There is something about Murrayfield that disturbs the French psyche. Media in France often label trips to Edinburgh as a piège (“the trap match”).

For generations, visits to Murrayfield have carried a particular sense of unease for the French. While Scotland have not always entered these fixtures as favourites.

These encounters in Edinburgh have repeatedly ruined French championship ambitions and produced some of their most frustrating defeats in modern Six Nations history.

The reputation is not built on myth. A combination of conditions, atmosphere, and history has gradually transformed Murrayfield into one of France’s most uncomfortable away venues.

Many times France have arrived in Edinburgh with Grand Slams and titles on the line only to be sent home to réfléchis encore.

In 2006, France arrived a Grand Slam within reach and confidence sky high. Difficult weather conditions and a fiercely physical Scottish performance dragged the match into an attritional contest that neutralised France’s attacking strengths.

Scotland won 20–16. In France, journalists increasingly began referring to Murrayfield as a terrain maudit, a cursed ground, where French fluency seemed to disappear.

In 2020, it was a similar story a 28–17 defeat effectively halted France’s championship surge and reinforced a familiar narrative.

But this current crop of bleus brothers arrived in the Scottish capital with only rugby hand luggage and thought they had left all that historical baggage in lost property.

They departed homeward with the weight of the world on their shoulders following a match that defied belief, expectation, and anything realistically predicted.

90 points and 13 tries are the incredible bare statistics of a match that emphasises what a wonderful and unpredictable tournament the Guinness Six Nations is.

White shirted France with 15,000 of their fellow countrymen occupying the Murrayfield stands appeared to be blinded by the Scottish sunshine in a first half.

The unusual weather was not the only surprising factor as the French scrum creaked and the home backs outshone their illustrious counterparts.

Trailing 19-14 at half-time, surely the real France would come out for the second half, but the real France were nowhere to be seen, even the great Antoine Dupont was looking flustered and making uncharacteristic errors.

It was only when Scotland led 47-14 that France found their mojo. Four tries in the final fourteen minutes made the scoreboard respectable and ensured the visitors gained a try scoring bonus point that could prove crucial to their championship hopes, which despite the 50-40 defeat are still alive and kicking.

Only Scotland, Ireland, or France can now win the 2026 Guinness Six Nations championship. In next Saturday’s final round of matches, Scotland and Ireland face each-other at 14:10 GMT, before France host England in the final match of the tournament in Paris (20:10).

A bonus-point win for Scotland would mean the French need the same to deny them the title.

Ireland, too, could still claim the title with a victory over the Scots and a favourable result in Paris. The way this Six Nations has gone so far, be prepared to expect the unexpected.