Blessed to have such good relations with France - Angus Robertson

Scotland and France have a long and enduring friendship. The Auld Alliance goes back centuries and is celebrated to this present day.

Angus Robertson, Scottish Rugby Chair John McGuigan and French Consul General Laurence Païs

Nobody exemplifies that better than the outgoing French Consul General Laurence Païs who has been a tremendous representative of her country and supporter of Franco-Scottish relations.

I had the good fortune to attend the Scotland-France rugby international at Murrayfield with Laurence. She was wonderfully diplomatic about her hopes for the game, and it was certainly a game of two halves. French fans had much to celebrate, even an expectation of victory after opening up an 18 point lead by the break with tries by Baptiste Couilloud, Louis Bielle-Biarrey and Cameron Woki.

However, whatever Gregor Townsend said at half time worked a treat, as Scotland emerged for the second half with a team transformed and took the game to the French. Undeterred by a red card for Zander Fagerson Scotland mounted a fantastic fightback with tries from Darcy Graham and Pierre Schoeman as well as substitute Dave Cherry. Captain Finn Russell kicked 10 points as Scotland celebrated a superb win.

French Consul General Laurence Païs, who was gifted a signed rugby ball by the SRU, pictured, was magnanimous about the loss with a twinkle in her eye about the return friendly in St Etienne as part of the warm-up for the Rugby World Cup.

We are blessed to have such good relations with France and as strong a friend in Laurence Païs.