Wales vs Scotland LIVE: Six Nations rugby result and score after Russell yellow card and Biggar drop-goal
Wales 20-17 Scotland: Follow live reaction as the hosts edged a Six Nations thriller in Cardiff to dent the visitors’ title hopes
Follow live reaction from the Six Nations as Wales defeated Scotland in a thrilling match in Cardiff to put a dent in the visitors’ title ambitions. The Scots arrived buoyed their opening win over England but were edged by a Wales side who were in need of a response following their heavy defeat to Ireland last weekend.
The match turned in the closing stages as Finn Russell was shown a yellow for a deliberate knock-on as Wales pushed for a winning try, with Dan Biggar opting for a drop-goal to move Wales into a 20-17 lead. Scotland, who were pushing for rare back-to-back wins to open the Six Nations, could not strike back as Wales ensured that they returned to winning ways in front of their own fans.
In the first half, Biggar kicked Wales into an early lead before Darcy Graham scored the opening try of the match as he finished in the corner from a Russell pass. Russell extended Scotland’s lead from the tee before Biggar cut the lead and then Tomas Francis powered over from a Wales lineout to level the scores at the break. There was little to separate the teams and it remained close after half-time, with Russell and Biggar exchanges penalties to set up a nervy finish at the Principality Stadium.
The crucial spell of the match came after Biggar’s long penalty effort hit the post and Wales stayed on the attack. Alex Cuthbert had a try in the corner overturned by the TMO before Russell’s yellow card was followed by Biggar’s drop-goal to seal a result that sets up a huge clash between France and Ireland later in the day in Paris.
Follow all the reaction from the Principality Stadium in the live blog below:
Wayne Pivac ahead of kick-off
“We need a reaction. We need to improve across the board. It all starts for us here this afternoon - what better place to get it right.”
On what his two opensides in the back row should bring: “We should get a bit of pace, high energy, a lot of involvements. We’ve got to make sure with this Scotland team that they don’t get a free ride, slow the ball down and if not pilfer some of it.
”We’ve just talked as a team about Dan and Jonathan who are playing their 100th test today, what it takes to play 100 matches. It means a lot. Those two guys are very influential on this group of players.”
Gregor Townsend speaks to the BBC
“We are ready for this challenge. We know what the Welsh team are like playing at home with this amazing crowd here. We’ve had experiences away from home at Twickenham and in Paris and we just need to play as well as we did in those games.
“I’m not sure the level of expectation is what is said - a lot of people are focussing on Ireland and France. We know we can be much better than last week. We showed resilience and skill in that second half but we need an 80 minute performance today, and there are a few things we can improve - we probably didn’t get Finn Russell and our backline the ball in the first half.”
The Doddie Weir Cup
Wales and Scotland will, as they have every time since 2018, contest the Doddie Weir Cup today, a fitting prize for a fixture to which the great Scottish lock contributed plenty. A group of bike riders, led by fellow former Scotland captain Rob Wainwright, have cycled the 500 miles down from Murrayfield to arrive at the Principality Stadium with the trophy in good time ahead of kick-off, a remarkable feat of endurance and all in aid of Weir’s foundation which continues to strive for a cure for Motor Neurone Disease and support fellow sufferers.
Player to Watch – Alex Cuthbert
There aren’t too many wings with the sort of physical profile to match Scotland’s Duhan van der Merwe, but Alex Cuthbert is one, and finds himself back in a Welsh Six Nations starting side for the first time in five years. Both sides have a wing partnership of thunder and lightning – the encounters between both Cuthbert and van der Merwe and Louis Rees-Zammit and Darcy Graham should excite.
Owen Lane can probably count himself unfortunate to not be rewarded for some strong form but Cuthbert rediscovered himself towards the back end of last season after muddling through some middling Exeter form, and has fought hard to get back in contention. Now available to Wayne Pivac after joining the Ospreys, a player of such obvious talents will hope to take his chance.
Player to Watch – Sione Tuipulotu
Also making a first Six Nations start after an autumn debut is Sione Tuipulotu. It is a bold selection call: Sam Johnson did little wrong last week and has struck up a partnership of real understanding with Chris Harris. Tuipulotu is probably a more complete attacker, but his best performances for Glasgow have tended to come at outside centre. Given the extent to which cohesion and connection are keys to Steve Tandy’s impressive defensive unit, Wales will surely look to test the new Scottish midfield.
“He is a very creative player, we love that about him,” said Gregor Townsend of Tuipulotu this week. “He is very loud in attack and defence on the training field but he can bring others into play.
“He has also got his own running game, which he showed for Glasgow over the last few weeks. So all those things are going to be important, defence is probably going to be the number one. When you come into our side and you come into our midfield, you know you have to defend very well. That is something he has been doing really well in training.”
Player to Watch – Pierre Schoeman
In come the Edinburgh heavies to the Scottish front row, with Pierre Schoeman, Stuart McInally and WP Nel afforded a starting opportunity. They are probably, marginally, Scotland’s most in-form scrummaging unit, bring a South African accented edge in the set-piece.
This will be a first Six Nations start for Schoeman, who qualified for his adopted nation in the autumn, a physical ball-carrier with real scrummaging skill. Nel and Schoeman had a real impact against England from the bench but there is certainly logic to having the pair in from the start to combat a Welsh scrum that caused Ireland some issues last Saturday.
Player to Watch – Jac Morgan
Oh look – Wales have unearthed another back-row of real talent. Jac Morgan has been another star of the revamped URC, a summer move to the Ospreys accelerating the development of a player who has long looked likely to step up to this stage. Shorter than most back-rowers, Morgan is tough and nuggety through contact and a breakdown menace, with a staggering workrate. He is up against an outstanding, and not necessarily dissimilar, operator in Hamish Watson, but Morgan has the game for test rugby.
His combination with his back-row comrades will be key. Taine Basham feels like an unnatural fit on the blindside but Morgan’s presence may allow him greater opportunities to carry in spaces open and tight, and Ross Moriarty will need to add a physical edge. The suggestion is that the openside has the sort of character to become a potential future leader of Wales - captain Morgan, if you will – and he will have to show those qualities as Wales seek solace in the sanctity of home after a week of soul-searching.
100 up for Dan Biggar and Jonathan Davies
The fact that caps for the British and Irish Lions count towards a player’s overall tally can sometimes cause issues for those close to particular milestones - Owen Farrell seemed rather bemused in the autumn when told that he was celebrating his 100th cap, sitting, as he was, six off that mark in England white.
But the combined tallies of Dan Biggar and Jonathan Davies will both tick over the century mark this afternoon, a proud moment for two great servants who will have to be key leaders if Wales are to bounce back.
‘Improvement across the board’ is the goal for Wayne Pivac and his Wales players
Wales are looking to extend dominance in Cardiff against Scotland..
Team News – Scotland
With Gregor Townsend keen not to rest on his laurels after victory over England, it is a Scotland side showing five changes that is tasked with winning in Cardiff for the first time in 20 years.
One is enforced: Jamie Ritchie has had surgery on his hamstring and is expected to miss the remainder of the tournament. Sam Skinner will provide a different skillset on the blindside, though should ensure Scotland lose little at the lineout.
The most intriguing alterations, perhaps, come in the front row, where the Edinburgh trio of Pierre Schoeman, Stuart McInally and WP Nel are tasked with anchoring the scrum from the start; a pair of Lions props and George Turner are held in reserve with Townsend hoping they can replicate the impact of the Springboks’ “Bomb Squad” if required. The other change is in midfield, where Sione Tuipulotu, an intelligent, rounded centre with plenty of attacking potential, makes his first Six Nations start.
Catching the eye among the substitutes is Glasgow tyro Rory Darge, one of the breakout stars of the inaugural season of the United Rugby Championship. Dynamite in the open field and devilish at the breakdown, the 21-year-old flanker is a potential superstar. Alongside him on the bench is Cameron Redpath, back amongst things in a Scottish shirt after missing most of 2021 due to injury.
Scotland: Hogg (c); Graham, Harris, Tuipulotu, Van der Merwe; Russell, Price; Schoeman, McInally, Nel, Gray, Gilchrist, Skinner, Watson, M Fagerson.
Replacements: Turner, Sutherland, Z Fagerson, Bradbury, Darge, White, Kinghorn, Redpath.
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