Key events
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Match report
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Full-time: Wales 23-26 Scotland
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TRY! Wales 23-26 Scotland (Turner, 75)
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TRY! Wales 23-19 Scotland (Graham, 58)
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Penalty! Wales 23-12 Scotland (Evans, 58)
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TRY! Wales 20-12 Scotland (Russell, 55)
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Penalty! Wales 20-5 Scotland (Costelow, 49)
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Half-time: Wales 17-5 Scotland
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Penalty! 17-5 Scotland (Costelow, 32)
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TRY! Wales 14-5 Scotland (Adams, 20)
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TRY! Wales 7-5 Scotland (Steyn, 14)
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TRY! Wales 7-0 Scotland (Carre, 10)
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Yellow card! Wales (Hawkins, 5)
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Scotland team
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Wales team
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Preamble
Match report
Sarah Rendell’s report has landed so I’ll get out of here.
Credit to her for making sense of that. A quick trade secret, most match reports are written with 10 minutes left on the clock. So any change at the death can be a nightmare.
The fact that Sarah filed this on time, and with more than a degree of coherence, is a testament to her skills!
Thanks for joining me. Commiserations to Wales. Congrats to Scotland. What a day of Six Nations action!
I’m sure this isn’t entirely satisfactory, but surely Welsh fans must be delighted that a Test involving their boys was a proper contest.
It’s been too long.
More from Sam Warburton on the Beeb:
I’m proud of that. A lot of people didn’t give Wales a chance before the game. They had to believe because any comeback, any rebuild has to start with belief.
Even though on the scoreboard it says they lost, they’ll go back knowing on another day they could’ve won.
They’ll be gutted they didn’t get the win, but it was an enormous improvement. It was so pleasing to see this stadium with an atmosphere.
Heartbreaking for Wales.
Jamie Jones is looking for answers:
Why, when Wales have just scored a penalty does the ball boy/ girl / they run on and place the ball on the centres spot for Scotland to take a quick kick off?
Give your own team some time
Guarantee this doesn’t happen in New Zealand or South Africa
Notwithstanding wales should have defended the kick off better
Not sure we can point the finger at the ball boy/girl. Surely it’s Welsh sloppiness at fault?
Scotland are top of the table.
They have 11 points – thanks to this bonus point win – after three games.
But France, who play Italy tomorrow, have 10 from two.
Here’s player of the matc, Rory Darge:
What a massive win for us. Any time you go on the road in the Six Nations you have your work cut out for you. Just delighted with the character we showed. Credit to Wales. We knew they’d come out swinging. It was a tough, tough fixture.
We were coming up second best in the collisions. That is on us. We can’t stress how tough. Wales were. It was a tough game.
There was no hangover from last week. It’s hard getting on the road. It was hard to wrestle back and we’re massively proud of the boys.
Genuinely gutted for Wales. I have no skin in the game. I’m not Welsh. I’m not Scottish. I’m not even European. But I must admit I wanted Wales to win that.
“As a Welshman I’m proud of that,” says Sam Warburton.
Fair play. They gave a proper fight.
It all came down to that lapse for the Graham try when they simply switched off on the hour mark.
Full-time: Wales 23-26 Scotland
Russell misses but Scotland win!
They trailed until the 75th minute. But Scotland snatched victory at the death. Wales gave it their all but couldn’t hold on.
What a game.
80 min: Russell will take aim at the poles. Even if he misses Scotland will win the game. As long as he clears the dead ball line, Scotland will win the game.
79 min: Scotland win the line-out on half way but Wales don’t compete. Why would they not compete for the ball at this stage? Scotland get the maul on and win a penalty. That is surely the game. Oh, how heartbreaking for Wales.
77 min: Scotland win the scrum penalty against Wales’ ball! The Scottish pack celebrate like they’ve just won the Six Nations. Perhaps they’ve just won the game.
76 min: This ain’t over. Scotland spill the restart. Wales have the scrum inside Scotland’s 22. A drop goal would tie it. Wales surely want the win.
TRY! Wales 23-26 Scotland (Turner, 75)
Scotland maul over! Wales don’t compete in the air and opt to set themselves against the maul. But once the Scotts got the first shove, they were always on. Fagerson and a few backs joined the party and it was inevitable. Russell slots the conversion and for the first time in the game, Scotland are in front.
74 min: Penalty again for Scotland. In fact they had three in that sequence. Wales are holding on by the skin of their teeth. Russell nudges this to the corner. Wales keep hammering their tackles as Scotland keep hammering the line. It’s so tense. My goodness, this is in the balance.
OK, deep breath. Line-out for Scotland five out on the right as they look at it.
72 min: Scotland make a mess of their line-out and Wales come away with the ball! They then clean it up and hoof it long. They survive! Scotland will have the ball inside Welsh territory, but 40 metres back.
71 min: Steyn take a great grab under pressure. Horne lifts it high but Wales come away with it. Rees-Zammit has it until he’s eaten by Tuipulotu. Wales then give away the penalty on the floor as Rees-Zammit tried to play it. Huge impact from the Scottish skipper. Russell has the ball in his hands. No doubt, he kicks toi the corner and pretty much nails it. Five metre line-out coming up. Can Wales hold them out?
69 min: Scotland get a good rumble off the maul on halfway from the line-out. Jordan, on the park, makes ground after contact. Russell takes the hit and finds Bayliss (he’s been good). But Wales get the penalty! There’s a neck roll from Tuipulotu as he went to clean Smith. The Welshman was over the ball so I think he would have won the ball anyway, but the Scottish skipper was too keen, too aggressive and that’s a let off for t Wales who can clear from the edge of their own 22. Time running out for Scotland.
67 min: Another penalty on the floor for Wales. Scotland have coughed up 11 in the match. Oh no! They’re reversing this. Williams in trouble as he croc-rolled Darge off the ball. It’s a little meek, if you ask me. But that’s the call. So rather than Wales nailing an easy three points, Scotland have an exit from their own patch. Harsh, I reckon. But I don’t get a vote.
64 min: Penalty for Wales on the floor! Botham again. Was he off his feet. Perhaps, bit Scotland’s cleaners left their feet. No matter, we have Welsh throw on Scotland’s 22.
63 min: This game is breaking apart! It’s utter chaos. Horne launches a counter after gathering a lovely inside pass from Tuipulotu. He’s motoring upfield before he’s cut down from Evans. That is some one-on-one tackle. That madness ends with a Werlsh line-out on their 22 and they go for a methodical exit. Williams hoofs a long box that finds touch on halfway. A shout for the Welsh 9. He’s shown composure throughout this contest.
60 min: Relief for Wales as they get a penalty in their own half. Russell has the Scottish backline purring. He sparks a move down the right and Jones kicks a chi[. Possibly the wrong option as he had Steyn to his right. Williams gathered and was put under pressure, but exuberance from the Scots over the ball handed Wales the penalty.
TRY! Wales 23-19 Scotland (Graham, 58)
What has just happened! The only two people awake the danger was Russell – who kicked into space from the restart – and Graham – who ran onto the bouncing ball. Wales were napping. Where was the defence in the backfield? Oh my word, that is so poor from Wales but credit to Russell who was Johnny on the spot. The conversion slices the deficit to just four points. What a coach killer, straight from the restart, Literally seconds after Evans penalty.
Penalty! Wales 23-12 Scotland (Evans, 58)
Immediate response! Straight off the bench and Evans lands a penalty!
Time for some correspondence as Dewi Lake is carried off (what a game he had):
Gregory Philips: “This is so very Scotland. Why can they only turn it on against England? Still, if they do go on to lose this game, the Scots can at least draw comfort from the fact that England may now be favourites… for the wooden spoon.”
Andrew Benton: “Yes, Wales and hold on and yes, Scotland can mount a fightback! Whoever wins, it’ll be a zinger.”
Jamie Jones: “What a half from Wales!”
TRY! Wales 20-12 Scotland (Russell, 55)
25 phases and Scotland are there! It had to be. Scotland kept hammering the line. Schoeman must have carried about a dozen times himself. Bayliss too. Just about every Welshman was sucked into the morass so the ball found Russell who lined up the onrushing Rees-Zammit and beat him past the edge. He had the step and the gas and dotted down under the poles. The conversion closes the gap to eight.
54 min: Russell has it on Wales’ 22. He flings it right for Steyn who steps off bis wing and carries forward. Bayliss picks and goes but goes backwards. 15 phases. Wow, they keep coming. Eight metres short. Five metres out. Schoeman now. 18 phases. And again. Schoeman again. Two metres.. Zander Fagerson. Wales hold…
51 min: Wales just about keep possession after holding off a stiff Scottish counter shove from a scrum inside their own half. Thought Scotland turned them over but no, the ball comes out for the Welsh and they hoof clear.
49 min: Scotland spill over the line! Just about. From the restart, Duhan snaffles the kick and offloads for Jones. It’s not a simple pass but you expect Jones to hold on. He doesn’t. If he had it would surely have been a try. Wales with the let off.
Penalty! Wales 20-5 Scotland (Costelow, 49)
The way Wales are going, he could have back-heeled that over! Wales open their lead and the chorus rises!
48 min: Wales inside Scotland’s 22. 10 phases. How many Dewi Lakes are there? He carries again/ Penalty advantage right in front. They try to find Rees-Zammit down on the left touch. The kick is inaccurate, but no bother. This should be an easy three.
45 min: Wales turn it over! Smith with a great steal on the floor. Just as Scotland look like doing something, a poor pass forces Russell to go mop up. He’s then swamped and soon after Smith, recently off the bench, gets into a great position to make the turnover. Welsh voices rise around the ground. It’s on, folks. It’s on.
44 min: After that penalty, Scotland have a line-out beyond halfway. Not saying it’s now or never, but they’ll want to strike. Fagerson is in midfield and carries into contact. Tuipulotu stitches with Russell who finds Kinghorn. Better from Scotland.
44 min: Slow ball but Wales stack up 10 phases and reach Scotland’s 22. Now it’s flung right where Hamer-Webb runs into contact. It’s very laterl but they’re keeping the ball. Until they don’t. Great steal off the deck by Bayliss who stoops low. A bit one dimensional from Wales.
42 min: Scotland lose another line-out. A poor throw from Cherry. Wales hoof it high and then Steyn drops it. Back to back mistakes from Scotland. Jenkins carries. Wales into Scottish territory.
The players are out.
My word, we have a game on here. Can Wales on hold on? Can Scotland mount a fightback?
Let’s find out together…
Some stats that underline Wales’ dominance:
Carries: 80-59
Turnovers won: 4-2
Possession: 56-44
But, Scotland have bossed a few other metrics. So it’s not as if Wales are running away with it.
So hard to make sense of that. I feel that Wales fully deserve that lead and I feel it flatters them somewhat.
At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, this could be the most important 40 minutes of rugby for Wales for the past four years.
Hard to make sense of that.
Hard to make sense of rugby right now.
Here’s some correspondence:
Alistair Connor: “This is a year for upsets in the Six Nations, and I can’t get enough. I would dearly love for Wales to win today. And if Italy could get a result in París tomorrow, I’d be over the moon. And I ‘m a French national.”
Matthew Dony: “Maybe. Just maybe…”
Alistair Connor, again: “Wales are outrageously dominant on the loose ball. Ferocious in defense. Where have this team been hiding? Welcome back Wales. As for Scotland… when Finn picks up an injury, they’ll look pretty ordinary.”
Half-time: Wales 17-5 Scotland
Dewi Lake gees the crowd as Costelow hoofs the ball off the park.
Wales fully deserve this. Can they hold on. My word, how good is the Six Nations?!
40 min: Wales are holding on by the skin of their teeth. Scotland seem to be breaking the first line of Wales’ defence with every strike play, but the scramble defence is something to see. A kick ahead is covered by Adams who scampers and holds off the attention of van der Merwe. He holds firm long enough to get some help and then the call is for a Welsh scrum. It’s inside their own 22. Get this off the park, that’ll be the message.
38 min: Wales steal a penalty metres from their own line! Mann the hero following a Steyn break that threatened to go all the way. Ruseel recycled to the onrushing Matt Fagerson but Mann was quickly onto the ball after the tackle was made and came up with the steal. Brilliant.
36 min: Scotland overthrow at the line-out inside their own half and Lake snaffles it on the floor. All Wales need to do is show some composure. They don’t. They rush it and eventually concede a penalty which means Scotland now have a line-out about 30 metres from the Welsh line. Remarkable how quickly territory can chage.
35 min: A bit of kick tennis ends with Russell – the coolest man in the stadium – taking a mark inside his own 22. Schoeman is hooked from the front row. That will constitute a moral victory for Wales.
34 min: Scotland come back again Russell leads the charge. It’s all loose though and soon after Wales pinch another turnover on the floor. A box from Williams gets it to halfway.
Penalty! 17-5 Scotland (Costelow, 32)
Wales’ forwards are dominating the tight exchanges! And that is just reward for their grunt. A simple tap over from Costleow opens up a healthy lead.
31 min: No yellow card. But they have the pen bang in front of the poles. Sense prevails and they point to the poles from bang in front.
30 min: Costelow finds Rees-Zammit on the blind run and he makes ground. 12 phases. They’re a metre short. Williams sends it right to Lake. Penalty advantage. Nothing doing so they come back for the advantage but is this a yellow card?
28 min: Penalty on the floor for Wales! Botham over the ball after Wales put Scotland under pressure with a lovely raking kick that compelled them to counter from deep. All going the way. of the home side. My word, is this the day Welsh rugby turned around and held their own again? They have a line-out on Scotland’s 22 after that touch finder.