Scotland captain Sione Tuipulotu admits there will be no margin for error if his team are to force their way into Six Nations contention.
Victory over beleaguered Wales in the Principality Stadium would send Gregor Townsend’s men into the fallow week in good shape following last weekend’s win over England.
Scotland are short-odds favourites to defeat a Welsh side who haven’t won at home in the Six Nations since beating Gregor Townsend’s side here in 2022.
It has been three years, though, since the Scots last won back-to-back games in this competition, while their record in the match immediately following a Calcutta Cup triumph is also poor.
Tuipulotu insists he isn’t looking any further than Saturday evening and isn’t contemplating the possibility of Scotland emerging as unlikely challengers.
He acknowledged, however, that a shock defeat to Steve Tandy’s side would come with costly consequences.
Tuipulotu holds Calcutta Cup aloft after last weekend’s triumph over England at Murrayfield
Scotland captain Tuipulotu is looking no further than Saturday’s trip to Cardiff after helping put England to the sword
Gregor Townsend’s Scotland team can’t afford another defeat after losing opener in Rome
‘You can’t lose two games in this tournament and think you’re going to be there at the back end for anything,’ said Tuipulotu as he reflected on the opening defeat to Italy in Rome. ‘For us, it’s one game at a time and Wales is the one in front of us at the moment.
‘We would be [in a strong position with a victory] but before the last game I felt like there was no “next game”. That was the reality of the situation we were in and that was the pressure I put on myself.
‘That pressure is still there: I feel like there is no game after this. We need to play who’s in front of us at the moment and that’s Wales.
‘There’s a fallow week coming and we’ll be able to regroup and possibly get some boys back off the injury list. But I don’t want to start looking beyond that and start thinking about the last two games. We just need to get this one and we’re desperate to get this victory. I want to see an 80-minute performance.’
Duhan van der Merwe, who replaces Jamie Dobie on the left wing, and full-back Blair Kinghorn both come back into the starting XV after missing out against Italy and England/ Tuipulotu believes he has seen an extra hunger in both players ahead of their return to the fray.
‘I think both [are out to prove a point] and I’m challenging them to do that because we need it,’ he said. ‘The way Dobie played not just last week, but the form that he’s been in this year, those boys know they need to come in and fill those shoes and then go up a level like we know they can.
‘I’ve been really proud of how they’ve responded to not playing the first two games and of how they’ve trained and prepared this week. They look war-ready to me and I’m really excited to play with them and smile on the field with them tomorrow. I’m really excited for them to put up their best rugby, which I’ve got a really good feeling they will.’
Scotland have traditionally struggled in Cardiff, their victory two years ago their first in the Welsh capital since 2002. Even then, they almost blew it, racing into a 27-0 lead before Wales pinned them back to 27-26 as home fans grew ever louder in anticipation a remarkable comeback.
Tuipulotu is congratulated by delighted fans as he carries Calcutta Cup onto the pitch
Princess Anne presents the trophy to a proud Tuipulotu after last weekend’s victory
The Scots need to follow up last year’s win over Wales at Murrayfield with another victory in Cardiff
Townsend’s side did enough to hang on that day, but Tuipulotu knows they can’t afford to let the home support influence things.
‘When you play away, you want to control the environment around you and one way to do that is with a fast start, but they’ll be saying the same thing in their changing room,’ he added. ‘You have to give the Welsh credit as well, and that’s their fight and their character.
‘They’ve been heavily down but they haven’t stopped playing. I was watching that game [at Murrayfield] up in the stands last year and they were down 30-odd points and kept on fighting. That’s testament to what they’re like as a people.’
Tuipulotu also paid a warm tribute to Tandy, citing the former Scotland defence coach as a welcoming figure after he first arrived in the country from Japan in 2021.
‘He was the first coach I probably had a personal relationship with when I moved a long way away from home,’ he added. ‘I know you guys probably don’t believe me but, if I’m around people, I’m very shy.
‘He was one of the first coaches to put his arm around me and I suppose [get to know] me as a person. And that had a massive effect on my rugby because I felt like I trusted and confided in him a lot. Maybe he saw the leader in me that I didn’t even see at that time and he encouraged that side as well. So I owe a lot to him and the job he did in my career.’