 9-Dupont; 1-Poirot, 2-Guirado (captain), 3-Bamba, 4-Vahaamahina, 5-Lambey, 6-Lauret, 7-Iturria, 8-Picamoles.

Replacements: 16-Chat, 17-Falgoux, 18-Aldegheri, 19-Willemse, 20-Alldritt, 21-Serin, 22-Belleau, 23-Medard

Scotland: 15-Kinghorn, 14-Seymour, 13-Grigg, 12-Johnson, 11-Maitland, 10-Horne, 9-Laidlaw (captain); 1-Dell, 2-McInally, 3-Berghan, 4-Gilchrist, 5-Gray, 6-Bradbury, 7-Ritchie 8-Strauss.

Replacements: 16-Brown, 17-Allan, 18-Fagerson, 19-Toolis, 20-Graham, 21-Price, 22-Hastings, 23-Graham.

France have too much quality on field to drop this. However every France team of late have had too much quality on field and have dropped it. Scotland are great at the short game but so too are France so the penalty count may be be high. I'd expect this one to be depending on the kicker on this regard and I've a wee bit more faith in Scottish kicking than French kicking.

I'm guessing Scotland to edge this, around the region of a 21-17 win.

sydthebeat

Two quick penalties against France

They may have the players but they need the structure and discipline

D.Q

Anyone know why BBC don't have the ref mic feed? They didn't last week either

vienne86

Nice handling by France.

thomond2006

Dupont is sensational.

thomond2006

thomond2006 wrote: »

Dupont is sensational.

Shut up thomond.

ScrubsfanChris

I'm not entirely sure about that, might have been a knock on but surely you have to be 100% sure to overturn the on field decision?

pickarooney

What's with the thread title? Italy aren't playing a d Scotland beat them.

kilns

ScrubsfanChris wrote: »

I'm not entirely sure about that, might have been a knock on but surely you have to be 100% sure to overturn the on field decision?

Sir Nigel is there lead his guiding hand to the decision ðŸ˜

kilns

Two awful teams

thomond2006

kilns wrote: »

Two awful teams

It could make for a good game actually.

The Lost Sheep

Great score.

Burkie1203

Wow. Just wow

pickarooney

Furlongesque from Bastareaud

vienne86

Some glimpses of good French play......they should be a couple of tries ahead though - have to make those chances count.

pickarooney

100% Toulouse

vienne86

That was a great try - great to watch France when they do that!

pickarooney

Freddie M with hair plugs?

ionadnapokot

What a great tackle from Guirado!
Impressive how Horne able to get over that

vienne86

Lord above.....that was poor from Laidlaw.

kilns

France have some great inviduals but collectively are a mess. I wonder how they would perform with Schmidt coaching them

Ref riding France a bit

DDC1990

TMO calls a HIA for Guirado, but ignores the forearm to the head that caused the HIA.

vienne86

Ah that was classy.

I don't understand the French attitude to head knocks, what is their problem ffs

ScrubsfanChris

DDC1990 wrote: »

TMO calls a HIA for Guirado, but ignores the forearm to the head that caused the HIA.

That's the call of the sideline doctor surely? why would the TMO say a player needed to be checked?

DDC1990

ScrubsfanChris wrote:

That's the call of the sideline doctor surely? why would the TMO say a player needed to be checked?

You are right of course. Being stupid and forgot that the ref is hooked up to the sideline as well as TMO.

That French try is nailed on try of the tournament - special.

Losty Dublin

There's a lot of promise from both teams here, but it's as if they clearly don't want to do anything else. France are impressing me a little more but when Scotland ran at this they were flimsy looking.

Marengo

Sublime!

thomond2006

Bastareaud shows anything is possible in life.

Marengo

If Nucifora and Schmidt went to France..

OMG. That was amazing. Chip from Bastareud, my god.

Scotland defending poor though, they're still in the dressing room.

thomond2006

Dupont daring Gilchrist to give away the penalty. Gilchrist obliges.

mangobob

France look like they are finally hitting some form...just in time to face us. Typical.

Marengo

Welcome back France..true rugby fans have missed you

pickarooney

Brunel was the last person in France to realise Dupont needed to start.

thomond2006

Ntamack's kicking. Beautiful.

PhlegmyMoses

Scotland have been absolutely awful

ionadnapokot

Marengo wrote: »

Welcome back France..true rugby fans have missed you

France find a bit of their mojo just in time for Ireland
As per flippin usual

sydthebeat

Jouer jouer jouer....

Marengo

ionadnapokot wrote: »

France find a bit of their mojo just in time for Ireland
As per flippin usual

They'll be away from home though. But true enough.

Still I grew up watching French flair. Great to watch.

thomond2006

Another stunning kick from Ntamack. A lot to study for Ireland.

Amprodude

Just explains why Scotland cannot win the 6 nations. They are a disgrace. 1999 is a long time since they won the competition and last time they beat France in Paris. They are like Ireland in 1990s not there to perform but to fill up the numbers. I think their women's team would put on a better show. 2 dreadful teams.

Marengo

That's the longer term challenge for Ireland in the World Cup. To break the quarter final glass ceiling we'll have to deal with resurgent teams with tradition.

Teams who have won WCs like SA, teams who have made 3 finals, like France. Teams who have made semis, 1987 and 2011, Wales.

We have the worst record of the 6 Nations in WCs bar Italy.

ionadnapokot

Marengo wrote: »

They'll be away from home though. But true enough.

Still I grew up watching French flair. Great to watch.

I’m loving the Toulouse trio
Would have been nice to see it in Twickenham

Barabbas Lecturing Ramos on positioning!!!

thomond2006

Amprodude wrote: »

Just explains why Scotland cannot win the 6 nations. They are a disgrace. 1999 is a long time since they won the competition and last time they beat France in Paris. They are like Ireland in 1990s not there to perform but to fill up the numbers.

On the other hand, they are missing a bunch of players. Ireland would be in trouble in a similar situation.

mangobob

ionadnapokot wrote: »

Barabbas Lecturing Ramos on positioning!!!

:D

Dave_The_Sheep

Huget having a whinge about someone else not covering the backfield after his display last week. What an absolute joke of a player ....

Amprodude

Marengo wrote: »

That's the longer term challenge for Ireland in the World Cup. To break the quarter final glass ceiling we'll have to deal with resurgent teams with tradition.

Teams who have won WCs like SA, teams who have made 3 finals, like France. Teams who have made semis, 1987 and 2011, Wales.

We have the worst record of the 6 Nations in WCs bar Italy.

I think that will eventually change and we might see it this world Cup that they get to semi final stage. England game was the best thing to happen to Ireland this year. Its a reality check and make them believe that they still have work to do.

sydthebeat

Scotland's missed tackles stat at the end of this game is gonna be so embarrassing