Scotland pulled off a dramatic comeback win against Wales to back up their impressive Calcutta Cup success the previous week. Hosts Wales had the lead until the 74th minute, leaving the visitors with a feeling that they were lucky to come away with five points, which sent them to the top of the Six Nations table.
This was just the third time Scotland have won the match directly after a victory over rivals England in the Six Nations. Their second-half resurgence came at the hands of maverick fly-half Finn Russell, who was largely quiet in the first 40 minutes but then either scored or created two fast-paced tries to set Scotland on the comeback path.
Wales’s revitalised performance was a step in the right direction after defeats to England and France, but they were left with a gut-wrenching loss. Head coach Steve Tandy said injuries to Sam Costelow and Taine Plumtree “don’t look great”, while captain Dewi Lake admitted: “We have spoken a lot about staying in moments and we probably didn’t do that for the full 80.”
A healthy attendance of 70,649 saw Wales take control early after a yellow card to Joe Hawkins. Rhys Carré’s try put them ahead, and despite a Kyle Steyn response for Scotland, Wales led 17-5 at half-time. Gregor Townsend made two first-half changes as his side struggled.
Wales continued to dominate early in the second half, but Russell’s try gave Scotland a lifeline before an imaginative play from a restart put Darcy Graham through. A tight affair ensued with excellent defence from the hosts, but replacement George Turner’s try decided the game.
Wales earned their first point of the competition and will have the fallow week to prepare for Ireland. Scotland will hope their winning momentum continues against France.
