Greig Laidlaw booted 22 points on his return to Scotland’s starting line-up as Gregor Townsend’s men kick-started their NatWest 6 Nations campaign with a 32-26 win over France.

The home side were under pressure to prove they were genuine contenders after being humiliated by Wales in last week’s opener.

And they did just that, with tries from Sean Maitland and Huw Jones providing the perfect response after Teddy Thomas’ blistering pace had twice cut the hosts apart.

That left the game finely poised in the second half but Laidlaw – making his first Scotland start in a year – slotted over all eight of his kicks to breathe fresh life into Scottish championship hopes.

Tweet of the match

Star man – Greig Laidlaw

Greig Laidlaw demonstrated his excellence with the boot against France
Greig Laidlaw demonstrated his excellence with the boot against France (Andrew Milligan/PA)

It looked early on as though the decision to recall Laidlaw would not pay off as Scotland fell behind and were chasing the game. He struggled for quick ball but grew into the game and was faultless with the boot, kicking 22 points, to lead the fightback. Moved to 10 when Ali Price came on and the two linked well.

Moment of the match

Early in the second half, it looked as though Scotland were on the ropes as France powered through their half, building up over 20 phases in a relentless attack. Scotland managed to escape with conceding just three points and the failure to make it anything more significant seemed to take the wind out of Les Bleus’ sails.

Who’s up next?

Scotland v England, NatWest 6 Nations – February 24.
France v Italy, NatWest 6 Nations – February 23.