France 22-16 Scotland: Scots only have themselves to blame, admits try-scorer Stuart Hogg
Scotland full-back Stuart Hogg admitted his side were the architects of their own downfall after two Camille Lopez penalties inside the final 10 minutes proved decisive for France.
Hogg’s 15th Test try was cancelled out by Les Bleus centre Gael Fickou, while Tim Swinson’s touchdown regained the lead for the visitors before Lopez’s boot came to the fore with three successive penalties. The 27-year-old kicked 17 points in total.
Scotland had to be content with a bonus point when a first win in the French capital since 1999 looked plausible, while Vern Cotter’s outfit were shackled by injuries to skipper Greig Laidlaw, John Barclay, John Hardie and Fraser Brown.
The visiting pack, meanwhile, struggled against the French might and was regularly demolished, conceding a total of six penalties and a free-kick, although the Scots battled doggedly in a bid to build on their opening-day victory against Ireland.
“It was tough going out there,” said Hogg. “France are a massive physical pack and they brought it to us. But we chucked it away. Our errors cost us throughout the whole game. We didn’t look after the ball, didn’t resect it and ultimately that’s cost us.”
The most worrying injury was the ankle problem sustained by Laidlaw, although Cotter was not prepared to speculate on the potential availability of the Gloucester scrum-half for Scotland’s clash with Wales at Murrayfield on 25 February.
“It’s an ankle injury, we’ll see tomorrow how bad it is,” said the New Zealander.
Cotter also stopped short of criticising Finn Russell, who inexplicably missed a routine conversion from under the posts which would have handed Scotland a five-point advantage – they led 16-13 at the time.
“If the gap was only two points in the game you might be asking a bit more, but it wasn’t. That will be something we will have a look at,” added Cotter.
“I thought the players showed a lot of courage out there in defence. I thought we defended well and showed some real character.”
Scotland led 16-13 after substitute Swinson, the Glasgow Warriors lock, added to a try from Hogg, who was winning his 50th cap, during the opening stages.
France had surged into a 13-5 advantage following Fickou’s touchdown and Lopez’s conversion, while the Clermont Auvergne fly-half was to have the final say with two successful penalties in the latter stages.