Scotland succumb to old faultlines in the face of France’s cool brilliance

Was this the day to herald French brilliance or to bemoan the same old faultlines that persist so stubbornly in Scotland’s constitution? The temptation, if the bearing of the two camps afterwards is anything to go by, is to opt for the latter. Certainly, Scotland seemed more traumatised by the defeat than France were euphoric about a resounding victory at one of their less favoured grounds of late.

Then again, the shrug of the French shoulders, so often a symptom of their own faultline, on this occasion seemed quite ominous. Their travelling fans were raucous and numerous in equal measure, but the sangfroid of this iteration of French players was notable for its contrast to their delirious support – and all the more chilling for that.

Six tries to two in Edinburgh tells its own story. Gregor Townsend found the margin of victory particularly galling. “It looks very disappointing,” he said. “I think we’ve shown over the last couple of years that we’ve either won games or lost them by close margins. But whether we’d lost by a point or 20, it doesn’t change things too much. Our goal is to win, and to do that you have got to take your opportunities. Then it becomes a different game. The opposition have to do something different.”

He will no doubt be referring to Scotland’s missed chances in the first half, but particularly one just before the break, when Scotland had played their way back to within two points of the French, having faced a 12-3 deficit after only 12 minutes. Of all the pale, traumatised Scottish faces, Stuart Hogg’s looked the most drawn.

Scotland’s captain made his first start for Scotland 10 years earlier to the day – against France at Murrayfield. The reputation he has built since has been based on