MAN-of-the-match Stuart Hogg could not hide his joy after Scotland beat France for the first time in 10 years at Murrayfield yesterday.

The full-back was bursting with pride after his side’s 29-18 RBS 6 Nations victory. France scored an early try but Vern Cotter’s side stood tall, hitting back through Hogg and Duncan Taylor.

France struck again on the stroke of half-time but the Scots refused to be rattled, even when the visitors pulled within three points in the second half, and wrapped up victory with Tim Visser’s touchdown 13 minutes from time.

Hogg told the BBC: “The team couldn’t wait to get that victory and you can see how much it means to us in front of our own fans. They were unbelievable today. It just means so much to us.

“We’ve had good perform- ances [against France] in the past but to make amends today is brilliant and we look forward to going Ireland next week now.

“You don’t get many opportunities in international rugby and I think when we created those opportunities we finished them off well. We’ve worked hard in training and it’s great to see it paying off in the game.”

On his own try and an assist on Visser’s, Hogg added: “[It was] a wee bit of luck on Visser’s try but we’ll take it. My try, I just finished off a good team move. I’m delighted with that victory and we’ll move on now.”

For captain Greig Laidlaw it was the 25th time he had led his team out and he was overwhelmed by the experience in front of a home crowd.

Laidlaw said: “To lead this team here at Murrayfield is something that will stay with me forever. But it’s not about individuals, we’ve spoken about that all weekend – the whole team and the whole crowd at Murrayfield were literally as one today. It was outstanding.”

Laidlaw, who also collected his 50th cap yesterday, added: “This is the reason why we throw on the jersey and make so many sacrifices. I thought we scored a couple of great tries in amongst some very good defence.

“France put a lot of width on the game at times, sometimes we had to really scramble. We really fought for each other and kept France from the line a couple of times. We managed to kick the ball clear and I’m sure you saw what it meant to us all.”

Scotland head coach Vern Cotter said: “I’m very proud of the team and it was nice to get a win. The guys kept shape. They got an early lead and I think we built the game well from there. The game was built piece by piece and of course we need a good scrum to do that. I think the boys, even though they were under pressure at times, kept their heads up and made good decisions.

“They know their strengths and are getting to know them better and playing to them. Once again I think the set-piece was good and they showed some character. So they are some good ingredients if you want to get something from the game.”

Laidlaw now wants his team to finish their Six Nations campaign with a flourish against Ireland on Saturday. He said: “We want to finish the tournament strongly next week but it will be a tough game. It’s great for everyone – the players, the staff and the crowd – that we’ve managed to win, especially at home. It’s a big stepping stone for this team.

“Against England we were disappointed in a few areas but then against Wales we weren’t playing a bad team and only lost by four points.

“We were right in the hunt in these games. We only lost by six to England and they are close to winning a Grand Slam.

“I’m sure they appreciate we were not far away and in these last two games we have shown that by getting on the front foot and winning. We’re not just happy winning two games though. We want to win three – with two away from home. That would be outstanding.”

Laidlaw added: “When you look back on your career one day, my 50th cap might seem more special because we won but right now it’s about the team. I’m just more happy that we’ve won the game rather that it being my 50th cap.

“I felt the game was swinging our way as we got a foothold. We knew France would come and try to steamroller us, but I thought we fronted up and I felt we finished the stronger team. We defended well at times when we needed to but the fact we put away three tries is another big bonus.”

Scotland lost Finn Russell with a head injury just moments after kick-off but Cotter hopes he will be fit to play in Dublin. The head coach added: “To lose our playmaker and then a try within five minutes but come back, show composure, build the game and win the game was great. We showed a lot of qualities and I’m really pleased for the players.

“There was a lot of energy out on the park and a lot of it came from the supporters, too.”