Match action
SCOTLAND posted a warning to England ahead of their Calcutta Cup meeting at Twickenham in two weeks time that they mean business by ripping this game off Wales with a rousing second-half performance.
In the process of scoring 20 unanswered points after the interval the Scots not only tore up the 2017 Lions selection script with Warren Gatland looking on from the Murrayfield stands, but also did enough to suggest that England will have to be at the top of their game to repel Vern Cotter’s tartan terrors.
The tries by Scotland wings Tommy Seymour and Tim Visser that swung this result decisively towards the home side were both beautifully executed, but Wales played a full part in their own demise because they have a tendency to stand back and admire their own handiwork rather than hammer home their advantages.
There was plenty to admire from the visitors for the first half-hour. With the punishing Welsh defence stopping the Scots carriers in their tracks, with captain Alun-Wyn Jones in the vanguard, and flankers Sam Warburton and Justin Tipuric feasting on turnovers, it looked as if they might have too much muscle for the home pack.
However, in the second half John Barclay, making his debut as Scotland captain in the absence of Greig Laidlaw, was at the forefront of a forward effort that carried an urgency and power in the loose that knocked the Welsh out of their stride.
Alongside him Hamish Watson, who had come on at openside as a replacement for John Hardie, did a passable impression of an angry hornet, stinging the Welsh with turn-overs that were ultimately even more influential than those won by his big-name rivals, Warburton and Tipuric.
Gatland and company will already have taken note of Watson, and if he keeps this up he will force his way into Lions tour contention.
The other main mover and shaker in this Scottish victory was Finn Russell, who was the broadcaster’s man of the match. There was little to argue with that because not only was the Glasgow fly-half ’s goalkicking immaculate, for a seven out of seven return, but his passing had fizzing accuracy when it counted most.
It was Russell who opened the scoring with an early penalty, but there were signs also that in Rhys Webb the Welsh had a pivotal figure who is beginning to get back to his best form.
The scrum-half had the Scottish crowd chewing their fingernails when his dummy was bought by Gordon Reid and he cut deep into the home 22 before a penalty was given which saw Leigh Halfpenny level the account at 3-3.
Midway through the first half Wales were beginning to gather momentum with Warburton making his presence felt and Webb probing around the fringes. It was the Welsh scrum-half ’s quick tap penalty from a scrum free-kick which caught the Scots on the hop, and crisp passing down the line saw Scott Williams’ long pass find Halfpenny. This gave the full-back the chance to attract two defenders before giving Liam Williams the beating of Stuart Hogg to score in the corner.
With Halfpenny converting from the touchline Wales led 10-3, and just after the restart they should have scored again when Webb made a darting blindside break to send Liam Williams racing into the Scottish 22. However, the Welsh scrum-half spoiled his own handiwork with a tug on Seymour’s jersey which gave Scotland a penalty, and much-needed breathing space.
An exchange of penalties between Russell and Halfpenny around the halfhour made it 13-6, and with Wales winning the battle of the breakdown they had the chance to take a ten point lead four minutes before the interval.
However, no sooner had the Wales full-back missed the target than a a Scottish counter-attack launched by a sensational short grubber by Hogg ended with Huw Jones being cut down just short by Tipuric’s back-tracking tackle.
The Scots did not go away empty-handed because a Russell penalty on the stroke of half-time cut the deficit to 13-9, meaning that Wales were in their sights despite a
disappointing first 40 minutes. The Scottish transformation in the opening minutes of the second half was so complete in terms of territory and possession that they took the game by the scruff of the neck.
A multiphase attack saw Russell link with Hogg, and with a dummy run by Huw Jones sowing seeds of confusion, the full-back’s delayed pass to Visser saw him put Seymour clear.
He still had work to do to ground the ball, doing just enough to prevent a strong Scott Williams tackle forcing him into touch.
Russell’s touchline conversion gave Scotland a 16-13 lead, but Wales came close to score of their own when Jonathan Davies made a clean break before passing off his back to Webb – but, with the line open, he was unable to hold it.
With half an hour remaining Alun Wyn Jones opted to kick for the corner rather than give Halfpenny the chance to level the score by kicking for the posts, but the gamble backfired when Wales obstructed as they tried to pile their backs into the line-out drive.
By contrast, the Scots trusted in Russell’s boot and were rewarded when, after a break by the lively Ali Price, he punished a Welsh breakdown infringement to make it 19-13.
Wales had one more shot at redemption when their scrum – which had consistently put the Scottish pack under pressure – forced an uncontrolled strike to squirt out of the side.
Webb was on it in a flash, but Visser’s cover tackle knocked him into touch, with the TMO ruling it out.
With 15 minutes left to play Scotland launched an all-out assault, and with the Gray brothers, Zander Fagerson, Barclay, and replacement scrum-half Henry Pyrgos making the inroads Wales were on the rack.
When Russell fired a a flat torpedo pass to Hogg the full-back added a further touch of class with a one-movement short pass which saw Visser scoot past George North to score.
With Russell nailing the touchline conversion and then adding a late penalty the Scots had the game in the bag – and where the home side took almost all their scoring chances Wales were left to reflect on the ones they let slip away.