Six Nations 2011: France v Scotland - as it happened

Preamble Is this really going to be Scotland's year? Of course it's not, but still many feel that the Tartan Army head to Paris with a realistic chance of securing their first win in the French capital since 1999. While realists will say that while the Scottish pack can hold its own against anyone - and the Autumn internationals proved that - their backline surely lacks the guile necessary to really make an impact in thse big matches? France, however, are always capable of imploding especially if they start poorly and the crowd in the Stade de France get on their case. Italy have very nearly provided the first upset of the day , and Scotland will aim to go one better. Here are the starting line-ups for this evening's game ... France: Damien Traille (Biarritz); Yoann Huget (Bayonne), Aurélien Rougerie (Clermont Auvergne), Maxime Mermoz (Perpignan), Maxime Medard (Toulouse); François Trinh-Duc (Montpellier), Morgan Parra (Clermont Auvergne); Thomas Domingo (Clermont Auvergne), William Servat (Toulouse), Nicolas Mas (Perpignan), Julien Pierre (Clermont Auvergne), Lionel Nallet (Racing Métro), Thierry Dusautoir (captain, Toulouse), Julien Bonnaire (Clermont Auvergne), Imanol Harinordoquy (Biarritz). Replacements: Guilhem Guirado (Perpignan), Luc Ducalcon (Castres), Jérôme Thion (Biarritz), Sébastien Chabal (Racing Métro), Dimitri Yachvili (Biarritz), David Skrela (Toulouse), Clément Poitrenaud (Toulouse). Scotland: Hugo Southwell (Stade Français), Nikki Walker (Ospreys), Joe Ansbro (Northampton Saints), Nick De Luca (Edinburgh), Max Evans (Glasgow Warriors); Dan Parks (Cardiff Blues) Rory Lawson (Gloucester); Allan Jacobsen (Edinburgh), Ross Ford (Edinburgh), Euan Murray (Northampton Saints), Richie Gray (Glasgow Warriors), Alastair Kellock (Glasgow Warriors, capt), Nathan Hines (Leinster), John Barclay (Glasgow Warriors), Kelly Brown (Saracens). Replacements: Dougie Hall (Glasgow Warriors), Moray Low (Glasgow Warriors), Richie Vernon (Glasgow Warriors), Ross Rennie (Edinburgh), Mike Blair (Edinburgh), Ruaridh Jackson (Glasgow Warriors), Sean Lamont (Scarlets). 4.55pm: The teams are making their way onto the pitch now. There's a really crackling atmosphere in the Stade de France. Scotland will be hoping to silence the crowd as soon as they can. Flower of Scotland is the first anthem up. Sing along if you wish. 1 min: Wayne Barnes, the English referee, blows his whistle and France get the game underway. 1 min: Ross Ford immediately fumbles but fortunately it doesn't go forward and Scotland keep possession. I may be jumping the gun but they've pretty much silenced the crowd already. Try for France!!!! France 5-0 Scotland (Medard, 3): Scratch that last sentence. It was a try that came out of nowhere. Scotland had the ball but Nick De Lucva let it slip. Aurelien Rougerie pounced and put a lovely chiopped kick ahead which Maxime Medard raced onto. he got a nice bounce but collected it cleanly and crossed in the corner. 4 min: Morgan Parra makes no mistake with the concersion and it's France 7-0 Scotland . 6 min: The first scrum of the game and the French pack absolutely destroy Scotland's much feted front eight. I'm beginning to get a bad feeling about this. 7 min: Some more shaky play from Scotland as Parks kicks ahead but puts too much welly on it and it's straight into touch. France use the restart to launch another incisive attack on then right flank. They then work it left through Rougerie and Scotland are in trouble again ... 9 min: Drop goal - France 10-0 Scotland France recycle the ball to work the opening for Trinh-Duc and he makes no mistake with the drop goal. The French look ruthless here. 10 min: Scotland are penalised for grabbing in the lineout. They're the type of silly errors they can't afford to make. Fortunately for them Rougerie knock on and Scotland have the advantage and Southwell finds a beautiful touch on the far side with his left boot. 13 min: Scotland seem determined to throw these long, arcing passes across their back line. Not only are they telegraphed, allowing the French defence to get themselves in position, but they're just crying out to be intercepted. 15 min: Trinh-Duc kicks crossfield and gets a little bit of luck as it bounces nicely for Huget and deceives Evans. France keep it alive through several players and Scotland need a great saving tackle by Richie Gray to stall the forward momentum. 16 min: Once again France are totally dominant in the scrum. That's a real surprise. Most of the pre-game Scottish optimism was based on the joy they might have in those areas. It's certainly not turning out that way. Try for Scotland!!! France 10-5 Scotland (Kellock, 19) Great response from Scotland and it's their captain who squeezes over. Gray made the initial break before Rory Lawson made a dive for the line. The French resistance was weak and Kellock used his considerable strength to get over. 20 min: Parks makes no mistake with the conversion and it's France 10-7 Scotland . Game on. 22 min: Medard is such a threat for France. The winger picked up a loose ball and burst through three challenges before Ansbro got back to halt his run. Eventually Southwell intercepted and Parks was able to clear. 24 min: France come again with some great running rugby working the ball across the field to Huget and again Richie Gray is the one to get back and make the tackle. That all came from a Scottish lineout on halfway, which is not good enough if they want to win this game. 24 min: Scotland can't deal with the French a scrum and are forced to collapse five metres from their own line and it's a penalty to France. Unsurprisingly they opt for another scrum. 25 min: They drive again towards the line and Scotland are again penalised for standing up. There's a try or a penalty try coming here. 27 min: Euan Murray has been singled out by the referee for not "chasing his feet" which sounds a fairly tricky thing to do. France have the put-in but this time the Scottish scrum stands firm. We're going to have to go again. Penalty try!!! France 15-7 Scotland That was coming and Scotland are even a bit relieved that there's no yellow card at the end of it. The French scrum is uncontainable in this form. 30 min: Morgan Parra makes no mistake from under the posts and France have reestablished a 10-point lead. France 17-7 Scotland . 30 min: Southwell sends a fairly aimless kick upfield. Medard launches another attack but his pass is sloppy and Ross Ford picks it up and Nikki Walker send a much better kick into the French half. 32 min: Every time France inject a bit of pace into their attack they look like scoring. This time it's Harinoroquay who nearly breaks through on thr right but some desperate defending keeps the big No8 at bay. 34 min: The one positive for Scotland is that they do look like they can break through the French defence. This time it's Max Evans on the left who makes a burst but his run is brought to a halt and France have a lineout. 36 min: The Scots again fail to make the most of their possession as a loose pass is picked up by Huget 10 metres from his own line. He hoofs upfield and just like that France have turned defence into attack. 38 min: If Scotland's aim was to silence the home crowd then you would have to say that they have failed. The crowd have really taken to this French performance which is full of pacy running and quick offloads. Saying that, there is still just 10 points in it. Scotland would like the half time whistle to go right now. Half time: France 17-7 Scotland The whistle goes at the end of a devastating half from the French. It's not over yet - Scotland's ability to keep alive in the game is their biggest comfort from the opening 40 minutes - but they need to do something about their scrum quickly. Two half-time emails ... and both tackle the referee and the Super Bowl. "American Football is as complex and as opaque as rugby in the application of a vast swathe of laws," writes Gary Naylor, "but in the Superbowl tomorrow night, the officials will announce their decisions to the crowd and the TV audience. It takes little time and really helps. Rugby should do likewise." Meanwhile John Blakeman says: "Watching live on BBC American here in central Wisconsin. Actually a good game for Americans to watch--few penalties, contentious scrums, two somewhat different styles of play. If Scotland sorts the scum out at the half it's a game changer. Barnes is calling a good game too. Superbowl tomorrow! Go Packers!" 41 min: Jeremy Guscott reckons Andy Robinson's half-time teamtalk went something like "Guys, you are so still in this game." I'm not sure it did. Anyway, we're underway in the second half. 42 min: Early penalty to France given against Euan Murray who has had a very difficult night. Medard finds a good touch on the right-hand side. 43 min: Richie Gray is really doing his reputation as one of rugby's biggest young stars no harm at all. He's just made a break through the French midfield. He's stayed down after the challenge with an injury but he's going to be able to carry on. 44 min: France have a man down injured - I'm not sure who it is - and Damien Traille nearly makes whatever injury worse by trampling over his stricken colleague before kicking clear with the outside of his right boot. It's Maxime Mermoz who is injured and he has to come off and is replaced by Clément Poitrenaud. 46 min: When the French forwards gather momentum they're very difficult to stop. They go through nine phases of play before they're judged to have played on the ground and Scotland win a penalty and clear. 47 min: I think it's in Scotland's interested to keep this scrappy and tight. They can't give away needless penalties, though, and they just have as Murray held on on the ground and Parra is going to have a strike at goal. 49 min: Parra misses the penalty It stays France 17-7 Scotland . 52 min: It's all French possession at the moment. This must be so draining for the Scottish players. They're on the back foot constantly. Parra then picks off the back of a ruck and dances through three challenges before he's brought to a halt. Luc Ducalcon is on, as is Dimitri Yachvili who comes on for Morgan Parra. 52 min: Scotland turnover and Parks clears upfield and it's a brief moment of respite. Try for France!!! France 22-7 Scotland: It's a very brief moment of respite as Imanol Harinordoquy charges through the midfield after an inspired pass through his own legs by Poitrenaud. Brilliant play. 56 min: Yachvili makes no mistake with the conversion from under the posts. France 24-7 Scotland . 57 min: France are in the mood now and Yachvili looks like he intends to enjoy himself, running from inside his own 22 and gaining 30 yards. There's been a flurry of changes too, most notable being the introduction of Sébastien Chabal. 59 min: Good response from Scotland who are pushing for the French line. It's strong defence by the home side but the ball is still alive. It's fired out to Walker who can't quite gather but it doesn't matter as there was a French offside and it's a penalty to Scotland. Try to Scotland. France 24-12 Scotland (Brown, 61) As good as the defending was by the French a moment ago it was bad here. Scotland took their time with the penalty before tapping it and giving it to Kelly Brown who crashed over the line. 62 min: Parks sends the conversion over and it's a 10-point game again. France 24-14 Scotland . 64 min: Jérôme Thion has come on for Lionel Nallet. Not a bad change to be able to make. France win a penalty after Scotland collapsed a ruck and Yachvili has a chance to score the three points which will surely wrap up this game. 66 min: ... but Yachvili sends the kick wide of the left post. He should have scored that. Still a glimmer of hope for Scotland. Brilliant French try!!! France 29-14 Scotland: The French haven't quite been able to keep the intensity and the pace to their attacks, which is understandable, but the one exception is the outstanding Medard who make a big breakthrough. He has plenty of support from Yachvili and Poitrenaud who in turn sets up Traille who crosses under the post. 69 min: Yachvili can't miss this conversion and it's France 31-14 Scotland . 70 min: An exchange of Murrays in the Scottish front row. Murray Low comes on for Euan Murray, who has had a torrid evening although the second half has been an improvement. 73 min: Dougie Hall comes on for Scotland while Clerc comes on for the brilliant Maxime Medard, whose early try set the tone for this French performance. Try for Scotland. France 31-19 Scotland (Lamont, 76) It's a lovely try for Scotland - their third of the evening - as Lamont came running onto a pass at a great angle and burst through the defence and crossed under the post. 77 min: The conversion is simple for Parks and it's France 31-21 Scotland . 77 min: "Do you know why France are playing in their away kit at home?" asks Laura Parks. I think they may just want to sell some white jerseys. The home crowd fgginally gets on the case of their own team . This is what Scoitland have been waiting for. It may be a little late and is only because France have decided to kick at goal rather than push for another try. Yachvili makes no mistake and it's France 34-21 Scotland . Full time: France 34-21 Scotland. The whistle goes at the end of a game that was every bit as good as the Italy v Ireland game was bad. The French have produced what was without a shadow of a doubt the best performance of the opening weekend. Scotland never gave up, stuck at it, played with their hearts on their sleeve or whatever condescending sentiment you want to throw their way. Saying that, there was certainly enough in their performance to suggest that they will cause teams problems as the championship goes on. In a sentence, France are the team to beat. That's it from me. Thanks for all your emails. Bye.