Six Nations 2026: Can Scotland stop France from the Grand Slam procession?

From the mouths of the French – players, coaches, writers and commentators – come the eulogies for what Grand Slam-seeking Fabien Galthie is all about.

We hear of the side that “brings joy and passion,” a group of boys and men, with whom the youth of France now recognize as rarely before, a cheerful uniform “no longer carried by one man (the great Antoine Dupont) but by a whole generation.”

Against Scotland there are Theo Atesugbe, the 21-year-old winger from Pau, Nicolas Deportier, the 23-year-old midfielder from Bordeaux and his other team-mate, Louis-Bel-Biller – 24 tries in 25 tests. And in the back row, the wonderful Oscar Jego, 22 years old from La Rochelle.

Galthie has given playing time to ten players aged 23 or under in these Six Nations. No wonder the kids at home have warmed up to this aspect.

With everything running like clockwork, he clearly had nothing left to complain about. Hence his hilarious criticism of the size of the dressing room outside Murrayfield Stadium. Some of his players would have to change in the hallway, Galthie grumbled. Across the rugby world, hearts bled for the man.

In Wales a few weeks ago, France had 10,000 fans in town. On Saturday, they expect 15,000 spectators in Edinburgh, what the newspaper Midi Olympique calls a “human tide.”

They will all be there to see if France can make it four wins from four, to see if Bel Piare can score in his ninth successive Six Nations game, to see if France can blow away Scotland with the same enthusiasm they showed when racing, with obscene haste, in a 29-0 lead after 47 minutes against Ireland, a 19-0 lead after 15 minutes against Wales and a 19-0 lead, again, after 29 minutes against Italy.

Not only do France win games, they put them down quickly. Last season, they scored 30 tries – a Six Nations record – when they won the title, and this season they have 18 already.

But the title is not enough for them this time. It’s grand slam or disappointment. Galthie has a dream team but there is a lot of pressure too. France expects, and if the fans don’t get what they want this time, Galthie could be in serious trouble.

They have only won one championship in 15 years, a pathetic number given the resources they have at their disposal. Everything about them now screams loudly, but on the pages of Midi Olympique, amid the announcement of this team as the most popular in the history of the national team, there is a stark warning: “The opportunity is real, and the danger is too…”

In France, many see the Scotland match, rather than England in Paris next weekend, as the biggest obstacle to the Grand Slam. They respect Scotland because they play like France, or try to. When Scotland achieves this, no one will be safe.