Talking points: Can Scotland stop France’s title bid?

The outcome of the 2025 Guinness Six Nations is set to be decided by what happens in the closing match of the championship in the Stade de France.

Here, the PA news agency sets the scene with a look at the key talking points ahead of the Paris finale between France and Scotland.

A partisan atmosphere awaits the Scots, with an expectant French crowd hoping to see their side claim the victory that will secure a first Six Nations title since 2022 and only a second championship triumph since 2010. A win for the visitors would pave the way for England or Ireland – who both play earlier in the day – to claim the honours, but Les Bleus have been in scintillating form for much of the tournament and will be confident of seizing their big chance under the Saturday-night lights at a packed Stade de France.

France go into their night of destiny without talismanic captain Antoine Dupont after he suffered an ACL injury in Dublin last week. While they would prefer to have him on the pitch for their big night, they can draw some solace from the fact they had to adapt to being without him throughout last year’s campaign and also for a small part of the 2023 World Cup. Les Bleus can call on a pretty handy replacement in Bordeaux’s Maxime Lucu, and their depth of options to cover for Dupont is highlighted by the fact their fourth-choice scrum-half Baptiste Serin is currently ahead of Scotland starter Ben White in the Toulon pecking order.

Scotland are out of title contention and even a win may not be enough to help them avoid another bottom-half finish. Their two wins came at home to Italy and Wales, the two weakest sides in the championship, but even then they made heavy weather of both matches. After back-to-back defeats against Ireland and England ruled them out of the equation for silverware and brought fresh debate about Gregor Townsend’s ability to move the team forward, the Scots could desperately do with – if not a victory – at least a rousing performance in Paris to emerge from a hitherto underwhelming campaign with some credit in the bank.

Despite the formidable challenge facing them, Scotland are entitled to take heart from their recent form against France. Each of the last three meetings between the sides – last year’s Six Nations clash at Murrayfield and the two World Cup warm-up matches in August 2023 – were settled by just three or four points. Prior to that, Scotland competed well in their last Six Nations match in Paris two years ago and were well in the hunt until the hosts scored late to seal a 32-21 victory, while Townsend’s men enjoyed a rare success in the French capital in 2021, albeit behind closed doors. In short, they generally hold their own in France.

Gregor Brown is the most notable inclusion in a largely familiar Scotland XV as Townsend looks to inject some fresh energy and dynamism into his pack. The 23-year-old Glasgow forward – a hybrid lock-flanker – will start in the second row after getting the nod over the experienced Jonny Gray. Brown has acquitted himself well since making his debut on last summer’s tour of the Americas and has started against Canada, Chile and Uruguay, but starting his first Six Nations match in Paris against the swashbuckling champions-elect represents comfortably the biggest challenge of his career to date.