Virimi Vakatawa scores decisive try in France’s win over Scotland

Scotland’s five-match winning run was brought to a halt as France turned on the power in the second half to earn a first win at Murrayfield in five attempts since 2014.

Fabien Galthié’s side are in pole position to reach the Autumn Nations Cup final – with England possible opponents – in a fortnight, providing they win their final Group B game against Italy on Saturday.

They scored the only try and deserved victory but Scotland will regret the way they let slip the chance of a first shot at silverware since winning the final Five Nations title in 1999.

Assuming they are awarded the same bonus-point win as France for the cancellation of their final group match against coronavirus-hit Fiji, Gregor Townsend’s team will likely have to settle for contesting the third/fourth-place final on the competition’s final weekend, with Ireland, England and Wales all still potential opponents.

“The players are down but they will learn from that defeat,” Townsend said. “It was a bit of an arm wrestle and we never managed to get ahead on the scoreboard.

After they scored their try we were up against it but the effort was outstanding and we still had chances to win.”

A sixth successive victory for the first time since 1990 would have equalled a record only four other Scotland sides have achieved but their execution, accuracy and discipline went missing at crucial moments.

Scotland’s Chris Harris, Matt Fagerson and Stuart Hogg of Scotland cut dejected figures at the final whistle. Photograph: Ian MacNicol/Getty Images

France started briskly and were 6-0 up inside 10 minutes via two Thomas Ramos penalties. The second was a let-off for the hosts after Blair Kinghorn did well to reach Gaël Fickou’s delicate kick to the corner a split second ahead of Virimi Vakatawa, with referee Wayne Barnes playing an advantage.

But Scotland settled and were level by the end of the first quarter. Duncan Weir halved the deficit from close range when the France prop Demba Bamba fell offside, and stroked home his second penalty after the wing Duhan van der Merwe had battered his way through opposite number Teddy Thomas and the hooker Camille Chat infringed under pressure.

The tit-for-tat continued as the fly-half Matthieu Jalibert landed a smart drop goal before Weir made it 9-9 after an infringement by the flanker Dylan Cretin.

But the hosts struggled for attacking fluency throughout. The first scrum after 30 minutes offered a prime opportunity but it went begging when Antoine Dupont stripped Weir of possession.

With the interval beckoning, France drove Scotland back at a scrum on the left touchline and kicked to the corner. They battered away from close range but Vakatawa was held up over the line to keep the hosts on level terms.

Quick Guide Robert Kitson’s team of the weekend Show

15 Thomas Ramos France14 Keith Earls Ireland13 Virimi Vakatawa France12 Gaël Fickou France11 Jonny May England10 Mathieu Jalibert France9 Antoine Dupont France1 Mako Vunipola England2 Camille Chat France3 Demba Bamba France4 Maro Itoje England5 Joe Launchbury England6 Tom Curry England7 Sam Underhill England8 Grégory Alldritt France

Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian NMC Pool NMCPool

It proved a brief reprieve. Within two minutes of the resumption, France struck with a devastating move from a scrum. Fickou released the dangerous Vincent Rattez with a deft inside pass and the wing fed Vakatawa, who held off despairing tackles from Kinghorn and Stuart Hogg to score. Ramos added the conversion to give the visitors some breathing space but Weir’s fifth penalty kept Scotland in touch.

France sent on a full set of front-row replacements and their power made an immediate impact. The loosehead prop Cyril Baille earned a scrum penalty and the hooker Julien Marchand won a turnover penalty on the floor to kill another Scotland attack.

The visitors should have gone further ahead when Vakatawa opted to go for the line with a two-man overlap outside him, only for Weir to make a try-saving tackle. Moments later Fickou was held up short but a fourth Ramos penalty restored France’s seven-point cushion.

Scotland still had chances in the final stages. Awarded a fortuitous lineout in the corner despite Van der Merwe pushing Fickou, the move floundered as a ruthless counter-ruck earned another relieving penalty.

With the clock in the red, Scotland won a penalty 10m into France’s half but Hogg, aiming for the corner, sent his kick dead to bring their winning run to a sorry end.

“There was no need for that but I’ll take it on the chin,” said the Scotland captain. “I made a mistake but I am old enough and ugly enough to know that.”

“On another day we would probably have won but you don’t turn into a rubbish team overnight and we still feel we are in a good place.”