France end Scotland's Grand Slam hopes in Paris epic

Scotland roared backmost to marque it a four-point crippled but their efforts fell conscionable short

France punctured Scotland's rising content and restored their ain Six Nations rubric hopes with a hard-fought triumph successful an astonishing contention successful Paris.

However, France's ratio won retired arsenic a missed Scotland lineout allowed Fabien Galthie's broadside to spell down the pitch, and yet Gael Fickou powered implicit to seal a bonus-point win.

It means Ireland - who sojourn Murrayfield successful 2 weeks - are the lone broadside near chasing a Grand Slam, with France present level with Scotland and England connected 10 points aft 2 wins and a defeat.

Romain Ntamack and Ethan Dumortier had scored either broadside of a reddish paper for Scotland's Grant Gilchrist, earlier France's Mohamed Haouas was besides sent off.

Thomas Ramos grabbed an intercept effort and 2 penalties to support his broadside ahead, contempt 2 tries from Scotland's Huw Jones arsenic the visitors enactment France nether terrible pressure.

Finn Russell darted implicit the enactment and converted his ain effort to marque it a four-point crippled and acceptable up a grandstand decorativeness with 10 minutes near but yet the Scots fell conscionable short.

Ruthless France tempest ahead

Most radical expected determination mightiness beryllium fireworks, but the play was gripping from the infinitesimal the shot near Stuart Hogg's footwear astatine footwear off.

France, intelligibly hurting from their archetypal nonaccomplishment successful implicit a twelvemonth to Ireland, laid down the gauntlet arsenic they powered guardant earlier unleashing Ntamack to people successful the country aft lone 4 minutes.

And erstwhile Gilchrist was sent disconnected for a precocious tackle into the caput of Anthony Jelonch and Dumortier crossed successful the country to marque it 12-0 aft lone 9 minutes, Scotland looked similar they were astir to instrumentality a historical battering.

However, Haouas' infinitesimal of madness successful flinging himself caput archetypal into a clear-out connected Ben White handed Scotland a life-line from obscurity and acceptable up a thrilling match.

It was the prop 2nd sending disconnected against Scotland successful 3 years - his erstwhile coming for punching Jamie Ritchie - and from their the visitors grew successful stature.

And though Ramos picked disconnected Russell's agelong walk to scamper distant and marque it 19-0, Scotland had the amended chances, with Zander Fagerson failing by an inch arsenic helium lunged for the line, portion Duhan van der Merwe was bundled into touch.

Jones was yet enactment nether the posts by Russell, but Ramos calmly stroked implicit a punishment to marque it a 15-point crippled astatine the break.

Missed accidental for Scotland

That felt somewhat harsh connected Scotland, but 5 minutes aft the restart they turned up the pressure. Tuipulotu combined wonderfully with his Glasgow team-mate Jones for the latter's 2nd try.

And though Russell's clever show-and-go opened a spread wide capable for him to dart implicit and determination wrong 4 points, France were conscionable much ruthless erstwhile it counted.

Ramos had already ensured the scoreboard was not static for France successful the 2nd fractional with different penalty, and arsenic past an mistake astatine the lineout yet outgo Scotland their accidental to snatch victory.

An overthrow sent France connected the march, and though Scotland managed to wrestle backmost the ball, skipper Ritchie was pinged successful his ain 22 for holding on.

That acceptable the level for Fickou to people the match-winning try, which killed Scotland's Grand Slam hopes.

Line-ups

France: Ramos, Penaud, Fickou, Moefana, Dumortier; Ntamack, Dupont (capt); Baille, Marchand, Haouas, Flament, Willemse, Jelonch, Ollivon, Alldritt.

Replacements: Barlot, Wardi, Falatea, Taofifenua, Cros, Macalou, Couilloud, Jalibert.

Scotland: Hogg, Steyn, Jones, Tuipulotu, Van der Merwe; Russell, White; Schoeman, Turner, Z Fagerson, R Gray, Gilchrist, Ritchie (capt), Watson, M Fagerson

Replacements: Brown, Bhatti, Nel, J Gray, Skinner, Dempsey, Price, Kinghorn

Referee: Nika Amashukeli (GRU)

Assistant Referees: Karl Dickson (RFU), Assistant Referee 2: Andrea Piardi (FIR)

TMO: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)

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