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:
The players are back out there
40 minutes of a huge clash remain. Dan Sheehan is still out there, by the way - Ronan Kelleher’s evening was ended prematurely by injury.
H/T: France 19-7 Ireland
France have really attacked the inside channels so far, bringing forward runners in from wider to try and challenge Joey Carbery and Bundee Aki particularly. A combined 17 tackles for the pair in that first half, but they have mostly stood up well to the heavy charges. Can they do more in an attacking sense? A little bit more lineout surety would be welcomed by both sides - we haven’t seen too much of Ireland’s impressive structures that have been the framework for this winning run.
H/T: France 19-7 Ireland
Well that first half certainly lived up to this fixture’s lofty billing. It started at a frantic, frightening pace, with France’s fast start answered by Mack Hansen’s opportunistic retort from the restart. The tempo has settled a little since then, but this has still been a game played at startling speed.
And France have started to just assert themselves. Their scrum looks strong, Antoine Dupont has been electric and all of their ball-carriers are hitting their line with both precision and intensity. Ireland’s defence has largely stood up to the test, but fatigue will surely play a role after such a frenzied opening.
PENALTY! FRANCE 19-7 Ireland (Melvyn Jaminet penalty, 40 minutes)
Five from five from the tee for Melvyn Jaminet. That’ll do us for the first half.
France 16-7 Ireland, 38 minutes
Cyril Baille and Uini Atonio each turn the screw on their Irish opposite at the scrum. Andrew Porter turns in under the strain - Atonio and Paul Willemse really is a ridiculous combination of burly blokes to pile the pressure on the loosehead.
Antoine Dupont twice threatens to turn a fissure into something more serious for Ireland, possessing such power in that compact frame, but a timely intervention from Bundee Aki means France will settle for three more points.
France 16-7 Ireland, 37 minutes
Antoine Dupont’s first attempt to box kick a clearance is blocked by Tadhg Beirne, but his second is cleared for takeoff and lands in the hands of Hugo Keenan. Keenan kicks powerfully back towards Dupont, clearing the scrum-half, but he’s over-cooked that - it tumbles beyond the dead ball line and France will have the scrum feed in the Ireland half.
PENALTY! FRANCE 16-7 Ireland (Melvyn Jaminet penalty, 36 minutes)
Melvyn Jaminet extends the home side’s lead.
France 13-7 Ireland, 34 minutes
Brilliant from France. Antoine Dupont throws an obscene pass from the base of a ruck to cut out three Ireland defenders and find Damian Penaud, a gorgeously lithe runner who strides beyond Jamison Gibson-Park. The winger’s blind offload out the side door if beautiful, and Yoram Moefana stays infield with a driven angle back against the grain.
A retreating Ireland are penalised.
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