Six Nations: New Scotland cap Rory Darge takes La Rochelle lessons into France clash

After a narrow win over England and an equally slim defeat by Wales, Scotland’s Six Nations campaign hangs in the balance as they prepare for the visit of France on Saturday.

The French have so far justified their status as pre-tournament favourites by winning their first two games, and are the only team who can still win a Grand Slam. They will come to Murrayfield as favourites too, but Rory Darge, for one, believes they can be stopped provided the home side get the minor details right.

“It was massively disappointing that we lost to Wales, ” says the Glasgow openside, who made his long-awaited debut off the bench in Cardiff. “But we’ve still got three huge games left.

“If you try and put it in perspective, we’ve won a really big game against England, then lost another game by a really small margin where we were disappointed with the performance and the result.

Rory Darge made his Scotland debut against Wales in Cardiff.

“At this level, it’s about small moments and what impact that can have - the margins that it comes down to. We know what France will bring. Every moment is going to be massively important against them.”

Scotland were below their best in the Calcutta Cup match, but in a sign of their growing maturity and self-confidence, they found a way to win. Their performance in Wales was sub-par too, especially in a second half in which they scored only three points as the self-assurance displayed against England appeared to desert them.

They know that, to have a realistic chance of beating the best team in the Championship, they will have to rediscover their creative spark in attack. And at the same time, as Darge is aware from Glasgow’s two games against La Rochelle this season, they will have to subdue the ferocious physicality of the French.

“In terms of what we expect, it’ll be similar to what French teams bring as a whole,” he continued. “La Rochelle have got a few players in their team who you would imagine will be playing for France – big men who run hard and try and get offloads away.”

The Warriors came up short both times in their Champions Cup game against the French club, with a losing bonus in the away game the best they could manage. Clearly, such an outcome will not suffice for Scotland on Saturday, when getting to grips with the likes of back-row opponent Gregory Alldritt will be one of the prime tasks facing Darge if he is selected.

Given France’s power up front, a 6-2 forwards-backs split on the bench has to appeal to Gregor Townsend, and that would make a second cap for the 21-year-old a stronger possibility. Hamish Watson will almost certainly start at 7, which would likely mean a place among the substitutes for Darge.

But the two men were on the pitch together against Wales, and, while both are specialist opensides, the Glasgow player believes that, if called on, they can function well together. “I was only on for just over 15 minutes, but I felt like Hamish went really well all 80. I felt like I was able to offer a bit round the park as well.

“I see myself as an openside, but I don’t shy away from doing stuff in the lineout if required. I think it depends on what the coaches feel is necessary for Saturday. And whatever they feel, I’m happy to go ahead with.”

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