France hooker Peato Mauvaka has been cited and will face an independent disciplinary hearing on Thursday following his contentious yellow card incident involving Scotland’s Ben White during Saturday’s Six Nations title-clinching match in Paris.

Key points:

• Mauvaka cited for striking with “any part of the arm, shoulder, head or knee” under Law 9.12
• Incident occurred 20 minutes into France’s 35-16 victory over Scotland
• Yellow card decision caused significant controversy among fans, pundits and Scottish team
• Three-person disciplinary panel chaired by Jennifer Donovan (Ireland) will hear the case
• Hearing scheduled for Thursday, 20th March at 10am GMT via video conference

According to the official Six Nations statement: “France Number 2, Peato Mauvaka, will attend an independent disciplinary hearing after he was cited for an act of foul play contrary to Law 9.12 (A player must not…. strike with any part of the arm, shoulder, head or knee(s)) in the Guinness Men’s Six Nations match between France and Scotland on Saturday 15th March 2025.”

The 28-year-old Toulouse forward received a yellow card after diving head-first towards White, who was lying on the ground after being pushed by another French player. The incident was referred by referee Matthew Carley to foul play review officer Ian Tempest to determine whether the sanction should be upgraded to a 20-minute red card, but Tempest controversially decided that 10 minutes in the sin-bin was sufficient punishment.

At the time of the incident, France led 10-0, but Scotland fought back to trail by just 16-13 at half-time before eventually succumbing 35-16 as France secured their first Six Nations championship since 2022.

Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend was visibly frustrated with the decision after the match, telling reporters: “The decision not to raise it to a red card was because there was not excessive force. I’m not sure that’s really the criteria for a non-tackle incident.”
“It clearly was a non-tackle incident, it was after the whistle. So, if there was head contact and that was intentional, it shouldn’t be anything to do with the force that was involved,” Townsend continued. “I feel sorry for Ben White here, because he did nothing. He was first of all pushed to the ground, and a push is nothing in rugby, and then he got collided in the head, so I don’t know how it wasn’t raised to a red card.”

While defending his teammate, France full-back Thomas Ramos claimed there had been a misunderstanding: “It’s a bit of a mistake because I push the guy to get the ball and Peato thinks the guy jumps on him,” Ramos said after the final whistle.

During Thursday’s hearing, potential mitigation factors will likely be considered by the disciplinary committee. Under World Rugby’s Head Contact Process, mitigating factors that could reduce the severity of any sanction include a sudden or significant drop in height by the ball carrier, a lack of clear line of sight for the offending player, or whether the action was a genuine attempt to make a legal play. However, as Townsend pointed out, the off-ball nature of this incident may complicate how standard mitigation frameworks are applied.

According to former Top 14 referee Laurent Cardona, now coach at Soyaux-Angoulême, the lack of clear video evidence may have influenced the on-field decision. Speaking to French publication Rugbyrama, Cardona suggested: “What saved us is that at no time, in my opinion, did they have an image of the head contact on the Scotsman… Guessing or assuming is not enough to make a decision as definitive as a red card.”

The Toulouse club reportedly organised a meeting on Tuesday evening to prepare Mauvaka’s defence, drawing on their recent experience supporting fly-half Romain Ntamack through disciplinary proceedings after his red card against Wales earlier in the tournament. Ntamack initially received a six-match suspension, which was subsequently reduced to three and then two matches after following the Head Contact Process protocol.

If found guilty, Mauvaka could face a suspension of multiple matches, potentially impacting his availability for Toulouse’s upcoming fixtures. The French club face a challenging schedule with an away match against Bordeaux this Sunday (23rd March), followed by a home game against Pau (29th March) and a Champions Cup Round of 16 tie against Sale Sharks on 6th April.

The case will be heard by a three-person independent disciplinary committee, with Ireland’s Jennifer Donovan serving as chair. As stated in the Six Nations announcement, “The player will attend the hearing via video conference before an independent Disciplinary Committee consisting of Jennifer Donovan – Chair (Ireland), with the other two Disciplinary Committee members to be confirmed in due course.”

The incident has reignited debates around rugby’s head contact protocols and the consistency of their application in international competition.

France ultimately triumphed in the Six Nations, finishing one point ahead of England and two points clear of Ireland, who had won the previous two championships.

The 2025 Guinness Six Nations delivered another enthralling championship with France claiming their first title since 2022, holding off a resurgent England who finished with an emphatic performance in Cardiff. From record-breaking try-scorers to tactical innovations and stunning comebacks, this year’s tournament provided memorable moments and important insights into the state of Northern Hemisphere rugby.

• France have the perfect blend of power and panache with record-breaking attack
• England’s evolution gathers impressive momentum under Borthwick
• Ireland’s golden generation faces necessary transition after key retirements
• Scotland’s perennial promise remains unfulfilled despite individual brilliance
• Welsh rugby reaches historic low point with second consecutive wooden spoon
• Italy show progress but discipline remains their Achilles heel in tight matches

France have the perfect blend of power and panache

Fabien Galthié’s charges demonstrated why they remain rugby’s most potent attacking force. Setting a new Six Nations record with 30 tries across their five matches, France showcased their devastating ability to combine brutal forward dominance with sublime backline play.

The controversial “Le Bomb Squad” – a 7-1 split on the bench borrowed from South Africa’s playbook – proved decisive in crucial moments, especially in their 42-27 demolition of Ireland in Dublin. Even without talismanic captain Antoine Dupont, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in that match, France maintained their momentum with Maxime Lucu stepping in admirably.

Louis Bielle-Biarrey emerged as the tournament’s breakout star, scoring a record-breaking eight tries, while the forward pack dominated collisions throughout. Thomas Ramos orchestrated proceedings expertly, breaking Frédéric Michalak’s record to become France’s all-time leading points scorer.

Despite their Grand Slam hopes being derailed by England at Twickenham, the clinical nature of France’s performances against Wales, Italy, Ireland and Scotland underlined their status as the championship’s deserved winners and established them as genuine World Cup contenders for 2027.

England’s evolution gathers impressive momentum

Steve Borthwick’s England finished with a flourish, running in ten tries against Wales in Cardiff to record their biggest-ever win at the Principality Stadium. Their 68-14 demolition job capped a tournament that showed genuine progression in England’s attacking game.

What stood out was England’s adaptability. In tight encounters against France and Scotland, they displayed tremendous resilience and tactical flexibility to secure narrow victories. Then, when opportunities arose against Italy and Wales, they demonstrated the ambition and cutting edge that fans have long demanded.

The Curry twins, Tom and Ben, were outstanding throughout, dominating the breakdown and contributing significantly to England leading the tournament in turnovers won (36). Tommy Freeman scored in every round, while debutants like Henry Pollock and Tom Roebuck grabbed their opportunities with both hands.

England’s bench proved decisive on multiple occasions, reflecting Borthwick’s growing trust in his squad depth. After several years of tactical uncertainty, England have established a clear identity built around a balanced approach that combines pragmatism with attacking intent.

Ireland’s golden generation faces necessary transition

For defending champions Ireland, a third-place finish represents a disappointing return from a campaign that began with high hopes of an unprecedented third consecutive championship. The manner of their heavy defeat to France in Dublin exposed limitations in their power game and signalled the end of an era.

The retirement of centurions Peter O’Mahony, Cian Healy and Conor Murray after the final match against Italy marked the beginning of a transition period. With eight of their starting XV against France aged 30 or older, Ireland must now focus on developing the next generation.

Young fly-half Sam Prendergast showed promise in his first tournament, but Ireland’s previously clockwork attack appeared disjointed in Rome and against France. Their famed cohesion – built on provincial connections at Leinster – wasn’t enough to overcome the power deficit against the championship’s top sides.

Questions will be asked about whether Ireland have left this transition too late, with the 2027 World Cup looming on the horizon. However, with talents like Dan Sheehan (who scored a hat-trick against Italy) and Hugo Keenan established, the foundations remain strong for Andy Farrell to build upon when he returns from British & Irish Lions duty.

Scotland’s perennial promise remains unfulfilled

Scotland once again flattered to deceive, finishing fourth with victories only over Italy and Wales. Despite boasting what many consider their most talented backline in the modern era, Gregor Townsend’s side lacked the consistency and cutting edge to challenge the championship’s elite.

Huw Jones’s hat-trick heroics against Italy highlighted Scotland’s attacking potential, but defensive frailties and a lack of forward dominance ultimately proved their undoing. Blair Kinghorn topped the championship statistics for carries (86), line breaks (9) and offloads (13), yet Scotland couldn’t convert these individual brilliance into collective success.

The absence of captain Sione Tuipulotu through injury proved significant, particularly in their agonising 16-15 defeat to England at Twickenham where Finn Russell’s missed conversion proved crucial. Scotland’s promising performances in patches – like their first-half showing against France in Paris – only heightened the frustration at their inability to maintain that level throughout full matches.

After another campaign of unrealised potential, Townsend faces questions about whether he can take this talented group further, having led Scotland since 2017 with relatively modest returns from their undoubted individual quality.

Italy show progress but discipline remains their Achilles heel

Italy finished fifth, avoiding the wooden spoon for the second consecutive year, but their tournament followed a familiar pattern of promising performances undermined by critical lapses in discipline. Their historic 22-15 victory over Wales in Rome – their first home win against the Welsh since 2007 – was the high point of a campaign that showcased both their growth and persistent shortcomings.

The Azzurri’s midfield partnership of Tommaso Menoncello and Juan Ignacio Brex was arguably the championship’s finest, with Menoncello making seven carries for 98 metres against Ireland while Brex added 13 carries for 86 metres in the same match. Ange Capuozzo remained a constant threat from fullback, while Paolo Garbisi demonstrated his quality at fly-half.

However, Italy’s improvement was severely hampered by their disciplinary issues. Against Ireland alone, they received a yellow card for Michele Lamaro’s cynical slap-down, a red card for Ross Vintcent’s high tackle, and another yellow in the closing minutes for Giacomo Nicotera. Coach Gonzalo Quesada will be frustrated by these needless penalties that consistently released pressure on opposition teams.

The match against Ireland exemplified their tournament as a whole – competitive enough to push the defending champions to the limit but ultimately undermining themselves through ill-discipline. Despite losing three forwards to injury within the first 30 minutes, they remained in contention until the final whistle before falling 22-17.

With improved set-piece stability and the emergence of exciting talents like Paolo Garbisi and Sebastian Negri, Italy have the foundations for further growth. However, until they address their persistent discipline problems, they will struggle to translate promising performances into more consistent results against the championship’s elite teams.

Welsh rugby reaches another historic low point

Wales endured a tournament to forget, suffering their second consecutive wooden spoon and extending their losing streak to 17 consecutive Test matches – the worst run by any tier-one nation in the professional era. The 68-14 defeat to England in Cardiff represented their heaviest Six Nations loss ever.

The mid-tournament departure of Warren Gatland after the defeat to Italy highlighted the crisis engulfing Welsh rugby. Interim coach Matt Sherratt injected some fight, particularly evident in the narrow 27-18 loss to Ireland, but couldn’t prevent the record defeat in the final round.

Fundamental issues plague Welsh rugby beyond the national team. The player base has been decimated by financial troubles in the regional game, with former captain Sam Warburton suggesting Welsh rugby needs to reduce from four to three professional teams to concentrate its talent pool.

Captain Jac Morgan battled valiantly throughout, but Wales lacked the firepower to compete with the championship’s stronger teams. The squad’s inexperience was exposed repeatedly, with Wales conceding 169 points across their five matches – their worst defensive record in the Six Nations era.

Any coach taking over permanently faces an enormous rebuilding job requiring patience and structural changes throughout Welsh rugby. The days of Wales contending for championships appear some way off.

In a raucous Stade de France, Antoine Dupont may have been watching on crutches after his season-ending knee injury against Ireland, but France still delivered a devastating second-half performance to defeat Scotland 35-16 and secure their first Six Nations title since 2022, denying England at the final hurdle.

Key moments:

4 mins: Thomas Ramos penalty puts France ahead (3-0)
12 mins: Jamie Ritchie yellow-carded for collapsing a maul
18 mins: Yoram Moefana scores first try after Gaël Fickou break, Ramos converts (10-0)
21 mins: Peato Mauvaka yellow card for contact with Ben White’s head
24 mins: Finn Russell penalty gets Scotland on the scoreboard (10-3)
29 mins: Darcy Graham scores for Scotland after Russell’s brilliant inside pass (10-8)
36 mins: Jean-Baptiste Gros yellow card for high tackle
38 mins: Russell penalty levels the scores at 13-13
39 mins: Ramos penalty restores France’s lead (16-13)
40 mins: Tom Jordan’s try for Scotland disallowed after TMO review
43 mins: Louis Bielle-Biarrey scores record-breaking eighth try of tournament (23-13)
51 mins: Russell penalty reduces deficit to seven (23-16)
57 mins: Ramos crosses after dominant French maul, converts his own try (30-16)
62 mins: Moefana scores his second to secure bonus point (35-16)

Despite a period of genuine Scottish resistance that briefly threatened to derail the French coronation, Les Bleus ultimately secured a bonus-point victory that showcased their remarkable blend of power and panache, breaking the championship try-scoring record with their 30th of the tournament.

✨😍 𝐂'𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐈𝐈𝐈𝐈 !!! ON A GAGNÉ !!!#FRAECO #XVdeFrance #NeFaisonsXV 🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/zRAXeVFq11

— France Rugby (@FranceRugby) March 15, 2025

The hosts began with clear intent, feeding off the energy of the spectacular pre-match light show and a fervent home crowd of over 80,000. Thomas Ramos slotted an early penalty in the fourth minute after Scotland were penalised at the breakdown, before France established territorial dominance that would be a hallmark of their performance.

Scotland’s cause wasn’t helped when flanker Jamie Ritchie was sent to the sin-bin in the 12th minute for deliberately collapsing a threatening French maul. With the numerical advantage, France capitalised in the 18th minute through a moment of individual brilliance. The returning Gaël Fickou demonstrated his enduring class with an outrageous sidestep that left Zander Fagerson grasping at air, creating space for Yoram Moefana to crash over, with Ramos adding the extras.

That 10-0 lead looked to herald a straightforward march to the title, but France’s discipline temporarily abandoned them. Peato Mauvaka saw yellow in the 21st minute for what many felt should have been a red card after making head contact with Ben White in a moment of recklessness. The incident occurred after Ramos had pushed White to the ground with the ball dead, and Mauvaka then lunged at the prone scrum-half. Referee Matthew Carley consulted with TMO Marius van der Westhuizen, who controversially decided the “level of danger” wasn’t sufficient for a red card.

Finn Russell’s resulting penalty got Scotland on the scoreboard, making it 10-3. White then produced a moment of defensive brilliance, racing back to deny Maxime Lucu what seemed a certain try after the French scrum-half had chased a loose ball towards the Scottish line.

Orchestrated by Russell at his mercurial best, Scotland grew into the contest and silenced the home crowd with a magnificent try in the 29th minute. Swift handling and intelligent angles of running manipulated the French defence before Russell, with trademark vision, delivered a delightful inside pass to Darcy Graham who accelerated through the gap between Uini Atonio and François Cros to score. Russell’s conversion narrowed the gap to just three points at 10-7.

The match teetered on a knife-edge when Jean-Baptiste Gros became the second Frenchman to be yellow-carded in the 36th minute for a high tackle on Tom Jordan, as Scottish pressure mounted. Russell slotted the resulting penalty to level the scores at 13-13, sending waves of anxiety through the Paris crowd who had expected a more comfortable evening.

Ramos edged France back ahead with a penalty just before half-time, but Scotland thought they had seized a lead when Tom Jordan crashed over after a brilliant Blair Kinghorn break down the right wing in the final play of the half. Kinghorn had sliced through multiple defenders before finding support, and as Russell lined up the conversion, the TMO intervened. Van der Westhuizen spotted that Kinghorn’s elbow had brushed the touchline during his run, and the try was disallowed – a massive reprieve for the hosts who went into the break with a narrow 16-13 advantage.

That pivotal moment seemed to galvanise France, who emerged for the second half with renewed purpose. Within minutes, Louis Bielle-Biarrey pounced on a loose ball after a mix-up between Russell and Graham, racing clear to score his eighth try of the championship – breaking the individual Six Nations try-scoring record in the process. The 21-year-old winger, who has been one of the revelations of the tournament, benefited from excellent support play from Romain Ntamack, who initially gathered the loose ball before finding his teammate. Ramos’s conversion established a 10-point cushion at 23-13.

Scotland refused to capitulate, continuing their ambitious approach orchestrated by Russell. The fly-half’s penalty in the 51st minute reduced the deficit to seven points at 23-16, briefly reigniting Scottish hopes of an upset that would have handed England the title.

However, the decisive period came when Fabien Galthié deployed France’s formidable “bomb squad” – the seven forwards on their bench. The fresh legs of Cyril Baille, Julien Marchand, Dorian Aldegheri, Emmanuel Meafou, Oscar Jegou and Anthony Jelonch provided an overwhelming surge of power that Scotland simply couldn’t contain.

The breakthrough came just before the hour mark after a powerful maul deep in Scottish territory sucked in defenders before quick hands released Ramos to cross for France’s third try. His subsequent conversion extended the lead to 14 points at 30-16, effectively ending Scotland’s resistance.

Four minutes later, the party atmosphere was in full swing when Moefana claimed his second try after slick handling involving Bielle-Biarrey and Fickou. The centre’s finish secured the bonus point and put the result beyond doubt with still a quarter of the match remaining. Despite Ramos missing the conversion, at 35-16, France’s victory and championship triumph were assured.

Throughout the second half, Scotland continued to show ambition, with Duhan van der Merwe making several powerful runs, but they couldn’t breach the increasingly confident French defence. Despite making several visits to the French 22 in the final quarter, Scotland’s efforts were repeatedly thwarted by a combination of handling errors and resolute French defending, with Emmanuel Meafou making several crucial tackles after coming off the bench.

For Scotland, this was another campaign of unfulfilled promise. Despite moments of attacking brilliance throughout the championship, they finish fourth with just two wins – against Italy and Wales – leaving Gregor Townsend with questions to answer about how to translate their undoubted talent into more consistent results.

In the dying minutes, “On est les champions” rang around the Stade de France, and the crowd was treated to a spectacle of champagne rugby as France sought to add further gloss to the scoreline. Though no more points came, the crowd’s jubilation only increased as the final whistle approached.

“We’re very proud of our performance today and the spirit we showed,” said François Cros afterwards. “We had a tough first half where Scotland put us under pressure, but we came through that and in the second half, we were able to unleash our game.”

Player of the match Yoram Moefana added: “It was a very tough game. Scotland are a big team, and I want to say thank you to my teammates because we were fighting from start to finish. It’s amazing. We wanted to win this for Antoine [Dupont] too – it’s so bad he was injured, but we wanted to fight in this game for him.”

Scotland captain Finn Russell reflected on what might have been: “I think for 50 or 60 minutes we were right in the game, but we couldn’t maintain that level and France showed their quality. If that try at the end of the first half had stood, who knows what might have happened. They’re a quality side and they thoroughly deserve the championship.”

As the final whistle sounded, the Stade de France erupted in celebration. Gregory Alldritt and the injured Dupont jointly lifted the trophy to deafening roars from the crowd. Despite missing their talismanic captain and the disappointment of that narrow defeat at Twickenham that cost them a Grand Slam, France’s seventh Six Nations title – equalling England’s record – was thoroughly deserved.

In scoring 30 tries across the campaign, breaking England’s previous record of 29 from 2001, Fabien Galthié’s men have underlined their status as rugby’s most potent attacking force. Bielle-Biarrey’s eight tries represent a personal milestone that surpasses the previous Six Nations record held by Ireland’s Jacob Stockdale, while Thomas Ramos became France’s all-time leading points scorer, surpassing Frédéric Michalak.

“This is a special group of players,” said France head coach Fabien Galthié. “After the disappointment at Twickenham, they showed incredible character to come back with three consecutive bonus-point victories. We are champions today because of this resilience and because of the quality throughout the squad – not just the starting fifteen.”

For France, whose only blemish in an otherwise dominant championship was that one-point defeat to England, the future looks exceptionally bright. With Dupont set to return for next year’s championship and the majority of this squad still young enough to feature in the 2027 World Cup, the rest of Europe has been served notice that this French generation may just be getting started.