6 Nations

Wales player ratings: It's not been an easy few weeks for Welsh rugby. With fans unsure whether the England game would go ahead 72 hours...

[Dan Biggar](https://www.rugbypass.com/players/dan-biggar/) – 5.5 [Tommy Reffell](https://www.rugbypass.com/players/tommy-reffell/) – 5.5 [Justin Tipuric](https://www.rugbypass.com/players/justin-tipuric/) – 5.5 [Christ Tshiunza](https://www.rugbypass.com/players/christ-tshiunza/) – 5.5 Jones was excellent at set-piece and made some truly fantastic clearouts when he had no right. Not mind-blowing, but good. Williams wasn’t bad by any means, but a couple of not-quite-perfect passes allowed England the opportunity to get off the line. Looked to kick on the front foot and pulled the trigger at the right moments. Had a dream start to the second half committing daylight robbery on Malins. Looked confident on debut – slipped out of a tackle to set Adams free early on and forced an error from Ollie Lawrence. [Louis Rees-Zammit](https://www.rugbypass.com/players/louis-rees-zammit/) – 5.5 Wales were beaten by a better England team today.

Minute-by-minute report: A Six Nations showdown awaits in Paris. Join Daniel Gallan for all the latest news.

It was a poor pass and was never on as he went for a miracle ball to his right. It’s not a great one so Scotland have the feed to the line-out on the 22. Price fizzes it and Russell plays a flat line pass for Jones on a scything angle and he darts over under the posts. It’s only a toe that’s out, but he’s out, even though he wormed the ball on the ground. Russell stabs a grubber that puts the ball out close to the French line. He’s taking the ball flat at the line and working it for runners on the angle, which he did for Jones to score. Rather than go to their functioning maul Scotland go long on the line out. Clean ball goes down to the maul and it makes ground. Price gathers over the ball and delays just enough to find Russell on the wrap around. But Scotland hold up the ball carrier and it’s a maul. Scotland had done brilliantly to repel the French and win a penalty. There is still the title and the Triple Crown to play for, but that was a blow to lose that after playing so well and taking the game to a great French team.”

Scotland travelled to the Stade de France hoping to keep alive their dreams of a Six Nations Grand Slam, but Les Bleus crushed their unbeaten run following ...

Les Bleus travel to Twickenham when the tournament resumes in a fortnight's time, while Scotland host leaders [Ireland](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/ireland-rugby-union-team) at Murrayfield. [Gregor Townsend](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/gregor-townsend)'s side targeting three straight wins in their opening three games of a Six Nations for the first time. Player of the Match Fickou forced his way over to apply the finishes touches with seconds left on the clock, breaking Scottish hearts and any chance of a losing bonus point. For all the chaos that comprised the first 20 minutes, a tense 'tete-a-tete' grew turgid as reality set in for both teams. But after Gilchrist's quickfire red threatened to ruin Sunday's contest between two of Europe's best teams, equilibrium was restored in unfortunate fashion as Haouas became the first player to be dismissed twice in the Six Nations. Fabien Galthie's titleholders came out on top despite being outscored in the second half, with Gael Fickou, Romain Ntamack, Ethan Dumortier and Thomas Ramos each scoring to seal the bonus-point victory.

Gael Fickou gave the defending champions a bonus point with a last-minute try to add to those of Romain Ntamack, Ethan Dumortier and Thomas Ramos, who kicked ...

Scotland reduced the arrears early on in the second half as Jones powered through for his second try as France's strategy was to limit the damage. Russell was more inspired to put the visitors on the scoreboard with a superb pass for centre Jones who touched down between the posts. Dumortier went over shortly afterwards on the from the left wing to put France 12-0 up, only for Haouas to be shown a red card in the 13th minute for a head-first charge at Ben White's head.

Both sides had played dismissed in the opening 10 minutes for dangerous head contact with Scotland lock Grant Gilchrist dismissed before French prop Mohamed ...

Within less than 60 seconds of Gilchrist’s sending off, France had its second try as the tournament newcomer Dumortier was fed by Ntamack in the corner. France was creaking but Scotland botched an attacking lineout to give away possession and let the French off the hook. Two tries from center Huw Jones saw the Scots rally to 22-14.

Scotland player ratings: Scotland's hopes of a first Six Nations Grand Slam were brought to an end in Paris as France edged a...

On just before the hour. Managed the lineout well alongside his brother and added his weight to some powerful carries. Might have dummied to van der Merwe when the big wing was bundled into touch on 24 minutes. Back at the Stade de France since winning 2019 Top14 final with Toulouse for the first time. Maybe a bit guilty of leaving Scotland’s mauls early and will have been disappointed with a costly fumble in the first half as Scotland attacked the French line. [Ben White](https://www.rugbypass.com/players/ben-white/) – 7 At his best, he is sensational. Made an excellent defensive read as the hosts looked to break. [Sione Tuipulotu](https://www.rugbypass.com/players/sione-tuipulotu/) – 7 Found plenty of room in the outside channel and scored two superb tries. Denied a couple of attacking chances by dubious forward passes, but worked hard on and off the ball. [Stuart Hogg](https://www.rugbypass.com/players/stuart-hogg/) – 7

Check out our five takeaways from the Six Nations clash between France and Scotland that took place at the Stade de France on Sunday.

Their defence was stretched to breaking point but came through, their players returning from injury put in massive shifts and they seem to have found an outstanding back up to Uni Atonio at tighthead prop in the rather large shape of Sipili Falatea. In the second half, France allowed Scotland 12 throws for one reason or another, failing to control the one point of attack where the visitors held a clear advantage. It was defensive intellect of the highest order, exactly the quality that defines Fickou’s game, and his display was capped off with both a player of the match award and a late try. But to suggest it’s all Russell is to ignore the part Ben White is playing in releasing his fly-half. They had considerably the better of both possession (55%) and territory (64%) but never managed to quite get the breakdown momentum in later phases to challenge French width. France will be delighted in many aspects of this match. A man known for his workrate, he was absolutely everywhere, tidying mess, stopping momentum and in simple terms, making an absolute nuisance of himself. With Ollivon and Thibaud Flament also having big impacts in ‘D’, Shaun Edwards’ week of rollickings appears to have paid off. Scotland’s response to going three tries down in relatively quick succession was one built upon belief, passion and rather more pragmatically, a fantastic display of lineout and maul intellect, and growing scrum power as the match wore on. In short, two thirds of their starting back-row went before the first quarter had finished. Ethan Dumortier followed soon after, and in the 18th minute Finn Russell produced yet another try assist, but sadly for France, as Ramos sprinted 70 metres to dot down under the posts. Referee Nika Amashukeli, who had an absolutely outstanding Test match, dished out another red card on advice of his TMO and the game resumed as a 14-man-a-side contest.