Wily Warren has too much know-how for reckless Scots
THE Scarlets experiment worked a treat as Wales opened their Six Nations account in scorching style with a four-try bonus point win over an errorriddled Scottish outfit in Cardiff, with 24point hero Leigh Halfpenny leading the charge.
As the Scarlets contingent of Halfpenny – who scored two tries and goalkicked flawlessly – Gareth Davies and Steff Evans filleted the strongly fancied Scots with scalpel-like finishing, scoring all the Welsh points, the visitors played into Wales coach Warren Gatland’s hands.
Gregor Townsend’s team made the costly mistake of confusing high tempo rugby with the headless chicken version, and paid a heavy price. With both sides going into the match with extensive injury lists Gatland gambled on fielding ten Scarlets in his starting line-up, and in the process proved again that he is one of the wiliest coaches in world rugby.
Gatland’s deployment of the Scarlets crew flying high in the European Cup under the tutelage of fellow Kiwi Wayne Pivac, and adding a few Shaun Edwards defensive tweaks before hitching them to the Welsh cause, proved a master stroke.
By contrast Townsend’s desire to run the Welsh off their feet by playing at a pace they could not handle proved wishful thinking. It was a harsh lesson for the new Scottish coach, with the overriding message that going into international rugby without a solid plan B is suicidal.
The way that Wales refused to be fazed by a blistering series of Scottish attacks in the opening minutes posted warning that the home defence was stacked with players who were as resolute as they were confident.
The spadework for this victory was the Welsh linespeed and limpet-like tackling which invariably nailed the ball-carrier. Scott Williams and Hadleigh Parkes were conspicuous throughout in shutting the midfield gates on Finn Russell and Huw Jones, and Aaron Shingler, Gareth Davies, Josh Navidi and Rhys Patchell compounded the pressure by harrying the Scots halfbacks mercilessly.
It paid a match-turning early dividend when Ali Price’s pass to Jon Welsh from a ruck was read all the way by Davies, and when the Scarlets scrumhalf picked it off on his own ten metre line his blistering pace did the rest as he held off Chris Harris in the long run-in.
When Halfpenny rewarded the interception by converting from wide out to make it 7-0 with only six minutes played Wales smelt blood.
They should have scored again almost immediately when Shingler was put clean through by Patchell, and as the rangy blindside got into his ground-eating stride a flowing move saw him link with Cory Hill, with the ball then moved to Rob Evans and Alun Wyn Jones. By that stage the Welsh captain was only a few metres out from the posts, but he passed too late and what should have been an easy run-in for Steff Evans went begging as a Scottish cover tackle came in and the ball ended up at off-beam and ankle height.
However, the Welsh refused to let the Scots off the hook and, after the ball was recycled from a Patchell tilt for the line, the impressive Hill found Williams, and his long scoring pass saw Halfpenny crash through for his first Test try in 38 matches.
The full-back’s conversion gave Wales a 14-0 lead, and after just 12 minutes the Scots were shellshocked. Their response was to attempt to play at warp-speed, with Russell’s attempts to get his backline moving becoming increasingly speculative. As Scottish passes missed their targets, went to ground, or saw the receiver collect two Welsh tacklers at the same time as the ball, Scotland seemed bereft of ideas.
Their lack of thrust was laid bare when they forced a 5 metre scrum five minutes from the interval thanks to a Huw Jones chip-andchase trapping Halfpenny in his own in-goal. Although their scrummaging Achilles heel was not exposed, the movement of the ball from the base was so predictable that Harris was swamped as soon as the ball reached him.
Result? Wales scrum, line cleared with Parkes kicking it from one 22 to the other, and Wales deservedly preserving a handy halftime lead. When a Steff Evans incursion early in the second-half tempted John Barclay to handle in a ruck, Halfpenny’s penalty stretched the lead to 17-0.
Barclay’s frustration was compounded when he lost out in a more marginal breakdown call a few minutes later, with Halfpenny on target again to give Wales a 20-0 lead that left the Scots with a mountain they never looked like climbing.
With the hymns and arias cascading down from the stands it was a matter of when Wales would score rather than if. Just before the hour Patchell, displaying a control that eluded Russell, created the pressure point by chasing his own grubber and bundling
Greig Laidlaw into touch deep in the Scots’ 22.
From the line-out Wales moved the ball infield before a strong run for the line by Patchell drew enough Scottish defenders to leave an overlap, and when the ball was moved from the ruck a Steff Evans tip-on saw Halfpenny cross unopposed for his brace.
Halfpenny’s conversion made it 27-0, but Wales were not done.
A brilliant pick up off his toes by replacement loose-head Wyn Jones saw him cross the line before it was ruled as held-up by the TMO, and another chance went west when Gareth Anscombe spilled an Alun Wyn Jones pass.
However, Welsh joy was made complete and Scottish misery compounded when Steff Evans dived to score a brilliant onehanded touchdown with eight minutes remaining.
However, it should have been disallowed. While there was nothing amiss with the breach made by the all-action Shingler, the scoring pass from Parkes to Evans clearly went forward.
The Scots eventually got on the scoreboard two minutes from time when Peter Horne nipped through poor Welsh ruck defence.
It was the only blemish on an otherwise outstanding defensive effort – and, with their trip to Twickenham on the near horizon, England have been given a clear warning that Wales will arrive with confidence in their ability to chop down the champions.