Chris Rattue: Fantastic French send warning to top teams

Either French coach Bernard Laporte has a wicked sense of humour, or his interpreter is struggling with rugby-speak and is taking some savage short cuts.

The following occurred after France had revealed a significant World Cup hand against a Scottish side short on speed and guile at Telstra Stadium on Saturday night.

The question was put to Laporte thus: "You say that you always learn something from every game. What did you learn tonight?"

To which Laporte replied: "We learned that you learn something from every game."

What you learn from media conference is that you often learn very little at media conferences.

Laporte expanded: "We played a simple game, we played correctly and we got a good result. This has been a good week."

Yes, the French are in good spirits, which means the rest of the rugby world - ie New Zealand, England, Australia and South Africa - should be on red alert.

France tore up Scotland by 51-9 on a warm Sydney night, exposing the Scots as leaden of mind and body.

Scotland must now re-group before a showdown for a quarter-final place with the sloppy Fijians - who have Rupeni Caucaunibuca back in the frame - at Aussie Stadium on Saturday night.

No matter how hard the Scottish coaches tried to portray the performance as courageous, a 79,000 crowd with Gaelic rather than Gallic leanings witnessed Scotland the Brief.

By the 54th minute the game was up for the Scots, when captain Bryan Redpath opted for a simple penalty in front of the posts with his side in arrears by 29-6.

This was the moment to arrest the slide, at least put some doubt in French minds, at least try for a try.

Scotland's response, to take the penalty, harked back to days when it was virtually rugby law to take the shot at goal.

It made you wonder what the normally wily Scottish coach Ian McGeechan served up to his beleaguered side at halftime. A plate of neatly quartered oranges maybe?

Lacking any great running options, their time-warp game was typified by first five-eighths Gregor Townsend, who sat in the pocket - to use a new rugby term - and stabbed often short kicks towards the sidelines.

Being Scottish, you might jest that Townsend was operating from some very deep pockets. It was a futile ploy.

And Scotland clearly lacked the speed and ingenuity to take advantage of any breaks that did come their way.

The French, as is their game, threw numbers into attacks. When they sensed an opportunity, the French sent a delegation. On the few occasions the Scots smelled a chance, they often sent a lone representative.

When the Scottish loose forwards had been run ragged, gaps appeared all over the place.

Assistant coach Jim Telfer, a veteran of the game, said: "France drove from every lineout to sap our energy.

" Our back row had to do a lot more chasing than their back row."

In the 58th minute, first five-eighth Frederick Michalak slithered past flanker Jason White to score, and France were well on the way to eclipsing the record-equalling 38-3 win over Scotland in February.

By the 70th minute, Mexican waves swept around the crowd, the contest already gone the way of so many before them and when Townsend sent another gift wrapped present France's way on fulltime, fullback Nicolas Brusque responded with a magical try.

The Scots have not done the other contenders for the Webb Ellis Cup any favours. France were well organised, showed clever touches and should now brim with confidence. This is a dangerous combination.

When asked if the cup's credibility was affected by the drubbing Australia handed out to Namibia earlier in the day, McGeechan sidestepped. Go ask Namibia if it was worthwhile, he replied.

There was little else he could say. To question whether substandard sides deserved their place would have been a case of the Scots calling the kettle black.