Early in the second half in St-Etienne on Saturday night, just after Damian Penaud and Charles Ollivon had put the freewheeling hosts 17 points to the good, Scotland resembled one of those boxers covering up on the ropes, doing anything and everything to survive the onslaught but looking to all the world that a knockout was imminent.
France came close to scoring again in the 50th minute and again in the 55th minute. The Scots hadn’t scored since the 10th minute of the Test, but then things started to happen.
Javan Sebastian and Sam Skinner, fresh off the bench, hit Thomas Ramos in the tackle and forced a spillage. That was a big moment.
Finn Russell took charge. Huw Jones got on the ball. Duhan van der Merwe, despite being doubled-over in pain seconds earlier, popped up on the wing and scored. The cavalry charge was happening again.
In a world where attrition is sometimes valued over artistry and the bludgeon is deemed more important than the rapier, Scotland and France have done their bit to tip the balance in favour of the creators over the destroyers.
For the third time this year they served up a belter. Previously in this wonderful trilogy, we saw France lead 19-0 in Paris only for Scotland to outscore them 21-6 in the next hour. France won in the end, but it was majestic stuff from both sides.
A week ago at Murrayfield, Scotland trailed 21-3 at half-time then scored 22 unanswered points in the second half to win, despite being down to 14 men. Again, it was barmy and brilliant.
On Saturday, Scotland were 17 points down after an hour, then in 10 minutes of near perfection, scored 17 points without reply to level it.
Resilience to stay in the fight and ingenuity to unlock the France defence. There are so many good things in this Scotland team that you have to wonder what might they be like if they didn’t give themselves Everest to climb.
If they don’t cede a big lead to the Springboks in Marseille next month then they have the attacking thrust to pull off an upset.
So many things will have to go right and close to the top of the list is the lineout. When the height and nous of Richie Gray – who pilfered two French throws – and the expertise of Grant Gilchrist is in situ then all is fine.
When both of them go off, as they did in St-Etienne, everything is far from fine. Without the talismanic leaders, confusion sets in.
Scotland had a 100% return out of touch with Gray and Gilchrist, then lost two late ones in quick order when the pair had departed. The last of them was the final play – a knock-on as Skinner was coming back to earth.
Russell is critical to everything that Scotland want to do, but the stability that Gray and Gilchrist bring is every bit as important as the skill of the great fly-half.
Big names are dropping like flies in other squads. That Georgia game on 26 August will be useful, but it’ll also be a concern. They can’t cancel it now, but you wonder what Townsend would say if he was given the choice.
It wouldn’t be a surprise if a number of players outside of his 33 were called up for that one. How’s Al Kellock’s fitness these days?
Scotland’s attacking game is sharp and ambitious. France won with a late penalty on Saturday, but it was madly entertaining stuff once more. Russell is possibly playing the best and most mature rugby of his life right now.
Scotland are creating and scoring and there is a sense they still haven’t shown anything like their full hand in attack.
In three World Cup warm-up games, Darcy Graham has three tries, Kyle Steyn has two and Van der Merwe has one. The ball is going wide and it’s exhilarating to watch. Townsend has a strong squad that’s tracking nicely.
And now he needs to make a few cuts. It’s not hard to identify those who make a habit of second-guessing the inner workings of Townsend’s mind when it comes to selection – they’re the ones in the clown shoes – but it’s time to get the crystal ball out again. And the red nose to go with it.
On Wednesday morning, Townsend will announce his World Cup squad. From the current group of 37, four need to be culled – most likely a scrum-half, a prop, a hooker and a back row.
At scrum-half, Ben White looks like he will be fit and is first choice, George Horne was a livewire off the bench in St-Etienne and is surely now second choice. Ali Price has experience if not form. Jamie Dobie will probably be the one to lose out at number nine.
The propping situation is crystallising. Five of the six spots are nailed down. The last is between Javan Sebastian and Murphy Walker at tighthead. The fact Sebastian was in the 23 to face a fully loaded France was possibly a clue to how Townsend was seeing things before the weekend.
Sebastian hasn’t impressed as an international player but he picked a good time on Saturday night to put in his best cameo in a Scotland shirt. His scrummaging has always been decent, but his mobility has been questioned. He seems to have shed some weight and looks good on it. Sebastian is in the box-seat as the third tighthead.
Townsend has to drop one of his four hookers. George Turner had a 100% night with his throwing in France and was busy around the park. Stuart McInally, on his last hurrah, has come back into the scene with the thunder of old.
Dave Cherry scored and contributed heavily in the first game against France. Ewan Ashman is probably in their wake right now. He’s young. He’ll come again if he misses out.
Perhaps the toughest choice is in the back row. Given that Josh Bayliss was in the 23 for St-Etienne he might be ahead of Luke Crosbie in Townsend’s eyes.
Crosbie’s last three starts for Scotland were wins against Italy, Wales and England, the latter two coming in the first weekends of the Six Nations – after which he wasn’t seen. If he misses out again it would be the cruellest cut.
We will know it all by early Wednesday morning. The countdown will truly be on at that point.
Source: BBC
