Scotland centre Tom Jordan rued the impact of his try being disallowed at a pivotal point on March 15, 2025, as France regained their poise to claim the Guinness Six Nations title with a 35-16 victory. This match, held at the Stade de France, saw the Scots appearing to have Les Bleus on the ropes during the first half. After Darcy Graham had cancelled out Yoram Moefana’s earlier try for the French, they believed they were about to head to the break with the lead.
Just moments before the half-time whistle, Tom Jordan crossed the line following a sensational line-break from Finn Russell and Blair Kinghorn, seemingly putting Scotland 20-16 up. But tension filled the air when the TMO intervened, informing the referee of Kinghorn’s elbow going out of bounds. The Johnston team and fans breathed a sigh of relief, knowing they had been spared what could have been devastating momentum for Scotland.
Fabien Galthie’s side capitalised at the start of the second half, scoring through Louis Bielle-Biarrey. Further tries from Thomas Ramos and Moefana helped the French side to cement their title aspirations.
Reflecting on the disallowed try, Jordan said, “It was a great run from all the boys and then Finn (Russell) put me through and I just sort of pinballed through and got over. We were unfortunate to get it disallowed and then just after half-time, we had a really good attack but they ran the length to score and the momentum kind of swung.”
He lamented, “That was a couple of things potentially... if they went our way and we had a bit more scoreboard pressure, it might have been a different game. I guess you’ve got to bounce back from those moments. We had two negatives probably before and after half-time, and unfortunately, it sort of swung the momentum of the game.”
Despite the loss, Scotland’s performance throughout the tournament showed glimpses of potential, even as they finished fourth for the second consecutive year with only two wins out of five matches. Jordan, at just 26 years old, will join Bristol this summer after his time with the Scottish national team.
“It’s been awesome... I’m really grateful just for every opportunity I’ve gotten. I loved every moment getting out there,” he reflected. “And to play at the Stade de France was awesome. It was absolutely unbelievable atmosphere, crazy. It’s bucket-list for most players to play there. I’m gutted we didn’t get the win but it was an incredible experience.”
Even with challenges, Scotland’s mix of determination and skill shone through. Fans and players alike hold hope for the upcoming seasons, aiming to transform potential triumphs on the field, as they seek to improve from this year’s performance as they look forward to their next Six Nations campaign.