It might be too early to call them back, but there was something invigorating about watching France dismantle a fellow Six Nations side of pedigree, just a fortnight after they had been dubbed the worst France team of all time. That annihilation to England in round two seems a long way away already, as does the extraordinary collapse against Wales on the opening night. They waited till the eighth minute of overtime to secure their bonus-point fourth try, but they could have had it much earlier, such was the facility with which they tore Scotland apart at the Stade de France.
France, for all the disappointment of the recent past – indeed, of the present – are excited about the future. Their kids are reigning junior world champions and two of those took to the field here to show they are none too fazed by life among the seniors. Demba Bamba, the fearsome prop with the name of a rock star, anchored the scrum and generally charged round the paddock as if fully professional international rugby players were no more than inconveniences to be tossed aside. His day job is with Brive in Pro D2, the French second division. Big step up? Easy.
Meanwhile, his fellow junior world champion in this senior team, Romain Ntamack, 19, plays for mighty Toulouse, it is true, but generally at centre, where he played for France Under-20s. Here he stepped in at fly‑half and ran the show as if to the manner born – which, bearing in mind the pedigree of his father, Émile, he probably is.
In the company of such youthful energy, even the old-timers raised their game. Yoann Huget, who endured such a torrid time at Twickenham, was unlucky to be singled out for a period in the sin bin, which France negotiated without the loss of any points, but he scored a try and looked the million dollars he usually does. Guilhem Guirado also put his troubles of the last round – and the words said about it – behind him.
“I don’t think this is the time or place to discuss what has been said the last few days,” the France captain said, “but I’m happy. I said yesterday that I was convinced we’d play a big match, and that’s what we have done.”
There is a lot to be said for the simplicity of the obvious, the picking of players in form, for example, Antoine Dupont at scrum-half with Ntamack outside him, however inexperienced they may be. And then there is playing on a sunny Saturday afternoon, instead of the rainy Friday night of that opening home defeat by Wales.
“It’s a long time since we have seen the stadium so full,” Guirado said. “I’m thankful for the people who turned out. It was a good atmosphere and that’s precisely what I like about playing on a Saturday afternoon at three o’clock.”
But where there is yang, there must be yin. And Scotland were the ones who had to feel it. “I’m just absolutely gutted,” said their winger Tommy Seymour. “It’s that old thing, it’s probably said too much, but we genuinely had a really good week in training. The boys were in the right spot. We just came out and didn’t execute. We weren’t where we needed to be to get a win at a place like the Stade de France. That just boils into complete frustration. There are a lot of learnings to be taken.”
Next up are high-flying Wales, at Murrayfield, no doubt giddy on the high of their newly established record winning run. Gregor Townsend would not be drawn on the prospects of Finn Russell’s return at fly-half, but it is hoped he will have recovered from his concussion by then. Scotland have issues with winning away in the Six Nations, but their home form is solid, notwithstanding the defeat to Ireland in round two. They will relish being the next obstacle in Wales’s quest for a grand slam.