Virimi Vakatawa scored the only try of the game to see France through to a 22-15 victory over Scotland in a back-and-forth battle at BT Murrayfield.
A cagey first half saw no tries but plenty of points as Duncan Weir and Thomas Ramos traded penalties and Matthieu Jalibert notched up a drop goal but neither side could forge a significant advantage.
That all changed in the second half when Vakatawa caught the hosts off guard to score the decisive first and only try of the game.
Try as they might Scotland could not fight back as their five-match winning run came to an end and Fabien Galthié’s side took charge of Pool B in the Autumn Nations Cup.
BACK AND FORTH
Having missed Round 1, Scotland must have expected Galthié’s men to be eager to get going and come hard in the early runnings and so it proved.
Vakatawa drove strongly and forced an error from the hosts which brought the first points of the game, Ramos slotting over after Scotland were penalised for not rolling away.
The visitors then thought they had the opening try inside the opening ten minutes when Vakatawa collected Gael Fickou’s kick but TMO ruled he had no control of the ball.
Nevertheless, France had a penalty advantage anyway and their lead was doubled to six points when Ramos converted it.
Having been under the cosh though Scotland then showed their steel to fight back and earn two penalties, both of which Weir converted with ease to level the scores.
But France continued to keep coming at their opponents and Jalibert marked his second international start with a smartly taken drop goal to put his side back in front.
In an open first 30 minutes the two teams traded further penalties courtesy of Weir and Ramos, with regular breakdown infringements from both sides closely scrutinised.
On the stroke of half-time Weir equalised at 12-12 with a pinpoint penalty kick, France pinged for offside.
And that was how it stayed going into the sheds after a pivotal final few minutes where TMO looked at potential foul play from Chat but decided he was just bracing for impact, before Scotland defended bravely on their own tryline to hold the ball up and deny a first try for France.
INSTANT SCORE
All that hard work was undone almost immediately after the break when, from the scrum, Vincent Rattez took an inside ball and raced through before releasing Vakatawa to crash over.
Scotland captain Stuart Hogg had tried gamely to hold up the centre but eventually lost the fight, Ramos converting to open up a seven-point advantage.
The topsy-turvy nature of the contest continued when France were yet again found offside, Weir adding a fifth penalty to reduce the deficit to four points.
With a little over 20 minutes to go the visitors piled on the pressure in search of a second score, Jalibert kicking crossfield but failing to find Fickou as Scotland appeared to be fatiguing after a gruelling battle.
Shortly after Scotland looked to be hanging on again but, despite preventing Rattez from dotting down, the hosts had conceded another penalty and Ramos converted to take them 22-15 ahead.
Gregor Townsend’s men were not going to be beaten yet though and a huge hit from replacement George Turner forced a France knock-on and a chance for the Scots.
Further good work at the scrum ensured a penalty Scotland’s way and, after Hogg drilled a kick into the France 22, Fickou pushed into touch and gave away a lineout but the visitors survived by winning the penalty at a counter-ruck.
Scotland tried to come again at the death, earning a penalty which Hogg attempted to kick to the corner but he could only kick it dead as France held on.
KEY MOMENT
No doubt about this one.
After a nip-and-tuck first half full of ill-discipline at the breakdown from both sides, France dealt the decisive blow when the second half had barely begun.
Rattez burst in off the wing to collect off a scrum and he found plenty of time and space before putting Vakatawa through for the only try of the game.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH
The man who took the golden chance of the game, France centre Vakatawa was a consistent threat for his side throughout.
The 28-year-old also made 81 metres and eight carries to shine on a day where battling qualities were predominantly on show.
