Wily Wales leave Scotland at the starting block

Momentum is all in the Six Nations and, while Scotland have plenty of the stuff, the direction of travel is less than ideal. Warren Gatland has yet to lose to Scotland (Rob Howley was in charge of Wales last year) and that statistic tells you everything you need to know about Scottish rugby in the modern era. Gatland has coached Wales since 2007.

Scotland players look dejected as they wait for Leigh Halfpenny to slot over another conversion. Picture: Ian Rutherford

Scotland actually looked good in the opening exchanges and it is an interesting bit of “what if” history to speculate what might have ensued had Jonny Gray’s magnificent run in those opening minutes resulted in an early try for Scotland. Instead, the home side grabbed the initiative with two early touch downs.

Gareth Davies got the scoreboard turning as early as the fifth minute with an interception of Ali Price’s pass. Nine minutes later, the Scotland scrum-half was again at fault when his squint feed gave Wales an attacking scrum and two phases
was all it took for the Scottish defence to collapse like a sand castle
at high tide, Leigh Halfpenny the beneficiary.

“Obviously the two tries we conceded were very disappointing,” Gregor Townsend said, not looking for an argument. “Obviously, when you concede an intercept try, it was an unusual sort of try, nine intercepting nine’s pass. We probably weren’t in position quick enough. It was well read by Gareth Davies, but that can be a bit of a blow when you’ve got possession.

“We’d shown in the first few minutes, when Jonny Gray made a line break and we had a couple of opportunities in the 22, that when we were accurate, when we got to two or three phases when there was spaces in the defence, it was an energy-sapping opening for both teams and that’s why I think there were holes in either team’s defence. But to come away seven points down and then the next try was tough. It’s always tough playing away from home, but even more so when you’re 14-nil down.”

After those twin body blows, the Scots came out swinging as you would hope. They enjoyed oodles of territory and possession but failed to land a meaningful punch through a combination of elementary errors and some tenacious Welsh defence.

The Scots emerged from the half-time sheds just two tries down but they tried to play far too much rugby inside their own 22 and Wales made them pay. If the match was not decided at 14-0, it was after Halfpenny, perfect off the tee, slotted two penalties early in the second half to make it 20-0.

“That was really disappointing, because I felt there was real determination from the players to go out in the second half and show who we were,” Townsend continued.

“But to be caught in our 22 playing phases that weren’t really on and then to come away three points further down was disappointing for everyone.

“You want to show some sort of response at the beginning of the second half. Whether it’s through actions, whether it’s through three points, or seven points, the momentum kept on with Wales and from that they got more and more confident.”

There were few crumbs of comfort for the Scots but Jon Welsh and Gordon Reid held the set scrum up admirably, while there was plenty of endeavour from Stuart McInally on ball-carrying duty and Hamish Watson in defence, even if the flanker, along with the rest of his team-mates, was overwhelmed in a second half dominated by the home side.

The Scots were far too narrow in defence with the Welsh quick men finding themselves marked by front-row forwards which is sure to put a spring in your step. A case in point is when McInally was the widest Scot on the left side of the Scots line with three Welsh backs standing outside the Scottish hooker.

If the defence was too narrow, the Scottish attack was far, far too lateral. The ball went left, the ball went right and the Welsh drifted one way and then the other to snuff out the danger. It was all far too easy. Finn Russell probed and Stuart Hogg threatened without ever shaking those red-shirted shackles.

Wales scored two more tries in the closing quarter. Halfpenny grabbing his second, and Wales’ third, on the hour mark and Steff Evans made amends for dropping a scoring pass in the first half by scoring a scorcher in the left- hand corner eight minutes from time.

Peter Horne’s consolation try came six minutes later and after 16 phases of play, the longest the Scots had held on to the ball all afternoon.