In a Six Nations match marred by two red cards, fullback Thomas Ramos scored 17 points as France streaked to victory over Scotland in Paris on Sunday.
Drawing on a partisan home crowd at Stade de France, the defending champions bounced back from the second round loss against Ireland to hand Scotland a 32-21 loss, their first of the 2023 championship.
Les Bleus raced into a 22-7 half-time lead sparked by an early try from flyhalf Romain Ntamack and followed by another strike from wing Ethan Dumortier.
Ramos converted the first and the second came after a red card was shown to Scotland lock Grant Gilchrist for head-on-head contact.
The numerical advantage was nullified when France prop Mohamed Haouas received a red for contact to Scotland scrumhalf Ben White’s head midway through a first quarter that ended with an intercept try and conversion from Ramos to make it 19-0 to France.
?????, ?????! ?@FranceRugby fullback Thomas Ramos with a speedy intercept try in Paris. #FRAvSCO pic.twitter.com/LkOuDAL9PS
— Guinness Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) February 26, 2023
Scotland got on the board before the break with a converted try from centre Huw Jones.
.@HRFJones runs onto a short pass from @finn_russell to cruise through the gap and get @Scotlandteam on the scoreboard!#FRAvSCO | #GuinnessSixNations pic.twitter.com/XJEsr2oXlf
— Guinness Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) February 26, 2023
Scotland struck first in the second half when Jones scored his second try and Finn Russell again converted to make it 22-14 with less than 30 to go.
A 57th-minute penalty from Ramos kept the scoreboard ticking and France in the driver’s seat, but 10 minutes later Russell scored and converted a try to make it a four-point ballgame.
It was always going to be this man…@finn_russell touches down to get @Scotlandteam right back in this. #FRAvSCO pic.twitter.com/VpqeYNvo8a
— Guinness Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) February 26, 2023
The visitors kept fighting to the very end, but a last-minute touchdown from France centre and man-of-the-match Gael Fickou handed the Scots their first loss of the season to promote France into a three-horse race for second place with Scotland and England all level on 10 log points.
France travel to Twickenham on Saturday while Scotland host unbeaten leaders Ireland in round 4.
????????? Gaël Fickou délivre le @StadeFrance ?#FRAECO #XVdeFrance #SixNations #NeFaisonsXV pic.twitter.com/DZaYqhrsbM
— France Rugby (@FranceRugby) February 26, 2023
Photo: Twitter/@SixNations_FR