Price right for Dark Blues to end long wait for victory

Six nations: Scots will travel in more than hope

win without Laidlaw is all the more impressive. The Gloucester man’s role as scrum half, goal-kicker and tactician left head coach Vern Cotter with three problems to solve in his absence.

Price took on the nine shirt, while stand off Finn Russell proved himself just as reliable with the boot, slotting over seven successful kicks from seven attempts.

But the team took a collective approach to decision-making and it paid dividends as Scotland responded to a flat performance during the opening 40 minutes with a second-half display full of bravado, capped off by two magnificent scores from Tommy Seymour and Tim Visser.

“We’re all incredibly happy,” said Price after making his first Test start. “That’s the first time we’ve won in 10 years against Wales so everyone is delighted, especially with how we came out in the second half.

“We were four points down at half time, but we always knew if we played our game we could come out on top.

“I didn’t feel much pressure replacing Greig. As a nine I play quite an important role in the team anyway. Nine gets the most touches in a game at scrum half. I’ve been given full confidence from the coaches just to go out there and play my game.

“I’m not Greig, so I was told not to try to play like Greig, just to go out there and play my own game. Having Finn playing outside me, we play together at Glasgow, helped a lot.

“There were a number of players in training making themselves heard – Ryan Wilson, John Barclay as captain, Jonny and Richie Gray, Finn, Stuart Hogg, while Alex Dunbar leads our defence at 12 – everyone needed to step up and bring more leadership to the party and I felt like we did that.”

The Welsh kicked-off with a starting XV containing 300 more caps than the Scots.

But Cotter’s team gave another indication of the strides they are making by refusing to panic when Rob Howley’s visitors threatened to runaway during the early contests.

And Price believes this Dark Blues squad will get even better with age.

“That’s was only my third appearances but there are players such as Finn who is up to mid-20s now or early-30s in terms of caps,” he said.

“Jonny’s around the 30 mark, the back row are getting on for 20 to 30 caps. That whole wave of people are all now a lot more experienced and have been in that position before. The more experience we get the better at handling those situations we’ll become.

“I’m constantly learning – I’m not going to make a break or a half-break off every phase of play. I’ve got to pick my moment.

“On Saturday, we had to show patience. In the end we started to get a lot more space, especially out wide. Hoggy and our two wingers did incredibly well.

“It’s something I’m learning. I’ve been in that situation before and it’s not about trying to win the game in the first 20 minutes. It’s not going to happen.”

“We’ll prepare well and we’ll go down there knowing if we play how we can play, and play to our game plan, then we’ll leave there with a win”