In pictures: Scotland’s last dozen wins at rugby against France

Kicking off at 8pm, that round-three game, at the Stade de France, north of Paris, was originally due to be played on Sunday, February 28, but had to be called off following a Covid-19 outbreak in the French camp.

The Scots and French have won three apiece of their last half-dozen games, with the former triumphing in March 2020, August 2019 and February 2018.

Last March’s 28-17 victory at Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium was the first time the Scots had notched up back-to-back wins against the French since 1964, as well as being their last game in front of a crowd. Sean Maitland scored two tries for Gregor Townsend’s side, with Stuart McInally adding another, and Adam Hastings kicked three penalties and two conversions.

It followed a 17-14 win for Scotland in Edinburgh the preceding August in the second of two 2019 Rugby World Cup warm-up matches against the French, thanks to tries by Maitland and Chris Harris and two conversions and a penalty from Jedburgh’s Greig Laidlaw.

February 2018’s 32-26 win for the Scots, putting them on their way to a third-place finish in the Six Nations, ahead of France and England, saw them pick up the inaugural Auld Alliance Trophy. It was secured by tries by Maitland and Huw Jones, plus six penalties out of six and two conversions by Laidlaw.

Scotland won only one of the six games before, though, in March 2016.

That 29-18 victory was Scotland’s first against France for a decade and also their first home win in the Six Nations since 2013, ending a seven-match losing streak at Murrayfield. Hawick’s Stuart Hogg scored a try for Scotland and a penalty, with Laidlaw marking his 50th cap by kicking three penalties out of three, as well as a conversion. Duncan Taylor and Tim Visser went over for the Scots’ other two tries.

Out of the 34 games contested by the two nations over the preceding 30 years, Scotland won eight and the French 25, with one, in New Zealand in 1987, being drawn.

The most recent of those Scottish wins was by 20-16 at home in the Six Nations in 2006, with all the others being in its Five Nations incarnation – by 36-22 away in 1999, 19-14 at home in 1996, 23-21 away in 1995, 10-6 at home in 1992, 21-0 at home in 1990, 23-12 at home in 1988 and 18-17 at home in 1986.

Here’s a look back at those last dozen victories for the Dark Blues over les Bleus ...