France wins Six Nations after beating Scotland with record flourish

PARIS (AP) — France saw off a resilient Scotland 35-16 and clinched the Six Nations title with a tournament-try record on Saturday.

Coach Fabien Galthié's side needed only a victory at chilly Stade de France to ensure a first title since 2022. The bonus-point win helped Les Tricolores finish one point above England, which hammered Wales 68-14 with 10 tries.

“We have shed this weight," said a relieved Galthié, who was also coach three years ago. “We share our joy and the pleasure with the French people.”

France scored four tries to set a tournament record with 30, one more than England in 2001.

The final score was far more comfortable than the first half.

French indiscipline led to two sin-bins — one of which could have been a red for a lunging headbutt — and almost cost a try on the buzzer.

Scotland started the second half only 16-13 down and with an extra player for a few minutes, but managed just one penalty from flyhalf Finn Russell in the entire period.

The match turned following careless play from Russell, who tried a no-look pass from the back of his hand, resulting in a counterattack try in the 43rd minute.

Galloping flyhalf Romain Ntamack sent Louis Bielle-Biarrey into the left corner for his eighth try of the tournament. He equalled the record of England’s Cyril Lowe in 1914 and Scotland’s Ian Smith in 1925 when the tournament was the Five Nations.

“I’m very happy,” Bielle-Biarrey said. “But I’m more happy that we won the match.”

France took control and fullback Thomas Ramos converted his own try near the hour mark. Ramos scored 20 points to move onto 450 overall and overtake Frédéric Michalak (436) as his country's all-time leading scorer.

With the pressure off, Gaël Fickou set up midfield partner Yoram Moefana for his second try to make it 35-16 and start the celebrations.

Injured captain Antoine Dupont joined his teammates on the field, walking on crutches after rupturing cruciate ligaments in his right knee last weekend against Ireland.

“He was hurting physically and also mentally this week,” scrumhalf Maxime Lucu said. “We won it for him.”

Standing in as captain, No. 8 Grégory Alldritt also dedicated the win to Dupont.

“All we wanted to see tonight was Antoine lifting the trophy and that’s done,” he said.

It was a gritty start against the determined Scots.

Flanker Jamie Ritchie was sin-binned in the 12th minute for collapsing a maul and France punished the error.

On his 50th Six Nations appearance, Fickou broke through and passed inside to his midfield partner Moefana for a converted try.

Then, a reckless moment from hooker Peato Mauvaka saw him sin-binned midway through the first half for lunging with his head at scrumhalf Ben White when they were on the ground. Ramos had actually pushed White onto him.

The decision went to a bunker review as Russell’s penalty got Scotland on the board. Ramos replied from in front of the posts and there was relief in the crowd when Mauvaka’s blatant foul was not upgraded to a red card.

But the Scots still punished the French sin-bin, with Russell neatly setting up right winger Darcy Graham and then converting.

With French nerves fraying, prop Jean-Baptiste Gros was sin-binned late in the first half and Russell drew the sides level, before Ramos slotted over again in tit-for-tat play.

“It was hard to win the competition against a team playing so freely," Galthié said. "They played without pressure and were enjoying themselves."

Scotland's running game troubled France.

Fullback Blair Kinghorn galloped from inside his half and deep into France’s camp, leading to a try from center Tom Jordan in the right corner with seconds remaining in the half.

But it was ruled out following a video review because Kinghorn touched out of bounds.

Defending champion Ireland and England both won earlier to put some pressure on record-chasing France, which became the tournament favorite again after beating Ireland 42-27 despite playing 50 minutes without Dupont.

Ireland stayed in contention by securing a scrappy bonus-point 22-17 win over Italy in Rome and England did their best to prolong the suspense.

Both ultimately fell short against a France side with erratic composure but ruthless finishing.

AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby

The French team players Antoine Dupont, center, and Gregory Alldritt, right, celebrate with the trophy after the Six Nations rugby union match between France and Scotland at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, outside Paris, Saturday, March 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

The French team players including Antoine Dupont, center, celebrate with the trophy after the Six Nations rugby union match between France and Scotland at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, outside Paris, Saturday, March 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

France's Thomas Ramos and François Cros celebrate after the Six Nations rugby union match between France and Scotland at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, outside Paris, Saturday, March 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

France's Antoine Dupont stands on the pitch on crutches as he celebrates with teammates after the Six Nations rugby union match between France and Scotland at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, outside Paris, Saturday, March 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

The French team celebrate with the trophy after the Six Nations rugby union match between France and Scotland at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, outside Paris, Saturday, March 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

France's Thomas Ramos touches down to score a try during the Six Nations rugby union match between France and Scotland at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, outside Paris, Saturday, March 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

France's Romain Ntamack races ahead of Scotland's Darcy Graham during the Six Nations rugby union match between France and Scotland at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, outside Paris, Saturday, March 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Scotland players react after a try by Scotland's Tom Jordan was disallowed during the Six Nations rugby union match between France and Scotland at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, outside Paris, Saturday, March 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Scotland's Duhan van der Merwe is tackled during the Six Nations rugby union match between France and Scotland at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, outside Paris, Saturday, March 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

France's Yoram Moefana scores the opening try during the Six Nations rugby union match between France and Scotland at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, outside Paris, Saturday, March 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

France's Louis Bielle-Biarrey races in to score a try during the Six Nations rugby union match between France and Scotland at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, outside Paris, Saturday, March 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

RHO, Italy (AP) — No ice is colder and harder than speedskating ice. The precision it takes has meant that Olympic speedskaters have never competed for gold on a temporary indoor rink – until the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Games.

In the pursuit of maximum glide and minimum friction, Olympic officials brought on ice master Mark Messer, a veteran of six previous Olympic speedskating tracks and the ice technician in charge of the Olympic Oval in Calgary, Canada — one of the fastest tracks in the world with over 300 records.

Messer has been putting that experience to work one thin layer of ice at a time since the end of October at the new Speed Skating Stadium, built inside adjacent trade fair halls in the city of Rho just north of Milan.

“It’s one of the biggest challenges I’ve had in icemaking,’’ Messer said during an interview less than two weeks into the process.

If Goldilocks were a speedskater, hockey ice would be medium hard, for fast puck movement and sharp turns. Figure skating ice would be softer, allowing push off for jumps and so the ice doesn’t shatter on landing. Curling ice is the softest and warmest of all, for controlled sliding.

For speedskating ice to be just right, it must be hard, cold and clean. And very, very smooth.

“The blades are so sharp, that if there is some dirt, the blade will lose the edge,’’ Messer said, and the skater will lose speed.

Speedskater Enrico Fabris, who won two Olympic golds in Turin in 2006, has traded in his skates to be deputy sports manager at the speedskating venue in Rho. For him, perfect ice means the conditions are the same for all skaters — and then if it's fast ice, so much the better.

"It's more of a pleasure to skate on this ice,'' he said.

Messer’s first Olympics were in Calgary in 1988 — the first time speedskating was held indoors. “That gave us some advantages because we didn’t have to worry about the weather, wind blowing or rain,’’ he said. Now he is upping the challenge by becoming the first ice master to build a temporary rink for the Olympics.

Before Messer arrived in Italy, workers spent weeks setting up insulation to level the floor and then a network of pipes and rubber tubes that carry glycol — an antifreeze — that is brought down to minus 7 or minus 8 degrees Celsius (17.6 to 19.4 degrees Fahrenheit) to make the ice.

Water is run through a purification system — but it can’t be too pure, or the ice that forms will be too brittle. Just the right amount of impurities “holds the ice together,’’ Messer said.

The first layers of water are applied slowly, with a spray nozzle; after the ice reaches a few centimeters it is painted white — a full day’s work — and the stripes are added to make lanes.

“The first one takes about 45 minutes. And then as soon as it freezes, we go back and do it again, and again and again. So we do it hundreds of times,’’ Messer said.

As the ice gets thicker, and is more stable, workers apply subsequent layers of water with hoses. Messer attaches his hose to hockey sticks for easier spreading.

What must absolutely be avoided is dirt, dust or frost — all of which can cause friction for the skaters, slowing them down. The goal is that when the skaters push “they can go as far as possible with the least amount of effort,’’ Messer said.

The Zamboni ice resurfacing machine plays a key role in keeping the track clean, cutting off a layer and spraying water to make a new surface.

One challenge is gauging how quickly the water from the resurfacing machine freezes in the temporary rink.

Another is getting the ice to the right thickness so that the Zamboni, weighing in at six tons, doesn’t shift the insulation, rubber tubing or ice itself.

“When you drive that out, if there’s anything moving it will move. We don’t want that,’’ Messer said.

The rink got its first big test on Nov. 29-30 during a Junior World Cup event. In a permanent rink, test events are usually held a year before the Olympics, leaving more time for adjustments. “We have a very small window to learn,’’ Messer acknowledged.

Dutch speedskater Kayo Vos, who won the men’s neo-senior 1,000 meters, said the ice was a little soft — but Messer didn’t seem too concerned.

“We went very modest to start, now we can start to change the temperatures and try to make it faster and still maintain it as a safe ice,’’ he said.

Fine-tuning the air temperature and humidity and ice temperature must be done methodically — taking into account that there will be 6,000 spectators in the venue for each event. The next real test will be on Jan. 31, when the Olympians take to the ice for their first training session.

“Eighty percent of the work is done but the hardest part is the last 20 percent, where we have to try to find the values and the way of running the equipment so all the skaters get the same conditions and all the skaters get the best conditions,’’ Messer said.

AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Serpentines are set on the ice of the stadium where speed skating discipline of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics will take place, in Rho, outskirt of Milan, Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Ice Master Mark Messer poses in the stadium where speed skating discipline of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics will take place, in Rho, outskirt of Milan, Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Workers clean the ice surface during a peed skating Junior World Cup and Olympic test event, in Rho, near Milan, Italy, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Ice Master Mark Messer poses in the stadium where speed skating discipline of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics will take place, in Rho, outskirt of Milan, Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Ice Master Mark Messer poses in the stadium where speed skating discipline of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics will take place, in Rho, outskirt of Milan, Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)