Scotland succumb to old faultlines in the face of France’s cool brilliance

Stuart Hogg looked tortured by what might have been while the French greeted victory with a chilling shrug of the shoulders

Was this the day to herald French brilliance or to bemoan the same old faultlines that persist so stubbornly in Scotland’s constitution? The temptation, if the bearing of the two camps afterwards is anything to go by, is to opt for the latter. Certainly, Scotland seemed more traumatised by the defeat than France were euphoric about a resounding victory at one of their less favoured grounds of late.

Then again, the shrug of the French shoulders, so often a symptom of their own faultline, on this occasion seemed quite ominous. Their travelling fans were raucous and numerous in equal measure, but the sangfroid of this iteration of French players was notable for its contrast to their delirious support – and all the more chilling for that.