Scotland beat France 50-40 at Scottish Gas Murrayfield (67,144 capacity, Edinburgh) on Sunday 1 March 2026, kicking off at 15:15 GMT (UTC+0) in Six Nations Round 4, producing an extraordinary 90-point thriller that ended France’s perfect record. Seven tries apiece, relentless attacking rugby from both sides, and a Scottish comeback that will be talked about in Edinburgh pubs for decades.

The 15:15 GMT kickoff (Edinburgh time) was 16:15 CET (Paris time), 20:45 IST in India, 02:15 AEDT (Monday) in Sydney, and 10:15 EST on the east coast of the United States. A sold-out Murrayfield created an atmosphere that crackled from the moment the teams emerged. France arrived unbeaten in the tournament and looking like the side most likely to claim a Grand Slam. Scotland, with two wins and a loss, needed a result to stay in contention. What followed was a match that defied all tactical convention and turned into a breathtaking, chaotic spectacle.

Finn Russell was at the heart of everything for Scotland, producing the kind of performance that only he can deliver. He finished with two tries, three conversions, and a penalty, pulling strings with audacious passes that repeatedly unlocked the French defence. His cross-field kick for Duhan van der Merwe’s second try was a moment of pure genius, dropping the ball perfectly into the winger’s path from 40 metres. Van der Merwe was devastating on the left wing, scoring a hat-trick with a combination of raw power and deceptive speed that France simply could not contain. Stuart Hogg, in what many speculated could be among his final appearances at Murrayfield, contributed a try and several trademark counter-attacks from full-back that brought the crowd to its feet repeatedly.

France were magnificent in defeat. Antoine Dupont was imperious at scrum-half, scoring one try himself and creating two others with his lightning service and eye for a gap. Damian Penaud added two tries on the right wing, including a stunning solo effort where he beat four defenders in a 60-metre run that briefly put France ahead in the second half. Romain Ntamack was sharp at fly-half, contributing 15 points from the boot and orchestrating several flowing French attacks that carved through Scotland’s midfield. At 40-36 to France with 15 minutes remaining, it appeared that Les Bleus had weathered the Scottish storm and would escape Edinburgh with their unbeaten run intact.

Scotland had other ideas. Russell sparked the decisive passage with a daring quick tap penalty on halfway, sending the ball through three pairs of hands before van der Merwe crashed over for his third. The conversion put Scotland ahead 43-40, and the noise inside Murrayfield became deafening. France threw everything at a response, but a handling error deep in Scottish territory gave the hosts a scrum, and from the resulting possession Scotland worked the ball wide for their seventh try, finished by replacement centre Sione Tuipulotu. Russell’s conversion from the touchline sealed the 50-40 scoreline. France’s Grand Slam hopes were over, and Scotland had announced themselves as serious contenders heading into the final weekend of the championship.