The Scottish team and its supporters have been crying foul since Saturday following the defeat to France after a video refereeing decision in the final seconds of the match.

Mr. Nic Berry, who had initially ruled « no try » on the field, had to clearly see with his TMO a try to change his decision. The ball crossed the line, that is certain. We can imagine it being grounded in-goal, but it’s only a strong assumption.

Without the initial « no try » decision on the field, the try would have been awarded.

But ultimately, the video refereeing doesn’t really matter. Finn Russell’s teammates should have closed out the game much earlier, and they could have even done so in the final play.

Firstly, the decision to stop playing while leading 16-10 was a mistake. The Scots put themselves at the mercy of a French counterattack, which Fabien Galthié’s men appreciate and excel in.

Above all, the opportunities in front of the try line should have been capitalized on.

With Uini Atonio off the field (yellow card), Scotland had a golden opportunity to score just before half-time.

Space, a numerical advantage (6 against 5), a powerful player capable of breaking any tackle (Duhan Van der Merwe). No doubt: Scotland should have scored from this play.

Russell’s choice of play was to serve Van der Merwe, who did not pass to his winger, Kyle Rowe, who was alone.

This play was also being conducted with an advantage in progress…

The next play, the French team gained a penalty and went into the half-time 3 points behind (13-10).

Finally, the last play of the match.

As seen in this image, there was a significant overlap on the left and space available for the Scots.

A pivot pass, and it would have been a win.

Gregor Townsend’s men were not really victims of a robbery, as they handed the keys to the door to the French.

And their inability to be effective in the scoring areas sets them apart from the best teams currently, namely South Africa, Ireland, New Zealand, and France.