Scotland v France Six Nations: Sam Skinner says it’s ‘do or die’ as he looks to Murrayfield crowd to make home advantage count

The return of crowds to the Six Nations has firmly re-established the concept of home advantage and Sam Skinner has called on Scotland to produce a performance which rouses Murrayfield this weekend as they look to get their campaign back on track against France.

The Exeter Chiefs forward describes Saturday’s clash as “do or die” in terms of the Scots’ title challenge after the 20-17 defeat in Cardiff ten days ago.

France have found Edinburgh a tricky venue in recent seasons and their task will be made all the harder if Murrayfield is at its noisy best.

That was the case on the opening day of the championship when Scotland beat England 20-17 but Gregor Townsend’s side were on the receiving end seven days later at a raucous Principality Stadium.

The Covid-enforced absence of supporters from last season’s Six Nations negated many of the benefits of playing at home and the tournament produced more away wins (eight) than home (seven).

Scotland were notable beneficiaries, securing long-awaited victories at Twickenham and the Stade de France, but also losing at Murrayfield to Wales and Ireland. It’s a different story this year, with five of the opening six games going the way of the hosts. Only Italy – who have not won a Six Nations match since 2015 – have stumbled at home.

Skinner felt Scotland benefited hugely from the noisy support against England but knows they need to play against France in a way that sparks a reaction from their fans.

“The atmosphere at Murrayfield is just phenomenal and without doubt it gave us the edge against England,” said Skinner, who has agreed to join Edinburgh next season.

Sam Skinner wins lineout ball against Wales in Cardiff. (Photo by Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images)

“I love playing in front of full house there, it is the best feeling in the world. It is going to be huge this weekend, so we need to make sure that we put in a performance which allows the crowd to get behind us. We need to give them something to cheer.

“I think we’ve seen the home crowd become an advantage in the Six Nations already and I think we’ll continue seeing that be the case.”

Skinner, a second-half replacement for Jonny Gray in the win over England, started at flanker against Wales, in place of the injured Jamie Ritchie. Gray is unavailable for the France game due to an ankle problem and Skinner is likely to return to the second row where he is expected to partner the experienced Grant Gilchrist, who won his 50th cap against Wales.

Sam Skinner, pictured with ball, is likely to switch from flanker to lock to replace the injured Jonny Gray, right, against France. Picture: Nigel French/PA

The pair combined to good effect in last year’s win over France in Paris and Skinner says he feels more comfortable now at lock.

“I used to find it a bit more of a challenge than I do now,” he said. “I enjoy both roles just as much, to be honest.

“In the back-row you are a bit more free of scrums and lineouts – in the mix a bit quicker – whereas in the second-row you do a bit more of the tight stuff.

“I’d probably say I’m a bit more used to playing in the second-row, and I’d maybe say I’m more comfortable playing in the second-row, but I really do enjoy playing in the back-row as well.

The Murrayfield crowd can play a big role for Scotland against France, says Skinner. (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group)

“I love playing with Gilco. He’s a fantastic player and a phenomenal servant to Scottish rugby, so it was awesome to see him get 50 up against Wales.

“I’ve always enjoyed playing with him. I like to think our styles complement each other, and hopefully if we get the opportunity to play with each other this weekend we can put in a performance similar to Paris last year.”

Last season’s 27-23 win was Scotland’s first at the Stade de France since 1999 but their home record against the French is the Six Nations is impressive, with the Scots chalking up three wins in a row in 2016, 2018 and 2020. Skinner rates Fabien Galthie’s side highly and cautions against reading too much into previous victories.

“We’ve beaten them in the past but they’re an improving side and are extremely strong right now, everyone can see that,” said the 27-year-old. “And they’ve been consistent with it as well.

“I think this is the strongest France side we’ll have faced over the last few occasions we’ve played them and we need to make sure we’re at our very best in order to get the win.”

The despondency that greeted Scotland’s defeat in Wales was so pronounced because it came just seven days after the rousing win over England. The inability to win back-to-back games at the start of the championship is a Scottish failing which dates back to the mid-Nineties but Skinner believes there was not too much difference between the two displays.

Sam Skinner in training at Oriam. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)

“From England to Wales, in terms of performances, they weren’t too dissimilar,” he said. “We were strong in some areas and weak in others. We’re not the finished article yet and we’re still trying to improve week in, week out.

“We were on the right side of the victory against England, and playing at Murrayfield gave us that boost to seal the win. Being on the wrong side of the result [against Wales], despite putting in a similar standard of performance, naturally brings on pressure, disappointment and frustration.

“We believed we could go down there and win and we put a lot of energy into that game. We were gutted not to get the result but we’ve got to move forward. That’s the beauty of sport - you get another week to change people’s opinions and get a win under your belts again, so we can’t wait for France this weekend.

“We were disappointed to lose against Wales but we’ve got to move on, we’ve got to put it right, because this is a do or die for us this weekend.”

To celebrate the return of the Six Nations we're offering 30% off ALL new annual digital subscriptions to The Scotsman. Read Scotland's best rugby coverage, expert analysis and gain unlimited access to award-winning Scottish journalism. Subscribe today using code SIXNTS30