Super Scots stun the French to light up Six Nations title race

Who would have thought it when Scotland were being ground to a bedraggled defeat in the pouring rain in Rome last month? They are now within one win of the Triple Crown and even, dare they say it, the Six Nations title.

Two weeks without rugby had given Scotland fans time to dream their team could halt France’s supposed cruise towards the grand slam. But no one at Murrayfield yesterday can have expect such an astonishing Scottish win in a 13-try points-fest.

Scotland delivered in all departments to land the finest victory of Gregor Townsend’s nine-year tenure as head coach.

Something special was always going to be needed to stop Fabien Galthié’s seemingly invincible unit who, after convincing victories over Ireland, Wales and Italy, arrived in the Scottish capital apparently destined to retain their Six Nations crown with a match to spare.

They can still do so next weekend at home to England but Le Crunch will now be a meeting of two dispirited sides who had set their sights on far loftier aspirations, only to both fall short. This was an outcome that few would have seen coming and it will place seeds of doubt in French minds.

Galthie’s pre-match gripe about the state and size of the Murrayfield away dressing room now seems like the very least of his problems after this stunning setback.

Scotland had been denied a deserved victory in the previous meeting here two years ago by a contentious late officiating decision, but they more than made amends for that disappointment with this remarkable victory that brought the Murrayfield crowd to their feet, even if France did make the scoreline more respectable by running in three late tries.

The pain of the autumn defeats to Argentina and the All Blacks was soon forgotten as Scotland won for a third successive match to, incredibly, head to Dublin next weekend for Super Saturday still in with a chance of claiming a maiden Six Nations title.

In their previous home encounter, they had mastered England for 80 minutes to reclaim the Calcutta Cup but, after struggles on the road away to Italy and Wales, there had been an acknowledgement from within the Scotland camp that they would need to play almost the perfect game if they were to foil this France side.

Townsend’s players delivered that and more in an opening hour that surpassed the expectations of even the most optimistic of their ­supporters. The noisy French support, who had arrived in their thousands into the Scottish sunshine, were stunned into silence as Scotland ran in try after try.

The two claimed by Darcy Graham – his 36th and 37th overall - saw him move clear at the top of the country’s all-time scoring charts, but that was a minor storyline on an afternoon when Scotland finally played to the potential hinted at but rarely delivered upon. Kyle Steyn also scored twice, with Pierre Schoeman, Ben White and Tom Jordan also crossing.

Jordan’s try – Scotland’s seventh – gave the hosts a scarcely believable 33-point lead before French pride belatedly kicked in. Antoine Dupont led the fightback, scoring the first of four tries in the final 15 minutes to claim the bonus point that keeps them on top of the Six Nations table.

Scotland, though, are alongside them on 16 points and few could have anticipated this scenario after their tame capitulation in the Roman rain on the opening matchday.

The challenges, however, don’t get any easier from here. Victory over Ireland will, at the very minimum, deliver a first Triple Crown since the heyday of their 1990 grand slam heroics and end Townsend’s record of not having beaten Ireland as coach.

It would be typically Scottish – and not at all surprising – were they to win in the Aviva only for France to then triumph in the evening to seal the championship but, after this seismic victory, that won’t be considered too much of a setback.

This is a result that should also quell any talk over Townsend’s immediate future. Wins over England and Wales had temporarily suspended that debate but there was a feeling the beleaguered head coach still had to pull out a significant victory to quash the growing sensation that he was overseeing a period of stagnation.

Scotland had beaten France before on his watch – five times before this one – but given what was at stake and the might of this French team, this felt more significant than any of the others. It will have been celebrated in the pubs of Auld Reekie long into the night, and better could yet follow.

Photography by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images