France have claimed the Six Nations crown, exceeding the 23-point winning margin target Ireland had set them by four points with a 46-19 win over Scotland at the Stade de France.
That doesn't tell the story. Not even a little bit. In a finale that could not have been scripted by Hollywood's finest, it was left to Irish TMO Simon McDowell to award the try that cost his country the title, taking over a minute to decide that Elvis Vermeulen had indeed grounded the ball in the in-goal area in the final play of the game.
Only 20-14 ahead at the break, the French backs unleashed a mesmerising display of running rugby when they re-emerged, running in two scintillating tries to add to what ought to have been the all-important fifth from prop Pieter de Villiers.
But Scotland produced a ferocious assault on the French line in the final ten minutes, culminating in a try for prop Euan Murray and the French team found its resolve tested to the limit in a pulsating finale, needing to score a try within the final four minutes.
From a line-out, the French forwards, with the indomitable Imañol Harinordoquy at its heart, drove and drove and drove again, patiently looking for the inches of space they needed as the clock ticked down, until the fresh-legged Vermeulen delivered the coup de Grâce by plonking the ball down.
But the drama never stopped unfolding. It was a terrific game of rugby in its own right, never mind that it had so much at stake. France were tipped to win at a canter, smarting from defeat to England and anxious to prove a point in their World Cup year in front of their fans.
That point they proved today, and in the best way possible. Not only did they claim the title, they also recovered from the shock of having it in their grasp and losing it again. The collective calm with which they recovered their lost booty in the final four minutes will serve them well in October, when, most believe, France may host the All Blacks here in the Rugby World Cup final.
Yet Scotland are always awkward customers, and they reminded the French that they too had a role to play on the day. Scotland's pack drove and drove the French back into their own 22 in the first couple of minutes, and then forced three penalties out of their creaking counterparts.
The third was kicked to the corner, and after a succession of mauls near the French line. Dan Parks hoisted a kick high over to the left corner, where Nikki Walker used his height advantage over Vincent Clerc to great effect for the opening try.
Paterson, who had missed a sitter of a penalty in the second minute, made far lighter work of a much harder conversion and Scotland led 0-7, and were threatening to ruin the French party.
However, that was seven minutes in which, for a variety of reasons, the French had not one iota of ball. Once they got the ball, it was when rather than if, and more importantly, how much?
France's control of the ball once they had their hands on it, was for the large part magnificent. Imañol Harinordoquy and Serge Betsen both commanded every breakdown, while Jérôme Thion strode around the pitch, dominating the landscape as though he were the Eiffel Tower itself. Then, at one glorious moment for the French, the pack heaved and shoved and drove the Scots off their own scrum ball. It defined the discipline and effort the French put in to their task.
Outside, the backs bade their time in patience terrifically. Yannick Jauzion and David Marty both crashed and fed off each other in turn and in harmony, while Cédric Heymans added an extra soupçon of penetration from the wing.
France just had so much ball from minute seven on. Overall, Scotland had about 20 minutes of ball possession, France had about 30. Take off that first seven minutes, and 30-13 signifies just how dominant and controlled the French were.
Lionel Beauxis got the first French points; after missing a longer penalty in the tenth minute, he clipped over a much easier one after 18 to make it 3-7.
Another period of French domination was ruined by Beauxis, who tried to pass out of a pirouette, but ended up flinging the ball some 10 yards forward, and when Paterson hacked through, Clément Poitrenaud was on hand ot cover and save the day.
France promptly drove back down the other end, and opened the scoring properly. Heymans danced around the more cumbersome Nathan Hines, and Poitrenaud was just closed down in time. However, the Scots infringed at the breakdown, and a quick tap saw Harinordoquy over in the right corner. Beauxis converted majestically.
Moments later, and France had stretched the lead with a magnificent try. Pierre Mignoni, whose added zip was just the pick-me-up last week's sluggish French backs needed darted through a gap and around a flat-footed Chris Cusiter, chipped Chris Paterson, re-gathered, and off-loaded to Heymans, who was in under the posts in a jiffy. Beauxis had an easier job this time, 17-7.
Moments later again, Beauxis made it 20-7 with a penalty, after Raphaël Ibañez picked off a Scots line-out, and forced a penalty from the retreating defence.
At 20-7 ahead, the French had surpassed more than half their required target winnnig margin of 24 points and would have been well pleased at half-time, but a brilliant individual Sean Lamont try put paid to that right on the whistle, with the bleach-blonde winger first making 50m with a break, and then the remaining 20m tapping a quick penalty when Heymans wouldn't get off him at the tackle.
20-14 at half-time. Neutrals, and probably many nervous watching Irish might have thought that France's quick burst of scoring was their purple patch. They might have thought that France had shot their bolt. They were profoundly wrong.
The French controlled possession every bit as confidently and patiently from minutes 41-50, and while Scots discipline ensured Beauxis couldn't stretch the lead, the tense wait for more French points morphed into a twitchy expectancy each time the forwards drove or the backs lined up.
Some of the handling was exquisite, and the rucking was flawless ... even the footwork was fancy: at one point, a ball that squirted out of the back of a ruck was nonchalantly chipped into Beauxis's hands by Mignoni under pressure from onrushing flankers.
The dominance paid off in wonderful fashion. Ibañez once again led a charge forward, and Yannick Jauzion once, then twice made the hard yards, before Beauxis took the ball looping of Jauzion and whipped it out to David Marty in the corner via Heymans. Beauxis made it 27-14 with the extras.
Then, on the hour mark, it was Heymans again the finisher on the left, with Jauzion and Marty quickly turning turnover ball into a prized try. Beauxis couldn't convert this time, 32-14.
It took just a minute for France to score the crucial try that took them 25 in the lead. Another wide move had Marty chipping Rory Lamont with the Glasgow winger taking Marty out. You would think the highlights would set them apart well enough, but referee Craig Joubert, on the advice of his touch-judge, promptly sent Sean to the bin.
The French pack, with the bit between their teeth and no thought now of penalty goals accepted the line-out possession in the corner, lunged twice for the line with Harinordoquy marshalling, and then drove over en masse, with Olivier Milloud touching down. Beauxis made it 39-14, and the title was now in French hands with nineteen minutes to go.
Perhaps the French should not have decelerated. Perhaps they ran out of steam. Either way, the rather non-Gallic determination to close out the game allowed Scotland a lease of life. A rare Scotland penalty got the Scots down into France's 22, and player after player bashed at the white wall, before the ball was spun wide to prop Euan Murray of all people, who went over unopposed in the corner. Advantage Ireland, and only four minutes to go.
As soon as France reclaimed the restart, there was a sense of something special building. It was a mesmerising four minutes. The French were admirable for their coolness and sturdy grit in going through the same motions that had served them so well up to then, driving into Scottish bodies and inching toward that line. On came the fresh legs of Vermeulen, to replace Harinordoquy who had wring everything he could muster out of his frame.
Then a penalty! But three points no use, and so Beauxis angled a kick to the corner. More fresh legs, this time Pascal Papé, claimed the ball. Onward drove the relentless French, Scotland's brave standing in their way. On towards the line, to the line, over the line, and a mass of Gallic and Celtic sweat tumbled to the ground to the acclaim of 80,000 raucous voices.
One final ironic twist to the tale. Joubert referred the decision for a try upstairs, to where Irish TMO McDowell had the agonising decision. We waited for over a minute as he ran through his camera angles, straining eyes for the ball. Then Craig Joubert got the nod, raised his arm, and Paris passed into pandemonium.
Man of the match: So many performances -- too many to iterate here. But at the heart of so much of French dominance, in terms of turnover ball, yardage gained, opponents driven away, was Basque back-row Imañol Harinordoquy, who rose just above the rest to collect this award.
Moment of the match: So many moments too! But the final minute drama that claimed the title, and Elvis Vermeulen's drive and score wa the moment that defined the match.
Villain of the match: Not a peep. Rory Lamont's late tackle that earned his brother a yellow card was too harmless to be villainy.
The scorers
For France:
Tries: Harinordoquy, Jauzion, Marty, Heymans, Milloud, Vermeulen
Cons: Beauxis 5
Pens: Beauxis 2
For Scotland:
Tries: Walker Lamont, Murray
Cons: Paterson 2
Yellow card: Sean Lamont (61, late tackle)
The teams:
France: 15 Clement Poitrenaud, 14 Vincent Clerc, 13 David Marty, 12 Yannick Jauzion, 11 Cédric Heymans, 10 Lionel Beauxis, 9 Pierre Mignoni, 8 Imanol Harinordoquy, 7 Julien Bonnaire, 6 Serge Betsen, 5 Jerome Thion, 4 Lionel Nallet, 3 Pieter De Villiers, 2 Raphael Ibanez (captain), 1 Olivier Milloud.
Replacements: 16 Nicolas Mas, 17 Sebastian Bruno, 18 Pascal Papè, 19 Elvis Vermeulen, 20 Jean-Baptise Elissalde, 21 Damien Traille, 22 Christophe Dominici.
Scotland: 15 Chris Paterson (captain), 14 Sean Lamont, 13 Rob Dewey, 12 Andrew Henderson, 11 Nikki Walker, 10 Dan Parks, 9 Rory Lawson, 8 Johnnie Beattie, 7 Kelly Brown, 6 Simon Taylor, 5 Scott Murray, 4 Nathan Hines, 3 Euan Murray, 2 Ross Ford, 1 Gavin Kerr.
Replacements: 16 Dougie Hall, 17 Allan Jacobsen, 18 Jim Hamilton, 19 Allister Hogg, 20 Chris Cusiter, 21 Marcus Di Rollo, 22 Rory Lamont.
Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa)
Touch judges: Donal Courtney (Ireland), Taizo Hirabayashi (Japan)
Television match official: Simon McDowell
Assessor: Michel Lamoulie
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