A much-changed France got their Six Nations campaign off to the perfect start with an impressive victory against lacklustre Scotland at Murrayfield.
Vincent Clerc scored two tries, one in each half, to earn the sponsor’s award for man-of-the-match and hand Marc Lievremont immediate success in his first match as coach.
Julien Malzieu, one of four debutants in the starting XV with a further two on the bench, also crossed for his maiden international try in the first half as the visitors proved too mobile and well organised for Frank Hadden’s side.
Scotland had gone into the game with high hopes that their settled side could get their championship off to a successful start but they could only muster six points from the boot of Dan Parks, who otherwise endured a miserable game.
Scotland’s more experienced side committed costly errors throughout whereas Lievremont’s youthful team, with only six players surviving from the World Cup squad in the starting line-up, displayed admirable composure.
Advertisement
Parks gave Scotland the lead in the fourth minute with a dropped goal, but France were clearly intent on running the ball from every position and were rewarded with the first try of the match eight minutes later.
Cedric Haymans and Clerc twice combined beautifully down the right flank to send the Toulouse winger in for his 16th international try despite the hint of a double movement as he touched down. Jean-Baptiste Elissalde converted to give the visitors a 7-3 lead and Damien Traille increased that advantage five minutes later with a penalty from just inside Scotland’s half.
Parks missed a straightforward opportunity to bring Scotland to within four points when he pulled a penalty attempt wide of the posts midway through the half. The home side were quickly made to pay when Rory Lamont, the full back, and Parks failed to deal with a long kick ahead into the Scotland 22 and Malzieu pounced for a debut try.
Parks, Scotland’s Sydney-born stand-off, kicked his second penalty from close range on the half-hour to bring the score to 17-6, while Elissalde missed his second very kickable penalty just before the interval to raise the home side’s hopes as they headed in at half-time.
Alain Rolland, the referee, harshly deemed Scotland had collapsed a scrum in the 55th minute and Traille kicked the penalty to stretch his side’s lead to 20-6.
Advertisement
Just after the hour Chris Paterson was introduced in place of Parks to a great ovation from the Murrayfield crowd. But the switch had little effect on the pattern of play as Clerc scored his second try in the 65th minute after collecting his own kick down the touchline. David Skrela converted to push France further ahead at 27-6.
Scotland were denied a try ten minutes from time when Paterson was held up inches of the line after a darting run and fellow replacement Chris Cusiter knocked on under pressure as he sought to touch down.