Following a sad defeat to Wales in the previous round of fixtures, Scotland will attempt to get its Six Nations campaign back on track with a win against France at Murrayfield this Saturday.
Table-topping France will be looking to keep its unblemished tournament record intact. It's the only team in the tournament to have won their first two games. Meanwhile, Gregor Townsend's wards will be hoping to emerge victoriously from the Six Nations duel for the second year in a row at Murrayfield, after defeating England in a thrilling opener before falling to Wales in Cardiff. Scotland should be confident, having defeated France in last year's encounter in a nail-biting 23-27 away win at the Stade de France.
Here's what history has to say about the century-old international rivalry.
What Do Head-To-Heads Between Scotland and France Look Like?
Since Scotland's first match against France in the Five Nations Championship on January 22, 1910, in Inverleith, Edinburgh, a total of 98 matches have been played between the two teams. With 56 victories to Scotland's 39, France has the upper hand, with the teams drawing 3 times.
With the arrival of France to the event in 1910, the Home Nations Championship became the Five Nations Championship. France was then removed from the tournament in 1932, and the four host nations competed for the championship again until 1948, when France was re-admitted. In 2000, Italy joined to form the Six Nations Championship. In the competition's history, France has won the trophy 17 times, compared to Scotland's 14 titles.
What Has Been Each Team's Highest Triumph in Mutual Duels?
France's highest margin of victory was 42 points against Scotland in 2003, in a Rugby World Cup match, when they won 51-9 in Australia.
Scotland's biggest win was a 31-3 home victory in 1912, i.e. a 28-point margin.
When Was the Last Time Scotland Defeated France in Edinburgh?
Scotland's last Six Nations home victory over France came just two years ago when they won 28-17 at Murrayfield in the 2020 Six Nations. In recent years, France has had a bad record against Scotland at the mentioned venue, including defeats in 2016, 2018, and 2009.
Fans in Scotland will be hopeful that their team can draw the maximum out of the home advantage again in 2022.
When Will the Game Take Place?
The answer is: on Saturday, February 26. That's when Scotland will meet France in the 3rd round of the 2022 Six Nations Championship at the Murrayfield Stadium (capacity of 67,144) in Edinburgh.
In comparison to their Round 2 triumph over Ireland, France has made one change to their lineup for its match against Scotland, with Jonathan Danty replacing the injured Gabin Villière. He returns to the starting lineup alongside Gaël Fickou in the centers after recovering from an ankle injury.
Scotland will make three changes prior to the clash with France. Rory Darge is expected to make his Scotland debut. As Scotland looks to bounce back from their defeat to Wales, Magnus Bradbury is also coming in. The last change is at tighthead prop, where Zander Fagerson replaces Willem Petrus Nel, who's moved to the bench.
The game which you can bet on by visiting the best rugby betting sites out there will be broadcast live by the BBC and will begin at 2.15 p.m GMT.
