Six Nations 2023: France 32-21 Scotland - Gregor Townsend hails 'performance of season'

Scotland delivered their "best performance of the season" despite losing a Six Nations epic to France, says head coach Gregor Townsend.

The visitors trailed 19-0 after each team had received an early red card.

Scotland roared back to within a score in the final 15 minutes, but fell to a 32-21 loss to end their unbeaten start to the championship.

"I'm disappointed with the result but we'll take a lot from how we played," Townsend told BBC Scotland.

"It feels weird saying that after a defeat but when you think of the circumstances we were in with a man down, with the scoreboard against us, France having lost once here in the last three or four years... we should have won that game."

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Grant Gilchrist was dismissed for a high tackle on Anthony Jelonch before Mohamed Haouas joined the Scotland lock in the stands following a wild head-first lunge into Ben White.

"You run the risk if you hit around the head area," Townsend said of Gilchrist's red card.

"It's really unlike us. We've not come close to a red card in a tackle situation so to even be in that zone, I was surprised, but we had to adapt and adapt we did."

Scotland dominated territory and possession, particularly in the second half, but Townsend lamented his side's failure to make the most of all their enticing positions in the France 22.

After a fallow week, his side host Grand Slam-chasing Ireland on 12 March.

"It is tough when you are more than seven points behind and have to score a couple of tries, but we had enough chances," he added.

"The pressure was telling, we were getting penalty after penalty - a yellow card would have been good, that would have really helped us and put them under massive pressure - but if we'd managed to execute, we could have won that game.

"We're still in the championship, we play the undefeated team next, we're both playing for the triple crown. That'll be huge motivation for us.

"There'll be things we can improve on, but that was a better performance than how we played against Wales and England.

"When we did that in a top stadium when we were a man down, we can be really positive about the future and the next two games."