Allan Massie: Shades of 1979 about Parisian encounter lit up by blond colossus

Published on Monday 7 February 2011 19:49

Our sports editor must be prescient. The back page of Saturday's sports section had the headline: "Scotland's three stirring tries are not enough"; and lo and behold, they weren't.

The headline of course belonged to Norman Mair's report of the France-Scotland game at the Parc des Princes in 1979, reprinted for general interest.

The score that day was 21-17 to France. So history didn't repeat itself exactly. Still it came close to doing so, and indeed in many respects this splendid open match, played at pace, with high levels of skill and, it seemed, consistent good humour with no tiresome niggles, recalled a good many Parisian encounters between France and Scotland from, say, the early Seventies to the late Eighties - the days of Andy Irvine, Jim Renwick, John Rutherford, the Hastings brothers, and superb back rows on either side. Moreover no Scottish lock since the great Alastair McHarg can ever have got himself about the field as the marvellous young Richie Gray did on Saturday.

Andy Robinson, his assistants and the players won't agree, because we lost, but for any supporter who prizes the game of rugby more than victory, this was a match worthy of what is still the greatest tournament in the world. One might say it lacked only one thing: uncertainty as to the result, for France always seemed to be heading for victory from the moment they got 10 points ahead. Yet even this should be qualified. Scotland were in with a chance when they got back to 14-24, and if Max Evans's attempt to keep a move down the right touchline going had seen the ball land in the hands of a Scot rather than those of Maxime Medard, who knows what might have happened next? As it was of course, France scored a lovely try.

There have been Scottish victories at Murrayfield - the 21-9 (seven penalty goals to three) defeat of Wales in 2007, for instance, which were more admirable than exhilarating. Saturday's performance was both. In the calendar year, 2010, we played ten matches and scored five tries. I have to confess that in my weekend analysis of how we might win in Paris, I didn't even consider that we might score three tries. I thought we might manage to squeeze out a victory. It didn't occur to me that we would play with the elan and adventure that were on show.

It is natural that Robinson should be irritated because the French scores all started with us turning over the ball.

Fair enough, but all teams, even the All Blacks, sometimes throw out a bad pass, lose the ball in the tackle or get turned over. In truth the decisive feature of the game was the French dominance in the set scrum. One felt for Euan Murray, recognised as one of the best tight-heads in the world. He may never have as unhappy an afternoon again. In extenuation one should point out that Thomas Domingo, the French loose-head , is the most awkward of customers, and gives opposing props hell most weeks. The French front-row of Domingo, William Servat and Nicholas Mas is truly formidable. I doubt if the Irish front-row are relishing the prospect of Sunday's encounter. I wonder how much Ross Ford's somewhat erratic throwing-in owed to the pummelling we were taking in the scrums.

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• Follow our Six Nations coverage on TwitterSaturday, like the victories in Argentina and the defeat of South Africa, demonstrated that Robinson's team really is moving in the right direction. Indeed, despite losing, this match showed a marked advance because we looked dangerous with ball in hand, and the centres, Nick De Luca and especially Joe Ansbro, offered an edge that has been lacking. If only Gregor Townsend could persuade Dan Parks occasionally to threaten the gain-line, there would be more opportunities for the midfield. As it is because Parks doesn't do that, his well-delivered long miss-passes are telegraphed, and the opposing defenders can drift across without incurring any risk. If Parks isn't going to do this, the either the scrum-half must look to break to keep the defence honest, or we must make more use of the blindside wing coming up fast on Parks' inside.

There will probably be few changes for the Welsh game, depending on knocks and bruises. Perhaps Johnnie Beattie will be judged ready to return, at least on the bench. Perhaps Mike Blair will start instead of Rory Lawson, and, if we are - as we surely must? - going to continue with the running-and-handling all-action game, then there is a strong case for bringing back Chris Paterson, still our most dangerous broken-field runner, in place of Hugo Southwell.

Be that as it may, the match in the Stade de France will be vividly remembered when some victories are forgotten, nothing more vividly than the sight of Richie Gray storming through the midfield, or covering to bring down flying French backs. He was tremendous; It is as if you had poured Alastair McHarg and John Jeffrey into a mould and a blond giant had emerged.

A final word should note the contribution made by Kelly Brown. A few years ago he seemed a useful bits-and-pieces player. Now he is a back-row player of the highest class.