5 THINGS WE LEARNED

NO MORE HORRENDOUS STARTS

Gregor Townsend should have had his team more fired up and focused from the first whistle. Any top side will struggle to come back from being 14 points down early doors. Why they weren’t up for it should be top of the coach’s post-mortem.

WE HAVE A LACK OF LEADERS

If Stuart Hogg, Finn Russell and John Barclay play well — Scotland play well. Against Wales they didn’t and nobody else stepped up to take their place. There was a lack of leadership in a Scotland team with too many players posted missing.

BACKLINE LACKS CUTTING EDGE

Huw Jones spent the game defending, fellow centre Chris Harris looked out of his depth and wingers Byron McGuigan and Tommy Seymour hardly troubled the Welsh try-line. Scotland had lots of possession but did little with it.

LAIDLAW SHOULD’VE STARTED

Rather than go for a steady start with Greig Laidlaw at the helm Townsend picked Ali Price at nine and asked him to force things but he was not up to the task. Price would have been better suited coming on for Laidlaw once the game had opened out.

DEFENCE NEEDS DISCIPLINE

Matt Taylor’s defensive unit didn’t function and he needs to tighten things up a lot more when Scotland play France at Murrayfield. This was an embarrassment for Taylor after Townsend said defence was his No 1 priority going into the Six Nations.