Scottish Rugby

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Defence coach Lee Radford insists Scotland are not fazed by the prospect of ending their losing run against Ireland as they prepare for Saturday's mouth-watering trip to Dublin.

Scotland have lost all of their past 11 matches against Ireland, but know a win could earn their first Six Nations title.

The Scots are level on points with France - who face England in their final match - but trail on points difference.

With Ireland also in the hunt, Radford says Scotland are embracing what they expect to be a "fantastic challenge".

"I've not lost to them. There's no scar tissue here," Radford said.

"All we can do and all we're going to do is prepare as well as we can, have as much energy as we can and embrace what a fantastic challenge it's going to be.

"They are an organised outfit, very structured and well coached. They have been on winning runs and that builds confidence.

"Like every side, you'd like to think there's something to go after and if we get things right, hopefully we can."

Scotland will be without key second row duo Gregor Brown and Scott Cummings, who both picked up injuries in last weekend's win over France.

Max Williamson and Grant Gilchrist are the most likely replacements, with Alex Samuel, Alex Craig, Jonny Gray and Euan Ferrie also in contention.

"I think it's next man up, that's always the mentality," Radford said. "Don't get me wrong, we're going to lose two fantastic players who have been great for us, but somebody's disappointment is another man's opportunity.

"A lot [of the alternative options] have not played, but they've been in and around it and how they've prepared has been through the roof for fellas that are going to step up.

"For that reason I've got every confidence in what they're going to do and they're going to step in this weekend."

BBC Scotland's chief sports writer Tom English on BBC's Scotland Rugby Podcast: "I don't think Scotland have gone into a game like this feeling so good about themselves.

"And I don't think Ireland have gone into a game like this with so many issues to resolve. Ireland are still a very good team, but they have question marks.

"All the injuries at loose-head, all the uncertainty at 10, the uncertainly in defence, a lot of uncertainties in the scrum. They are there for the taking."

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Scotland delivered a "performance for the ages" with their exhilerating 50-40 Six Nations triumph over France on Saturday, according to former captain Rory Lawson.

Gregor Townsend's side scored seven tries and scuppered France's Grand Slam hopes in the process, blowing away Les Bleus with relentless attacking rugby.

Lawson says it was "certainly" Scotland's greatest ever performance, one which keeps their title hopes alive before the final round of fixtures.

"The quality of rugby, the bravery, the desire to just keep on going - they just continued to play smart, ambitious, brave rugby," Lawson told Radio Scotland Breakfast.

"And they executed. They executed with an intensity and an emotion that I've not seen for a long, long time.

The game was really on a knife edge at half-time, but they came out in that second half, scored within three or four minutes, and then they just kept on going.

"That third quarter of the game in particular, whereby they totally took the game away from France, was just one of the great 20 minutes I've seen Scotland. It was a performance for the ages."

To win the championship, they must now win in Dublin - ideally with a bonus point - and hope France don't match it against England.

It's quite a turnaround from a side that had come under fire for throwing away a win against Argentina in the autumn, and failing to beat Italy in the opening round of the tournament.

"It's something that's been a narrative throughout this championship so far - the impact of that Argentina game," Lawson said.

"Listening to Gregor Townsend, and speaking to a few of the players afterwards, they have referenced it as being a moment that they've learned so much from.

"Sometimes you've got to go through these really tough times and take your learnings and start rebuilding and start changing the behaviours a little bit. What we saw on Saturday was exactly that."

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France forward Oscar Jegou has been cited for an alleged eye gouge on Scotland hooker Ewan Ashman during the Scots' Six Nations victory at Murrayfield on Saturday.

During a Scotland maul in the second half, Jegou's right hand could be seen to cling to Ashman's face. However, referee Angus Gardner did not spot the infringement and it was not brought to his attention by TMO Brett Conan.

Jegou, 22, will now attend an independent disciplinary hearing after he was cited for an act of foul play, which will be held on Tuesday 10 March.

"It definitely should have been looked at [by the TMO], it doesn't look good to be honest," said former referee Nigel Owens, part of the BBC's commentary team.

"That player will be in a bit of trouble. There'll be a process in place now that will deal with that, but it should have been looked at in the game because it was quite clear what the actions were.

"It didn't matter in the context of the game, but on another day if the score was tight, things like that are the ones you want the TMO to come in for - the clear and the obvious."

The incident occurred before France scored late tries to collect a crucial bonus point, and was raised to the officials by Scotland players at the time.

Both France and Scotland have 16 points at the top of the table before the final round of fixtures, although France have a healthy advantage on points difference.

"The TMO would have all the footage," Owens added. "When you look at it, you've got to bring it to the referee's attention.

"A Scottish player did go over to the referee and said 'look, something happened here, we need to have a look' and the referee said there was a process in place.

"It's disappointing that wasn't picked up," he added. "Would they have seen enough evidence to deal with it and give a red card? Who knows. But it certainly should have been looked at, for sure."

Former Scotland captain John Barclay agreed.

"The thing that might stand against Jegou is you can clearly see where his hand is, he can see where Ewan Ashman's head is and the ball is," he said. "If we're seeing that, why is it not being looked at?

"Does it impact the championship? We don't know, but we hope it doesn't."

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Steyn reigns supreme

I've lost count of the number of times I've seen Kyle Steyn described as "one of the most underrated players in the game". Scottish rugby supporters, Glasgow fans in particular, have known for a very long time what a class act the wing is, and he was outstanding again against France.

Perhaps playing understudy to Darcy Graham and Duhan van der Merwe for so long means Steyn is not as widely recognised as he should be, but those beyond Scotland are now beginning to pay attention to him.

The first of his two tries came from such a clever lineout move and a beautiful line back against the grain, and was vital in wrestling the momentum back from a French side that were threatening to click into gear.

Steyn is a Rolls-Royce of a player, arguably Scotland's player of the tournament so far - and perhaps even the standout performer in the entire Six Nations.

Destructive Dempsey

What a pivotal moment in Scotland's Six Nations campaign Jack Dempsey's unexpected return to fitness could prove to be.

A bicep injury suffered against England, a match in which the number eight was outstanding, looked certain to rule him out for the remainder of the tournament.

Not only did he return to start against France, he went the full 80, and delivered a towering display.

His ferocious carrying was a focal point of Scotland's attack all day and his clever footwork prevented the French beasts lining him up for the big shots they were dishing out to some of the other Scottish carriers.

Dempsey has had a massive tournament so far and Scotland will need him at his dynamic best in Dublin.

Late France surge could prove decisive

The only slight cloud on an otherwise glorious day at Murrayfield was the late flurry of French tries that kept the destination of the title in their hands.

At 47-14 up with over an hour played, Scotland were in complete control and France were in a daze.

Injuries and fatigue – understandable after such a monumental physical effort – took a toll on the Scots and France ran in four late tries to turn an absolute shellacking into a 10-point defeat.

The four-try bonus point, and the superior points difference in the table they managed to largely preserve, leaves France's fate in their own hands on the final weekend.

It's hard to imagine a struggling England side turning over France in Paris, but in this of all Six Nations, you just never know.

We asked you Scotland fans for your reaction to the astonishing 50-40 win over France at Murrayfield. Here's a taste of what you had to say...

Gerry: Magnificent win for Scotland. Just like the England match, they attacked right from the start and didn't back down when France took the lead. Great team performance. Kyle Steyn was amazing!

Gareth: It was just outstanding rugby from Scotland, the match stats suggested a greater margin of victory but hey, we will relish it. Kyle Steyn has been Scotland's player of the tournament, closely followed by loads of others.

Nick: As good a performance over 80 minutes, and better still for 65 minutes, as I can remember in decades. We are a very good team - making the defeat in the Roman rain all the more galling - perhaps inexcusable.

Adam: After Rome I was one of many calling for Townsend to go. I'll accept my slice of humble pie with grace on this occasion! That is much more like it.

However, if the team bombs against Ireland again next week, doesn't seriously look capable of winning across the game, and don't make Ireland work hard for the win, then the question marks will return over Townsend's head. That said, I'm more confident now that they can go and take it to the wire.

Jimmy: Average at best - 6/10. The mentality was weak. Top teams kill at 30 points up. Ten more minutes and Scotland lose that game. I'll take the win, but what were they thinking? Three tries in last ten minutes - points difference are just as important as points!

Andrew: We played so well in all aspects of the game. Our open attractive rugby is delightful to watch but our defence was also spectacular. We have continued to develop, learning from the poor November results by sticking to our values for the whole game.

Scotty: This was astonishing, having been there and just watching in disbelief. Jack Dempsey was world class; Finn Russell, Steyn and Darcy Graham, too.

However, there was still elements in two of those tries at the end which showed Scotland can still switch off and it has likely made our attempt at a title extremely difficult. Injuries will also test our strength in depth, cometh the hour cometh Kyle Rowe?

Alex: 26 years in the making, a genuine shot at Six Nations glory. I've pinched myself and no, it's not a dream. No matter the result in Dublin, the if's and buts will come: 'if only we'd beaten Italy', 'if only we'd stopped the French bonus point'.

But they will miss the key fact - Scotland have put themselves in genuine title contention. It's Scotland, we were never going to do it the easy way, and maybe the Italy loss, that severe pain and anger, was needed.

Maybe it was even written in the stars, because who should await but Ireland. The boogeyman at home, and the auld enemy doing us a favour in Paris. Whatever the result, this is now progress. But, the extent of that progress will be known come the final whistle in Dublin. Ultimately what will be will be, but title or no title, exorcising the Irish demon must happen.

Rampant Scotland annihilated French Grand Slam dreams with a stunning seven-try victory at Murrayfield that blew the Six Nations championship wide open.

Read the match report

Have your say

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Former Scotland back row Johnnie Beattie: "Scotland are now taking it to super Saturday and they are worthy winners. That was joyous to watch.

"Scottish rugby, on days like that, is phenomenal to be part of and to be here on game day.

"Just remarkable."

Former Scotland captain John Barclay: "I don't think anyone thought it would be 50-40.

"Scotland had to be brave. They came with a clear plan and were unbelievably good.

"They made a really good French team look quite average in large parts of the game."

England World Cup winning captain Martin Johnson: "Pressure is everything. France didn't look as quick or decisive.

"As brave as Scotland were with the ball, they were also very good defensively.

"France cracked a little bit."

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Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend tells BBC One: "It was a brilliant day, brilliant day for our supporters.

"Not just the rugby we played, but the mindset to keep attacking, a lot of teams would sit on that lead against France.

"We know the best way of winning is playing like what got us that success in the first half.

"I believed in the team.

"Our game is built to put some of our best strike players in the game into space and they built phase after phase and grew in confidence.

"You need painful moments and defeat to make you the team you're going to be. Italy is part of the journey."

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France captain Antoine Dupont has insisted that his side will be focused on Scotland's challenge, rather than the possibility of sealing back-to-back titles when the sides clash at Murrayfield this weekend.

The defending champions could wrap up an Six Nations triumph with a game to spare if they secure bonus-point win in Edinburgh.

Failure to get the result they need would still allow France to complete the job against England next weekend, and Dupont was clear the side will play the game and see where it takes them.

"It's important to win competitions when you're in a position to win them," he said.

"Obviously, for many reasons, it will be more than positive to win this tournament, but we still have two games to play and today we're far from it.

"The goal is to win the match. We know how difficult it is to win here. We don't need to talk about the quality of the Scottish team, especially since the beginning of this tournament.

"Our main focus is here for the moment. We will have time to see what happens next."

Dupont says Scotland have "surely the best attack of the championship" and believes the teams could put on a real show for the crowd, which will include 15,000 travelling fans.

"I hope that there will be a show, but it is important that we do not lose the focus of winning the match," said the Toulouse star. "But if there can be both, it is obviously all the better.

"We have the keys to compete with Scotland, but we will have to be at the maximum of our concentration and intensity to be able to compete."

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

Scotland are "battle-tested" for their challenge of derailing France's Grand Slam charge and maintaining their own Six Nations title ambitions, according to captain Sione Tuipulotu.

It's been a rollercoaster tournament so far for the Scots, recovering from an opening-day defeat to Italy with back-to-back victories - a thrilling win over England followed by a gritty victory over Wales in Cardiff.

Now comes their toughest challenge against a France team who have swept all before them and are looking to make it four wins from four at Murrayfield on Saturday.

"I feel battle-tested leading into this fourth game and I think that's an important aspect going into these last two games," Tuipulotu said.

"We've found ourselves probably behind, up, close games at the end, especially two weeks ago against Wales.

"So we're fully prepared for this game and wherever it goes, especially early.

"What an exciting opportunity we've created for ourselves here. One of the best teams in the world coming to Murrayfield, it's awesome for our fans and it's exciting for this team and an awesome next step for us to see where we're at.

"I'm really excited and happy with the prep that we've had this week."

We asked for your views on Gregor Townsend's selection for Saturday's Six Nations game and whether Scotland can beat France.

Here's what some of you said:

Graeme: Encouraged that Townsend is utilising the bench the way top teams have been for the last 10 years, it may not be enough for France but I'm hopeful we turn up in Dublin.

Sandy: I would have liked to see Duhan van der Merwe in the squad - at least on the bench. He's a big-match player and he could make an impact late in the game. But Scottish team is looking good. Let's go.

Graeme: Zander Fagerson on the bench is a huge call but probably the correct one. Jack Dempsey back is massive, not sure Blair Kinghorn deserves to keep his place. Let Freddy Douglas and Josh Bayliss loose in the second half.

Freddie: Pleased to see Freddy Douglas get a chance. He's been immense for Edinburgh in the Champions Cup.

Ronald: D'Arcy Rae and Rory Sutherland appear from nowhere, the latter is a shadow of the player he once was and I think the scrum will go to pieces when he comes on. I would have given Bayliss a game instead of Fagerson. Is Grant Gilchrist really our only option at lock? I hope I'm wrong but I fear the worst.

Stuart: Workrate for the whole matchday 23 will be key. They cannot switch off for a second. We have not seen this French team tested early, and Scotland need to do this to have any chance. If France get their noses more than a score in front they will win, it would be then just a case of by how many.

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Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend has been speaking to the media after naming his team to face France in Saturday's Six Nations clash.

Here are the main points:

• Although France have "shown over the last two or three games they're the best attacking team in the world", Townsend wants his side to "limit their opportunities to play off turnover ball but also take the game to them".

• Scotland have "not really talked about" the prospect of France winning the title at Murrayfield, with Townsend adding: "It's obviously about what we can do, staying in the championship for another week."

• With Scotland's own title hopes still alive, Townsend stresses it is "possible to win our next two games", adding: "I believe in the group. Any game we go into I believe we can beat our opposition."

• Scotland's record of five wins in 13 meetings with France in Townsend's reign and recent close encounters with them gives the team confidence. "They're a top team but we've risen our game when we've played against them and we felt very frustrated not to win against them two years ago," says the Scotland boss.

• Townsend is hoping for "a really open, contested game" but admits "if it's a 3-0 win we'll take that as well".

• On dropping Zander Fagerson to the bench, Townsend insists he is "going to get big minutes".

• The Scotland staff are "delighted D'Arcy Rae is fit" and are hoping he can "play like he did against New Zealand and Argentina" in the autumn series.

• Townsend heaped praise on Freddy Douglas, who is primed for a Six Nations debut off the bench, insisting "his game is at a world-class level" and believes the 20-year-old back-row is "going to have such a big impact in all facets of the game".

• The head coach admits Jack Dempsey's return is "unexpected and a real boost", adding: "We feel like we have players in the starting XV and the bench that can give us go-forward."