Les Bleus must win by 21 points or more to deny Wales‘As a proud Scotsman that hurt me a lot,’ says HoggIt is International Waffle Day on Thursday and, just in case it is not marked in the diary, the French Rugby Federation provided a timely reminder on
Social Media. It was at best tongue-in-cheek, more accurately in questionable taste and a reference to how members of the
France team were found to have eaten at a waffle restaurant in breach of Covid-19 protocols earlier in the tournament, following an investigation into an outbreak in their squad. The outbreak, lest we forget, that resulted in their match against
Scotland being postponed and rearranged for Friday night.
Should Fabien Galthié’s team play with the same audacity, the delayed climax to this year’s Six Nations will not disappoint. But spare a penny for the thoughts of the French government and tournament organisers and all those involved in brokering the financial arrangement to ensure five of Scotland’s England-based players are available. Gregor Townsend has described the agreement as “satisfactory” – because as of last Saturday morning he was facing the prospect of having none of them at his disposal – but you cannot escape the fact that Scotland are not at full strength in
Paris.