Scotland eye first Six Nations title

Scotland’s outstanding performance in their 50-40 win over France has given them a fighting chance of a first Six Nations title.

Seven Scottish tries on a glorious sunlit afternoon at Murrayfield helped to blow the 2026 championship wide open with one round of fixtures remaining.

Winners of the last Five Nations championship in 1999, Scotland are in uncharted waters in the Six Nations but they know that a bonus-point win over Ireland gives them the best chance of the title.

“What a day for Scottish rugby,” former Scotland international Johnnie Beattie told the Rugby Union Weekly podcast. “The performance was everything that everyone has been asking for and it takes us to Super Saturday, where we have never been before in the Six Nations.

“The performance was wonderful and joyous to watch at times. The line-out fired, they pressurised France in every single way and then you saw French heads go.

“They were comprehensive and dominant in pretty much every area of the game. Fifty points against France is unheard of – they were brutal.”

Any blips on the horizon? Well, yes, in the shape of Scotland’s poor recent record against Ireland.

Gregor Townsend, whose future was questioned after defeat by Italy in round one, has yet to coach his side to a win over the Irish, while Scotland’s last victory in Ireland came way back in 2010 when they battled to a 23-20 victory at Croke Park.

It is worth remembering that with one game to go, France are still top of the Six Nations table thanks to points difference, and the incredible end to the match at Murrayfield may prove crucial in deciding the championship.

Trailing 47-14 after an hour, France’s four late tries were not enough to contain the rampant Scots but they did secure a potentially vital bonus point.

It had looked to be going so well early in the match, when Louis Bielle-Biarrey extended his own Six Nations try-scoring record by crossing for his ninth consecutive game in the tournament.

France were 14-7 ahead at one stage, but then the floodgates opened and Les Bleus had to aim for a form of damage limitation. So rattled were the French that Antoine Dupont threw a horrible forward pass from behind his own tryline, and his intercepted pass led to Kyle Steyn’s second try. Nevertheless, Fabien Galthie’s side know that a bonus-point win over England in Paris will almost certainly secure a record eighth Six Nations title unless Scotland rack up a preposterous amount of tries in a big win in Ireland.

(BBC sport)