HARD HITTING VIEW

Doddie Weir may have been the centre of attention for many Scots in Cardiff yesterday, but there was to be no fairytale victory for the big man to celebrate come the final whistle.

Scotland succumbed to a strong, aggressive and street-wise Welsh defence, while at the same time, some poor first-time tackling allowed the home side to score two tries.

It seemed like a step back for Gregor Townsend’s Scotland team, shorn of a number of first-choice players, given it took place outside of the autumn international window.

Those who came into the side failed to meet the high standards required at this level and Scotland made too many mistakes to really merit a victory. Indeed, some aspects of the game were reminiscent of the teams’ meeting in February.

Scotland were bullied at the breakdown – not helped by the way that this aspect of the game was refereed. The offside line seemed to be all but invisible to the officials, which made the rush defence of Wales look even quicker than it actually was.

Notwithstanding that, Scotland did not help themselves.

Their kicking from hand was very ordinary in the first half and the ball carrying was ineffectual until a number of players were replaced late in the second half.

There was no impetus from the back row and, for such an experienced player, Ryan Wilson was all but invisible. Jamie Ritchie worked hard, but does not have the physique or bulk to break through tough defences such as the Welsh, especially given that he was starting five metres behind the gain line.

Simon Berghan and Grant Gilchrist made a difference when they came into the game, as did George Horne, who lived up to his reputation of being a livewire. But Scotland just could not make the most of their possession or territory.

In attack, the Welsh offered little – partly because they did not see as much of the ball as Scotland, but when they were in a position to score, they did not pass it up.

Capitalising on Scotland’s indiscipline, Leigh Halfpenny was as accurate as ever and Huw Jones will have nightmares about tackling George North and Jonathan Davies – or not tackling them, as was the case in Cardiff.

The two tries that Wales scored came from poor Scottish defence and put too much pressure on Scotland to come back from, despite their best efforts.

Next weekend, the Scots will face a very different task when they play Fiji, who defeated them last year on the summer tour. Unconventional and somewhat loose, Fiji cannot be afforded any space and first-time tackling becomes even more important. But, in front of their home crowd, Scotland should prevail.

This seemed like a step back for Gregor Townsend’s team