Thomas Ramos defends selection of France star despite fitness concern ahead of Scotland clash

France’s hope of a Grand Slam ended with a 50-40 defeat to Scotland at Murrayfield in the Six Nations this weekend.

Les Bleus will be disappointed with their performance and the fact that they gave away 50 points to Gregor Townsend’s side, the most they have ever conceded to Scotland.

Fabian Galthie’s side are still in the driving seat to claim the Six Nations title despite this defeat but know they must secure a bonus point win if this is to be made a certainty.

France were slightly off their best today and looked a shadow of the side fans had become accustomed to this year.

There may be a simple explanation for this, as Antoine Dupont, their ‘Little General’, had been ill earlier in the week, and it may have been wise, with hindsight, to leave him out of the game as he made several high-profile mistakes.

Dupont was special against England. Image: Alamy

However, speaking to Mid-Olympic following the match, Thomas Ramos defended the French captain’s decision to play.

He said: “If Antoine [Dupont] had realised he wasn't capable of performing at his usual level or wasn't at 100%, he wouldn't have played. He was a bit under the weather at the beginning of the week, but knowing him, I don't think he'll use that as an excuse.

“The problem is that when he gets people used to him running across the pitch two or three times a game, all eyes are on him. But he'll give the best possible response next Saturday.”

Baptiste Serin was the replacement scrum-half for France in the defeat, and once he joined the action, there was a clear switch to the tempo of the side, and there may be a suggestion that he should have entered the fray earlier.

Dupont did take responsibility for his poor performance in this game in the post-match press conference and did not lay any of the blame at his illness.

Pierre Schoeman of Scotland celebrates after scoring the third Scotland try during the Guinness Six Nations 2026 match between Scotland and France (Getty Images)

He said: “I didn’t have any physical problems during the match.

“It’s true that I made some costly mistakes, obviously. They’re part of the game, but the performance certainly wasn’t there. Discussing individual performances won’t move the discussion forward. We need to think collectively about how to avoid finding ourselves in these situations right from the start of the match. We scored two tries, which were somewhat part of the game, but we weren’t able to compete with them. We were undisciplined; we suffered all the collisions. We couldn’t get out of that situation, and obviously, that’s also my responsibility as a halfback. We’ll have to work on that.”