Kicks off with big win for Wales At a glance

stoppage time to clinch his hattrick, and Nick Tompkins claimed the other after coming off the bench for his debut.

Pivac will also be delighted with keeping Italy scoreless, as the Welsh maintained the strong defence which served them so well under Gatland in his 12-year reign that ended after the recent World Cup in Japan.

‘‘It was a pretty good performance,’’ Pivac said.

‘‘I’m very pleased to have held them scoreless. That doesn’t happen often at this level of the game.’’

In Dublin, a rampant Scotland’s

■ In Cardiff: Wales 42 (Josh Adams 3, Nick Tompkins, George North tries; Dan Biggar 2 conversions, 3 penalties, Leigh Halfpenny 2 conversions), Italy 0. HT: 21-0.

■ In Dublin: Ireland 19 (Jonathan Sexton try, con, 4 pen) Scotland 12 (Adam Hastings 4 pen). HT: 10-6.

awful discipline when it had the tryline in reach allowed Ireland to escape with a 19-12 victory.

Scotland made all the running, but their constant incursions into the Irish 22 produced nothing but frustration and heartbreak.

Turnovers and penalties thwarted the adventurous Scots every time. Their best try chance came while trailing 13-6 in the third quarter. New captain Stuart Hogg, given an overlap in the left corner, only had to place the ball but inexplicably spilled it while he was trying.

‘‘It was a schoolboy error,’’ he said. ‘‘I apologised to the boys and I need to move on. We got ourselves into some good positions after the forwards’ hard work and effort and I’m bitterly disappointed.’’

But coach Gregor Townsend was willing to forgive and ask Hogg to forget. ‘‘It’s not like him,’’ Townsend said.