- The Chief of Scotland admits that Fabien Gallthie's team is deserved six-nations champions after 35-16 triumphed
- However, the decision not to send to Pedato Mauvaka for a perceived header did, however, baffled the visiting chief coach
- But Towsend feels that the performance was encouraging and is among the best of the championship
Gregor Towsend admitted that Scotland had been defeated by the best team when France surpassed them in the second half to get the Six Nations Championship.
However, the chief coach questioned the call not to send the French prostitute Pedato Mauvaka at the end of the first half for a head of Ben White while the medium Scrum lay on the ground.
Scotland agreed with his hosts during a period of competitive opening in the Stade of France, but was surprised after the break when Fabien Gallthie's men launched Le Bomb Squad from the bank to get three other attempts to ensure the title.
Towsend had no qualms with the final result, but he felt that his team had played well for long spells before the French flexed their muscles and relieve a decisive victory.
He said: 'France deserved to win. They deserve to be champions. They are a quality side. And although we played very well sometimes tonight, France was the best team at the end.
'It is difficult (evaluate) because we lost the game and we were not pressing at the end to win it. But what we asked for players tonight was to deliver physically.
'One of the biggest challenges you get in World Rugby at this time is the French herd. Springboks are very similar. And then, when they bring a new package, it is how you can not only resist that challenge, but to be very aggressive with the way they play.
Towsend was satisfied with what he saw from his side of Scotland in Paris
Darcy Graham moves away from a challenge to obtain the only night test of the night
'And I thought we were very good there. And then, when you turned it, how our strikers were carrying was one of the best transports I have seen. Gregor Brown was fantastic in his first beginning of the six nations. Zander (Fagerson), Pierre Schoeman, Matt Fagerson. So many players faced physically. And we had some really good parts in our attack game.
'So there is much to be proud and much to build. We created things and the effort was there during the 80 minutes. And strangely, probably the two best performances of this year were what happened in the defeats of England and for France. But we can take many of those two games as we look next year and beyond when we have those challenges again '.
The call of not sending to Mauvaka and for the disciplinary bunker to agree, only deserved a bewildered card Towsend.
He added: 'The decision not to raise it to a red card was because (they said) there was no excessive force. But I am not sure that this is really the criterion for an incident that does not contract. It was clearly not a Tackle as it was after the whistle.
Mavuaka seems to go to Ben White, who only earned him a yellow card
'Then, if there was contact with the head and that was intentional, it should have nothing to do with the force involved.
'I feel sorry for Ben White here because he did nothing wrong. First, they push him to the ground and then collide in the head. I don't know how he didn't rise to a red card.
Co-Capitán Rory Darge was also baffled. 'It looked like a head boat. But, you know, that is the way it goes. You get some decisions in your own way, you get some, not your way. It is not the reason we lost the game, not definitely.
'But I thought it should have been a red card, it seemed an intentional header, but I haven't seen her back. We have been on the right side of some decisions in this campaign and I have been on the wrong side of some. It is not something that we are going to spend a lot of time, because it makes no sense, it has left. ''