What's happening
France - Scotland

October 25 Match

WHAT'S HAPPENING? (posted 26th October 2003)
At Sydney's Telstra stadium last night almost 79,000 people turned out to watch the France - Scotland game. The French team dazzled the crowd and won in convincing fashion 51-9. Olivier Magne combined brilliantly with Harinordoquy and Betsen to assure France's top spot position in Pool B. The Scots will now have to beat Fiji in Sydney next week to get into the quarter finals.

The first thirty minutes of the game were close and by the end of the first half an hour, Scotland was only behind by 3 points (9-6), but then the French bunged on a couple of tries before half time to take the 40 minute score 19-6.

Scotland needed to score early in the second half, but the French team had other ideas, and they turned on a great show for the spectators in the second half. Within minutes of the whistle, Nicholas Brusque kicked a field goal and that was closely followed by a try from Harinordoquy. The Scots were in strife! Michalak scored a fabulous individual try when he sprinted past tacklers for a 20 metre dash to the try line, and Galthie secured a bonus point for France when he crossed over in the corner.

Michalak scored a massive 28 individual points last night, taking him up to 78 points for the tournament. He's the leading try scorer to date, and if he keeps going at this rate he might just have a crack at the record for points scored in a tournament which is held by Grant Fox, 126, set in 1987.

The Scots remained tryless throughout the match, their nine points coming from the boot of Paterson, and in the form of penalty kicks.