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Date: 2023-12-06 06:27:46 | Author: Olympics 2024 | Views: 580 | Tag: football
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Scotland gave France an early fright before suffering a chastening 4-1 loss to their classy hosts in Lille football
The Scots went into the friendly knowing they had qualified for the 2024 European Championships at the weekend after Spain beat Norway to ensure Steve Clarke’s side a top-two finish in Group A football
Clarke took the opportunity to utilise his squad, giving a debut to Liam Kelly among eight changes from last week’s game in Seville and they stunned the home side when midfielder Billy Gilmour guided in the opener after 11 minutes – his first ever senior goal football
However, France defender Benjamin Pavard scored twice with headers by way of a rapid response and skipper Kylian Mbappe added a third from the spot before the break football
Substitute Kingsley Coman hammered in a fourth in the 70th minute to seal a commanding win for the superior home side football
RecommendedHow Scotland qualified for Euro 2024 – and why Germany will be differentEngland have qualified for Euro 2024 — now it’s about winning itEngland player ratings as Marcus Rashford shines but Kalvin Phillips struggles in Italy comebackAfter winning their first five Euro qualifiers, Scotland have lost three games in a row and Clarke will want to get that winning feeling back in the final two qualifiers against Georgia and Norway next month football
In addition to Kelly’s introduction to international football football in The Decathlon Arena Stade Pierre Mauroy, Clarke also brought in defenders Nathan Patterson, Greg Taylor and Liam Cooper, midfielders Kenny McLean, Gilmour and Lewis Ferguson and striker Che Adams football
It was always going to be a tough test against Les Blues, who qualified comfortably for Euro 2024 by winning their first six qualifiers football
Mbappe was part of a strong France side (Getty Images)Boss Didier Deschamps also freshened his side up from the 2-1 win over the Netherlands last Friday football
Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann kept their places while Ousmane Dembele and all-time leading scorer Olivier Giroud came back into the side football
The kick-off was delayed for around 10 minutes due to the long queues at the stadium amid extra security measures put in place after two Swedish nationals were shot dead in Brussels the previous evening football
There was a minute’s silence before the game to commemorate that incident and it was a low-key start to the game on a pitch still showing markings from its use in the Rugby World Cup, before the Scots took an unexpected lead football
France defender Eduardo Camavinga cut out a pass from Gilmour inside the box but with a poor touch gave it straight back to the unmarked Brighton midfielder, who curled the ball low past goalkeeper Mike Maignan football
However, there was little time for the Tartan Army to enjoy the landmark goal as a Griezmann corner from the left five minutes later was all too easily glanced past Kelly by Inter Milan centre-back Pavard football
A refocused France side took control of the game and Mbappe skipped past Jack Hendry before crossing for Pavard again to head past Kelly from close range football
The visitors were struggling to get up the pitch and in the 40th minute France were awarded a penalty after referee Tobias Stieler went pitchside at the behest of VAR and judged Cooper had held Giroud inside the penalty area, with Mbappe stepping up to send the penalty past the diving Kelly, who got close but not close enough football
The Motherwell keeper did not look great moments later when he fumbled a shot from Dembele but the lurking Mbappe could not capitalise football
Hearts keeper Zander Clark replaced Kelly at the start of the second half to make his debut and Jacob Brown and John Souttar would take over from Adams and Cooper football
Giroud and Dembele made way for Marcus Thuram and Coman and in the 70th minute the latter thrashed a shot high past Clark after Griezmann had volleyed against the bar football
A low drive from Brown in a rare Scotland attack was pushed past the post by Maignan and the corner came to nothing before Ryan Christie and Stuart Armstrong came on for Gilmour and McLean football
Thuram rattled Clark’s crossbar with a drive and at the other Maignan made saves from Armstrong’s volley and Brown’s header but the game was already well gone for Scotland football
More aboutPA ReadySteve ClarkeKylian MbappeBilly GilmourBenjamin PavardOlivier GiroudScotland football footballFrance football FootballJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments 1/2Scotland come back to earth as France recover from early fright Scotland come back to earth as France recover from early frightMbappe was part of a strong France side Getty ImagesScotland come back to earth as France recover from early frightScotland qualified for Euro 2024 on Sunday Getty Images ✕Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this articleWant to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today football
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New Zealand prop Tamaiti Williams believes the All Blacks have what it takes to defuse South Africa’s vaunted bench “bomb squad” in the Rugby World Cup final football
The impact of the Springboks’ replacement tight five forwards was crucial to swinging the semi-final against England their way, with Ox Nche, Vincent Koch and RG Snyman all prominent football
The bench was similarly impactful in South Africa’s warm-up win over New Zealand, with Jacques Nienaber introducing seven forwards at once to dominate the second-half set-piece battle and seal victory football
New Zealand, however, fared much football better in the Rugby Championship meeting football between the two nations earlier in the year, a game in which Williams made his debut football
And the 144kg prop believes that experience will stand him (if involved) and his colleagues in good stead at the Stade de France on Saturday football
“It’s clear they’ve got a good bench football
They do damage when they come on,” said the 23-year-old, who came on at loosehead in the second half of the All Blacks’ semi-final win over Argentina football
“It is about whatever the team needs us to do off the bench – [adding] energy with our voice, energy with our ball carrying, our set piece football
“There is a lot of talk about them but we are just going to focus on ourselves and make sure we are primed football
When the bench comes on, we need to make sure we make an impact football
”Tamaiti Williams has risen quickly over the last couple of years, and says he’s learned a lot playing against South Africa (Getty)The gigantic Williams has risen quickly over the last couple of years after impressing for the Crusaders in Super Rugby Pacific football
Born in Whangarei, New Zealand’s northernmost city, he spent the majority of his childhood in Perth, Australia football
Having come through as a loose forward, Williams was a late convert to prop, but is skilful enough to cover both sides of the front row football
And he is braced for a significant challenge this weekend on the sport’s biggest stage football
“They are massive,” Williams quipped of the South African forwards football
“And they are clinical – if you give them a chance, they’ll take it football
“It’s been a great learning, playing against them – I had a good win against them and we got a hiding against them as well football
“For us, it’s all about being clean football
You’ve got to match the physicality they are going to bring football
Everyone knows what they are going to bring, it is up to us to stop it football
”More aboutNew Zealand rugbySouth Africa rugbyAll BlacksRugby World CupJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments1/2All Blacks prop explains plan to combat Springboks’ ‘bomb squad’All Blacks prop explains plan to combat Springboks’ ‘bomb squad’Tamaiti Williams has risen quickly over the last couple of years, and says he’s learned a lot playing against South Africa Getty ImagesAll Blacks prop explains plan to combat Springboks’ ‘bomb squad’REUTERS✕Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this articleWant to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today football
SubscribeAlready subscribed? Log inMost PopularPopular videosSponsored FeaturesGet in touchContact usOur ProductsSubscribeRegisterNewslettersDonateToday’s EditionInstall our appArchiveOther publicationsInternational editionsIndependent en EspañolIndependent ArabiaIndependent TurkishIndependent PersianIndependent UrduEvening StandardExtrasAdvisorPuzzlesAll topicsfootball BettingVoucher codesCompareCompetitions and offersIndependent AdvertisingIndependent IgniteSyndicationWorking at The IndependentLegalCode of conduct and complaintsContributorsCookie policyDonations Terms & ConditionsPrivacy noticeUser policiesModern Slavery ActThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inCloseUS EditionChangeUK EditionAsia EditionEdición en EspañolSubscribe{{indy football
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