Scotland rugby head-coach Gregor Townsend says they never wanted a walkover against France to be awarded and he didn't expect it to happen.
Their trip to Paris in round three of the Guinness Six Nations was postponed following a COVID-19 outbreak in the French camp and it's likely to be re-fixed for March 26th.
28-0 walkovers were awarded when teams were unable to field in the Autumn Nations Cup but Townsend says that wasn't going to be an option in the Six Nations.
"We were all aware of the rules going into the tournament and knew there wasn't going to be a 28-0 win or even a draw. It was always going to be a postponement.
"You could follow all the rules and protocols and still end up with the virus in your camp.
"Our players are coming in from other teams every second week so I don't think you could set something up to issue forfeits because it could be down to bad luck as well as any other circumstance.
"We want the game played and so do France. Let's hope it gets played in the next three weeks."
Speaking ahead of Sunday's game against Ireland at Murrayfield, the Scottish coach expressed his hope that an agreement can be reached for their overseas players to be available for the France match.
"We know there's a date out there on March 26 that would suit everybody and would link very closely to the tournament so it finishes just a week after the other games.
"But there are a few things that have to be sorted, notably getting all our players available and agreed to be released from clubs in England and France.
"I believe those discussions are ongoing but I'm not sure when those will be resolved. But I hope it will be soon.
"It's not going to be my decision on this but for a tournament of the standing of the Six Nations we need the best players playing against the best players available.
"We certainly want a full group of players to select from and I'm sure that's what everyone is working towards."
Team of Us. Everyone In.
Vodafone. The main sponsor of the Irish Rugby Team
Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!
Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.
