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Up to date:
Feb 14, 2023
Scotland 35 v 7 Wales
Scotland swatted apart Wales at Murrayfield on Saturday, turning on the type within the second half. It represents a watershed second for Scotland, the primary time they’ve received their opening two Six Nations fixtures. Scotland managed the burden of expectation and rose to the event, it wasn’t a classic efficiency, and there may be actually room for enchancment, however there’s a scientific edge to this Scotland aspect. After an detached first forty, Finn Russell produced a virtuoso efficiency within the second half, demonstrating his immeasurable worth to the aspect, creating two of the tries with moments of particular person brilliance. However Scotland’s effectively runs deeper than Russell, and their backline is filled with threats; not even the early injury-enforced departure of Stuart Hogg blunted their attacking prowess.
The end result ended Scotland’s hoodoo in opposition to Warren Gatland, who, regardless of some small crumbs of consolation, is dealing with a seemingly insurmountable process to return Wales to the place he left them virtually 4 years in the past. Gatland will probably be heartened by the efficiency of his younger forwards, with Dafydd Jenkins and Christ Tshiunza notably spectacular, vindicating his determination to drop a few of his veterans. They competed exhausting within the first half, turning the sport right into a slugfest and getting underneath Scotland’s pores and skin, however they fell away alarmingly within the second half. The identical issues of their defeat in opposition to Eire reared their head, poor self-discipline and an incapacity to transform territory into factors.
After the thrill Eire and France served up earlier within the afternoon, the start of the match felt like a definite comedown, regardless of Murrayfield’s emotionally charged ambiance. It was a scrappy opening, with Russell responsible of overplaying, whereas the Welsh defence confirmed glorious depth, working exhausting to decelerate the Scottish ball. Scotland carved out the primary alternative, their centres combining superbly, Sione Tuipulotu feeding Huw Jones, who flew upfield earlier than being swallowed by the Welsh defence. Russell instantly switched the play with a crossfield kick, however Wales scrambled effectively to snuff out the hazard. A pair of Russell penalties gave Scotland a 6-0 lead, with the Scots edging the early kicking battle. Either side have been making the breakdown right into a dogfight, giving each scrum halves a torrid time.
Wales loved extended spells of possession, however they spent far too many phases going nowhere, with a few of their attacking buildings questionable. Twice that they had alternatives across the Scotland 5 metre line, which they did not capitalise on; they averaged simply 0.5 factors per go to to the 22 because the ghosts of Cardiff returned to hang-out them. It was a case of prolific Scotland versus profligate Wales, as Biggar missed a simple penalty, and Scotland labored their method upfield, George Turner scoring the sport’s first attempt off the again of a maul. Scotland’s maul was a potent weapon all afternoon, with Richie Grey offering a totemic presence within the line out.
Turner almost went from hero to zero after being pinged for a excessive sort out on a dipping George North, however referee Andrew Brace made a superb determination, recognising the mitigation and dispensing only a yellow card. Nevertheless, Wales lastly took benefit of some discipline place, with skipper Ken Owens scoring off the again of a well-controlled maul. Wales appeared to develop in stature in the direction of the tip of the half as the sport grew niggly, as they efficiently disrupted Scotland’s movement, with their again row making some spectacular interventions on the breakdown. Nevertheless, they butchered a golden alternative to attain simply earlier than halftime, Rio Dyer falling to carry on to a falling ball with the road at his mercy. It was a irritating half for Scotland, however they held a slender lead regardless of mountains of Welsh territory.
The second half bought off to a equally scrappy begin, however there have been indicators that Russell was beginning to hit his stride, pegging Wales again with a neat 50/22. Scotland loved a spell of dominance, with George Turner virtually grabbing his second attempt, spilling the ball with the road inside his grasp. Scotland began to get their jet-heeled powerhouse of a wing Duhan Van der Merwe extra concerned, and he started to trigger Wales issues. Wales’s scramble defence was glorious, with Tshiunza, particularly, making a superb cowl sort out on Van der Merwe. Scotland’s stress quickly informed, although, after turning down a possibility of three factors, Russell pulled a rabbit out of his hat, darting for the road earlier than releasing Kyle Steyn with a surprising offload out the aspect door. The attempt swung the momentum firmly in Scotland’s favour.
Wales’s self-discipline began to fall away dramatically, with Liam Williams receiving a yellow card after repeated infringements close to their very own line. Scotland took full benefit, Russell as soon as once more aiding Steyn, this time with a pinpoint crossfield kick. With the sport all however sealed, there was an actual zip to Scotland’s play that Wales struggled to cope with. The Welsh had a quick spell of attacking stress however have been once more repelled by the Scottish defence. Scotland scored their bonus level shortly after, a wonderful group attempt demonstrating the quite a few threats their backline possesses. Russell ran a neat wrap play with Tuipulotu earlier than sending a crossfield kick over to Van der Merwe, who plucked the ball out of the air fantastically, beat Liam Williams and fed Blair Kinghorn, who accelerated to the road.
Wales virtually responded after a superb interval of play the place their forwards carried with some actual depth, however Rhys Carre was held up over the road. Wales’s distress was compounded when Scotland scored their fifth attempt, Matt Fagerson latching on to Russell’s looped move to attain within the nook. Wales’s afternoon was summed up when the clock was within the pink, with substitute Rhys Davies receiving a yellow card.
It was an emphatic victory for Scotland in the long run, displaying a ruthless streak within the second half that bodes effectively for future video games. Finn Russell’s second-half efficiency was excellent, whereas Van der Merwe had one other glorious sport, carrying for 140 metres and beating 9 defenders. Scotland’s again line is nearly as good as anybody’s within the championship, with the standard of their passing and operating traces glorious. Townsend may even be happy with the standard of Scotland’s defence, repelling Wales close to their very own line a number of occasions. It wasn’t an entire efficiency; they have been somewhat sloppy within the first half and maybe too conservative, and so they have been abject at coping with restarts. Scotland face France subsequent, which is able to present a a lot sterner take a look at of their championship credentials, however they need to journey with out concern.
Wales confirmed loads of coronary heart and spirit, however they have been hampered by the identical points we noticed of their defeat in opposition to Eire; poor self-discipline, too many missed tackles, and a scarcity of cutting-edge in assault. Wales conceded 17 penalties, a determine that can by no means be conducive to profitable a rugby match. Nevertheless, the important thing subject for Wales is their toothless assault; that they had important spells of possession and territory but by no means transformed stress into factors. There’s no sense of cohesion to their assault, with forwards usually showing at first receiver, whereas their backs play was desperately clunky at occasions, with the standard of the passing considerably poorer than Scotland’s. It’s extraordinarily troublesome to discern any sense of construction of their assault, which appeared very advert hoc. Wales made only one line break in comparison with Scotland’s ten, and so they should try to get Rio Dyer concerned extra. Wales welcome England subsequent, a sport the place kind usually goes out the window.
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