France limp past Scotland, Ireland see off valiant Italy

Sport360 staff 23:20 07/02/2015
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  • France's centre Mathieu Bastareaud is tackled by Scotland's hooker Ross Ford (L) during the Six Nations game at Stade de France.

    France limped to an unspectacular 15-8 victory over a spirited Scotland in the Six Nations on Saturday.

    The Scots continued their recent improvement under New Zealander coach Vern Cotter with a solid defensive display that frustrated the error-prone French.

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    The visitors to the Stade de France in Paris even scored the only try of the match right on the stroke of half-time through Dougie Fife’s first international score in only his fourth match.

    Greig Laidlaw added a penalty while fly-half Camille Lopez scored all France’s points with the boot.

    Scotland stole France’s first lineout but Blair Cowan was penalised for holding on and Lopez kicked a third minute penalty.

    Laidlaw replied for the visitors after France were penalised at the scrum.

    Scotland's lock Richie Gray (L) runs with the ball against France.

    That seemed to spark the hosts into action and France moved the ball around well with runners breaking through the midfield before Scotland were caught offside and Lopez booted another penalty.

    A beautiful dummy from Stuart Hogg set up Six Nations debutant fly-half Finn Russell for a drop goal attempt from the 22, but he put it wide.Lopez extended France’s lead after the Scots were caught offside, but the visitors finished the half in the ascendancy as Mark Bennett’s show and go down the left helped Hogg carry the ball almost to the French line.

    Scotland then swung the ball right for prop Euan Murray to put Fife in to dive over in the corner.

    Laidlaw was unlucky to see his conversion hit the post and come away as France went in 9-8 ahead at the break.

    Lopez maintained his perfect kicking record 10 minutes into the second half with a fourth penalty to extend the hosts’ lead.

    Stuart Hogg of Scotland is tackled by Scott Spedding (L) during their game in Paris.

    France did have the last laugh, though, with a late Lopez penalty, although that could not paper over the cracks in a disappointing display.

    Conor Murray and Tommy O’Donnell scored a try apiece and Ian Keatley kicked 14 points as Six Nations champions Ireland launched the defence of their title with an uneven performance in a 26-3 win over Italy at the Stadio Olimpico.

    Ireland were shorn of several regulars who helped them secure last year’s title as they travelled to the Italian capital intent on making amends for their 22-15 defeat to the Italians two years ago.

    Italy were denied a late try in the closing stages when captain Sergio Parisse knocked on just before fly-half Kelly Haimona went over the tryline.

    Munster fly-half Keatley, given the nod over Ian Madigan, gave Ireland a 9-3 half-time lead after kicking three penalties with Haimona scoring one for the hosts on the stroke of half-time.

    Munster's Ian Keatley had a magnificent game at ten for Ireland.

    Ireland were a different team in the second half, pinning Italy back near the tryline for long spells and extending their lead just before the hour thanks to another Keatley penalty.

    Ireland seized the game by the scruff of the neck in the space of two second-half minutes after Leonardo Ghiraldini was sin-binned on 63 minutes for an infringement at the maul.

    Murray bundled the ball just over the tryline while under pressure, with Keatley adding the conversion for a 19-3 lead.

    O’Donnell was only included in the starting XV at the last minute when O’Brien – who has not played a test in over a year – suffered an injury in the warm-up but made the most of his unanticipated appearance with a blistering run down the middle to touch down unchallenged on 66 minutes.

    Madigan, who had replaced Keatley minutes earlier, fired over an easy conversion to rubber stamp the win.

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