DAVID SOLE
Scotland came into their second match of the Six Nations Championship as hot favourites after their systematic demolition of England last weekend, but it was a tag the Dark Blues rarely enjoy.
Reduced to 14 men for the final quarter of the match, Scotland lost their shape and Wales, buoyed by a couple of great tries, were able to close out the match and emerge victorious.
Despite a bright start by the visitors, Scotland began to assert themselves. Darcy Graham scored a wonderful try, coming into the line on a great angle to collect a beautiful chip by Ali Price. When Stuart Hogg also scored following up another chip, most Scottish fans would have imagined that normal service had been resumed. Despite conceding a try just before half-time, Scotland went into the break 17-8 ahead and in charge of the game, but there were a few twists still to come.
Zander Fagerson found himself falling foul of the referee after making contact with the head of one of the Welsh props at a ruck. Like Peter O’mahoney last weekend, he was sent off. Perhaps the decision was a little harsh, but Fagerson did connect with the head and that was enough to earn him a red card.
Bizarrely, when Scotland needed to find a prop for a scrum, instead
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Scotland went into the break 17-8 ahead and in charge
of taking off a back row player, Townsend decided to take off Graham who had been one of Scotland’s most threatening players all afternoon.
It left them exposed out wide and vulnerable to the exceptional pace in the Welsh back three – which gave Wales an enormous psychological lift. It was an extraordinary decision and one that the coach may well rue for some time.
Scotland were not as good as seven days before. While their tactical kicking was very good for most of the game, their discipline was very poor. They conceded three penalties early in the game and it was an issue for them all day.
The lineout, which had been such a strength last weekend, failed to dominate in the same way although the scrum and defence seemed solid enough – at least until Fagerson departed.
It was a very disappointing result for Townsend’s Scotland team. After the euphoria of last weekend, many including myself, felt the Triple Crown was within their grasp – having defeated England away from home they had done the hardest work – Wales and Ireland should have been less challenging at home. But lose your shape and lose your discipline and teams will take full advantage.
When the dust settles, Scotland will recognise that they only have themselves to blame. It is a bitter pill to swallow and Scotland have blown a golden opportunity for a Triple Crown.
After last weekend, it is a salutary lesson to have to learn.
“It’s a really good tie for us. It will be tough but we are ready.
“We’ll welcome Kemar Roofe and Alfredo Morelos back into the group.
“It will be a nice break away from the league and we will give everything we have got to try and set it up for the second leg.
“We’ll do our best to go further than we did in Europe last season.
“We are going to try and attack every game that’s in front of us.
“I’ve watched a few Antwerp games but I’m going to watch an awful lot more between now and Thursday.
“They are flying high in the league. They are second in a strong league for a reason.
“My respect is there for them but we really want to embrace these two games and give it everything to get into the last 16.
“I want the boys to be excited, I want them to bounce over to Belgium and give their best.”
While Rangers move forward with optimism, things aren’t so cheery at Kilmarnock.
The defeat at Ibrox was their seventh in a row.
New boss Tommy Wright, who didn’t include new signing Kyle Lafferty, said: “I don’t think we had a shot on target, so that is something that has got to improve.
“I was disappointed at the goal on two points.
“One, we should clear our lines better and two, it was hand ball, after the header it hits a Rangers player’s hand.
“The official should see that.
“It was a great finish from Jack, we can’t do much about that.”
Wright had another quibble about the refereeing. Whitehall went down under a challenge from Balogun late on and claimed for a penalty.
The manager said: “It was just outside the box.
“Somehow he has got the right decision but he has told our players that it was a foul and not a penalty.
“I am still trying to work that one out.”