Record-breaking France clinches Six Nations title with Scotland win

Japan Times

16-03-2025

France claimed its seventh Six Nations trophy in a record-strewn 35-16 victory over Scotland on Saturday, shaking off the runner-up tag on a crisp evening at the Stade de France.
Les Bleus matched England's number of titles since Italy joined the championship in 2000 and did so in style, scoring 30 tries in a pulsating campaign to make sure they would not end up as runners-up for the fifth time in six years.
Their only defeat came against England at Twickenham, but Fabien Galthie's men put that 26-25 loss behind them by humiliating Italy before crushing Ireland despite losing their talismanic captain Antoine Dupont through injury.
The hosts turned on the gas after the interval on Saturday, and prevailed through tries by Yoram Moefana (2), Louis Bielle-Biarrey and Thomas Ramos, who kicked the other points to become came France's all-time top points scorer.
Scotland made a game of it and scored a try through Darcy Graham with Finn Russell kicking the side's other points.
France, which gave Galthie his second title after the 2022 Six Nations since he took charge in 2020, finished on 21 points with England second.
Les Bleus, who lost in the 2023 World Cup quarterfinals against South Africa 29-28 on home soil, were relieved after two years without a title despite playing some of their best rugby for years.
"It's a relief to win after two years seeing the others lift trophies," said Ramos. "There was a lot of stress at the beginning of the game. The halftime break did us good."
Galthie said France was not expecting such a challenge from Scotland.
"It was a very difficult game, it's not a scenario we had anticipated. But the team reacted well and we won scoring four tries again," he said.
Scotland coach Gregor Townsend believes his team has a better future after this year's campaign.
"We created things and the effort was there until the 80th minute," he said.
"There's a lot to be proud of and lot to build on, our best moments came in defeats, against England and France."
It was party time at the Stade de France, but Les Bleus only really got into their groove after the break, relying again on forward power to finish off a combative but limited Scotland team.
Dupont, who ruptured his ACL against Ireland, stayed with the squad and the mercurial scrumhalf received the loudest cheers as he watched from the stands.
France started well.
Gael Fickou tore through the middle and set up fellow center Moefana for a try between the posts while Scotland was down to 14 after Jamie Ritchie was shown a yellow card.
France, however, suffered a blow when Peato Mauvaka was sin-binned for head-butting Ben White and the hooker looked relieved when he heard the sanction was not upgraded to a red card.
Ramos slotted a penalty from under the sticks to beat Frederic Michalak's record of 436 points scored for France and give the team a 13-3 lead. He now has 450 to his name.
The visitors reduced the arrears when Graham touched down after collecting Russell's inside ball. The flyhalf converted and added a penalty to level the scores as French prop Jean-Baptiste Gros was sent off for 10 minutes.
Ramos, however, restored a slim advantage with a penalty on the stroke of halftime before giving away possession with a poor kick.
Scotland's Tom Jordan went over after a superb Blair Kinghorn break but the try was ruled out by the TMO as the fullback was ruled to be in touch.
Bielle-Biarrey scored a championship record eighth try in a single campaign after being set up by Romain Ntamack who had sprinted through the defense.
Then came the bomb squad as Galthie sent five forwards on from the bench and Scotland cracked.
Ramos crossed the whitewash after another devastating rolling maul and Moefana, who bulldozed past Russell after Fickou's offload, claimed the bonus-point try.