Vern Cotter backed his team's decision not to take the penalty that would have handed them a draw in Paris.

The Scots were left chasing a result against France in their fourth and final World Cup warm-up match after a late touchdown put Les Bleus ahead.

But skipper Greig Laidlaw and his players opted against knocking over a simple kick that would have tied the match, as they instead chose to go for the win.

The gamble backfired as the hosts held out for a 19-16 win at the Stade de France, denying Scotland their first win in Paris since 1999.

Cotter said: “The boys wanted to get the win. It’s been a few years since we had one [in Paris]. They wanted to get over the line and created several line breaks.

Good attitude

“It was a good attitude to take. It was a game where we were testing ourselves.

“It’s the players’ decision and I completely back it.”

Laidlaw added: “If we had kicked the goal we’d have taken a draw, but just with the manner of the game, we came to win. It was a team decision in the end and we felt we could win.”

Scotland claimed a 9-6 half-time lead, despite a disjointed first-half showing blighted by a misfiring lineout and a series of handling errors.

And they looked set for victory themselves when a moment of magic from Laidlaw put them 16-12 up with 15 minutes left.

However, the joy did not last as Nakaitaci battered through the Scots’ defence for the winning try.