Six Nations: Wales 27-13 Scotland: Second-half scoring blitz stuns Scots
Rhys Priestland of Wales holds off the challenge Richie Gray. Picture: Getty
WALES moved top of the RBS 6 Nations Championship after they smashed Scotland through a second-half scoring blitz that emphatically underlined their title credentials.
The 2008 champions scored three tries in 13 minutes - two from full-back Leigh Halfpenny, who finished with 22 points - to set up an intriguing Twickenham clash against unbeaten rivals England later this month.
Wales were held 3-3 at the interval, but Scotland could not live with the pace, power and purpose of their opponents during a damaging third quarter as Halfpenny twice and wing Alex Cuthbert touched down in rapid succession.
During that same period, Scotland were briefly - and critically - reduced to 13 men after centre Nick De Luca and full-back Rory Lamont received yellow cards for tackling players without the ball, although they did ultimately manage a first try in five Tests when fly-half Greig Laidlaw crossed.
Laidlaw converted his try and added two penalties on a promising full debut, yet World Cup semi-finalists Wales were in a different class once they hit their straps.
Halfpenny only missed one kick at goal, and Wales have now scored 50 points and six tries in two Six Nations games this term, which suggests England will have their work cut out to prevent them from clinching the Triple Crown.
Wales even prevailed without captain Sam Warburton, who failed a fitness test on his leg injury suffered last weekend, which meant a surprise Test debut for Scarlets flanker Aaron Shingler.
Hampshire-born Shingler, whose brother Steven was named in Scotland’s Six Nations training squad despite eligibility doubts now being probed by the International Rugby Board, rocketed straight into Wales’ starting line-up.
Ryan Jones, meanwhile, equalled Ieuan Evans’ Wales record of 28 Tests as captain, taking over from banned lock Bradley Davies, and key World Cup forwards Gethin Jenkins and Dan Lydiate returned from injury after missing last weekend’s Six Nations opener.
Scotland, without a win at the Millennium Stadium since 2002, handed Laidlaw their number 10 shirt following Dan Parks’ retirement from Test rugby five days ago, and prop Geoff Cross replaced Euan Murray, who does not play on Sundays for religious reasons.
The stadium’s closed roof guaranteed perfect playing conditions, unlike in Rome and Paris yesterday, and both sides looked to play at a searing tempo.
Laidlaw missed an early penalty chance, yet Scotland readily freed strong-running forwards Richie Gray and David Denton, refusing to play second fiddle during a frantic opening.
Scotland enjoyed plenty of possession, helped by a misfiring Welsh lineout, but much of the action was centred around halfway and genuine try-scoring opportunities were at a premium.
Laidlaw kicked a 22nd-minute penalty from close range, and the visitors probably deserved it on the balance of play, with Wales sometimes exercising wrong options.
Halfpenny, retained as first-choice goalkicker following his late heroics in Dublin, drew Wales level 10 minutes before half-time through an effortless strike from 40 metres, but Scotland continued to mix it strongly in all areas.
They should have scored just before the interval, going through 21 phases of play, but possession was knocked on just when it looked as though Wales had run out of defensive numbers.
A team harbouring greater attacking confidence than one that had gone four successive Test matches without scoring a try would undoubtedly have made it count, yet Wales escaped.
The home side suffered a major blow, though, when wing George North limped off nursing an ankle injury, being replaced by James Hook, with Halfpenny taking North’s wing slot.
It was a scrappy, largely patternless opening 40 minutes, and Wales knew they had to move up at least two gears after being held 3-3 by a team largely written off before the start.
Wales coach Warren Gatland clearly gave his team a severe half-time lecture, and it had the desired effect as Scotland unravelled in alarming fashion.
Scrum-half Chris Cusiter made a hash of gathering the kick-off, and Wales pinned Scotland back from an attacking lineout, working the attacking angles until Hook sent Cuthbert galloping over.
Halfpenny converted, and Scotland kept their finger on the self-destruct button when De Luca tackled Davies without the ball and referee Romain Poite yellow-carded him on assistant Simon McDowell’s recommendation.
Laidlaw briefly reduced Scotland’s deficit through his second penalty, but rampant Wales then struck again after more patient attacking play saw Halfpenny score, and then he struck again just five minutes later.
Scotland were at sixes and sevens, and with Halfpenny also kicking 12 points, Wales had done the damage - despite a late yellow card for Jenkins - and they will head to Twickenham in 13 days’ time quietly confident of completing stage three in a possible third Grand Slam season in eight campaigns.
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Comments
There are 88 comments to this article
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Sevendirtywords
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 10:50 AMHaving rewatched the game, with particular focus on the centres, I think Sean Lamont is taking some quite unjustified stick. He breaks the first tackle almost every time and finds his own player with an offload. It's what he's been asked to do and he does it well. Look at his break for the Hogg "try" where he breaks superbly well, sucks in 6 defenders and makes the pass. Fantastic stuff.
donald marr
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 10:32 AMWUN couldn't agree with you more. Sean Lamont gives the side ballast and works very hard.A side has to be balanced and some team suggestions look a little lightweight to me. I've long thought Mike Blair a fine player and or best scrum half. Robinson obviously has good qualities but picking the best players is certainly not one of them,look at the way Hogg and Laidlaw were introduced,virtually by accident. The greatest quality ,alongside inspiring others a manager can have, is an eye for a player and AR does not possess it.
WUN
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 09:34 PMOnto my next point I'd like to bring up - the Scottish centres. I'm not sure why so many people are against Sean Lamont. He does a hell of a lot of work, poses a threat with the ball in hand, is pretty solid in defence, a very good all round player. If Poite hadn't been so odd with his refereeing, Lamont's quick thinking with the tap penalty at the end of the game yesterday could easily have led to a score. Could have made for a very interesting finish as Wales were devoid of ideas in attack and for most of the match just kicked the ball downfield (this seems to be what Gatland wants - no enterprise, just set up to defend then punish a mistake when it comes). De Luca has become a much better player since Robinson has had him at outside centre. I never understood why he was picked at insid centre as he never looked good there for Edinburgh. I see people calling for Scott to be included but I fear he may be the same as De Luca - not a great inside centre but from his performance in the Heineken Cup recently seems to show a lot more promise at outside centre. If he was to be in the backline it should probably be 13 not 12. The modern inside centre has to be a lot more solid than De Luca and Scott, and as far as I can see Scotland's only options are Lamont and Morrison. Back to Cusiter briefly, I just remembered I watched Leck play scrum half for Edinburgh against the Ospreys on Friday and his delivery of the ball to the backs was much sharper than Cusiters, and much more accurate than Blair - is he Scottish? Also, Cusiter's kicking game is abysmal. During the Calcutta Cup game I think he kicked the ball away with poor box kicks three times before Dan Parks put in a bad kick and yet Parks seems to have taken the blame for Scotland's poor start in that game.
WUN
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 08:53 PMAmazingly, Cusiter seems to be escaping without mention of his contribution towrds the loss. For the 2nd week in a row he was the key man in a lot of Scottish problems. He mad the mistake that led to the first try but it was also his wayward pass that led to the sin binnings. Had he held on to the ball or passed to someone and not thin air, Davies never would have hacked the ball on, De Luca wouldn't have been off, and Lamont wouldn't have followed as we (Wales) wouldn't have had the gap to break the length og the field. His pause before passing (with optional sideways running) from almost every breakdown gives opposition defenses extra time to get running and close the gap meaning the Scottish backs have even less time to try and create something. If Scotland truly want to play a running game they cannot afford to have Cusiter hindering them. On the odd occasion when Laidlaw stood in the scrum half position the delivery was much quicker and more accurate. It was the pause before passing that led to the Parks chargedown last week, as it did in the game against Italy a few years ago (when Scotland gifted them 3 tries). That is 3 games I can remember him being the biggest contributor to Scotland losing and that is without thinking too hard about it so I expect there have been more. He is great at certain things but the bad often outweigh the good with him.
Jolly
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 08:41 PMScottish Rugby will be more successful in an independent Scotland
peter58
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 08:05 PMScotland were blown away in the period De Luca was off the pitch sin binned and Lamont's absence meant counter-attacking rugby was out of the question. And yet...Scotland were only genuinely outplayed in the one aspect we all know about - finishing. Fundamentally, I can't see any gaping holes that need filling and selections are not wayward or bizarre (and I include Dan Parks as a valid option). It's not a new back's coach Scotland need but a good shrink or just one individual player (like George North) capable of taking the game by the scruff of the neck and causing wholesale panic when he has the ball. It only needs a modicum of self belief and gallus pride and Scotland can break this depressing cycle.
abselkirk
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 07:12 PMFirst a comment on the ref. Not only does Roberts knock on before NDL yellow card but he then holds NDL back by the jersey to let Davies through . However moving forward we need some ball players in the backs Scott should come in to 12 and if you think Scotland A played well then bring Grove in at 13. He fell out of favour playing outside Parks and Morrison and while I have nothing against either of those players they are not exactly the best at ball distribution. With Strokosh out it is either a chance for Harley or Mcinally or experiment with Kellock in the second row and Grey at 6 If Hines can play there why not Grey.
shrek4
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 05:03 PMIt was so nice to watch scotland actually vary their play in the first half. It was obvious Wales weren't commiting men to the ruck so we switched and played up the middle. Great stuff! Laidlaw isn't a world beater but he can read the game. Unfortunately there are other more experienced internationalist backs who just can't. The 6N is not what we need to focus on now. We need to introduce more players to the scene and focus on a couple of years down the line. We will most definitely have to do very well to get through to the QTR finals of the next RWC so lets work towards that.
LondonReader
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 04:20 PMA much better display by Scotland, and closer than the scoreline suggests. A try that could have been near the end of the first half, and a try that should have been in the second half when a difficult regather was wrongly judged to be knocked on. The forward play was powerful and the introduction of Hogg brought pace and incisiveness. Another step improvement by Scotland and they will be a force again in international rugby.
The Lord
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 02:27 PMJaffa Cake - being smart now are we???? okay i may have misspelt Joe's surname in haste to get the news out to you proles.
The Lord
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 02:26 PMoh Jaffa Cake use your supposed intelligence and knowledge of the game. I am NOT one of the blazeratti and (unfortunately) i am not a current decision maker as such therefore I have no reason whatsoever to apologise although i do agree others should. read the back numbers of this site and you will see the time I announced parks retiral then do the math when it first appeared as breaking news on sky sports and bbc news scotland. Finally i enjoy a laugh but cannot stand football. That is all i am saying - keep up the good work with your TRACKSUIT on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MrJaffa
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 02:23 PM#74...... I really hope we dont play Ansborough.......... I have never even heard of him.......
The Lord
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 02:22 PMits moving quickly today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Subs now decided upon and reasoning. Evans (cover for back 3 - lamont to 15 if injury to hogg) Weir (cover for laidlaw and blair can move laidlaw to 9 if blair injury) Strokosh Beattie (considered fit) Kalman Lawson Scott an other pending training this week but will be a forward running with only 2 back reserves
MrJaffa
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 02:17 PM#73...... brilliant... you are either someone in position of authority or you are not..... If you are...then as one of the blazers you are culpable!! and should be apologising to the fans. If you are not..... then you are a windup merchant who likes to think himself better than others...when you are not................or there is a 3rd option...... you are a true true wind up merchant, that doesnt actually believe what you are saying and are only saying it for a laugh..... a bit like the Hibs fans on the Hearts threads..... or the Hearts fans on the Hibs threads........ in which case....sadly there is little hope for you.
The Lord
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 02:15 PMokay back to some sense and you heard it first from THE LORD. Scotland team to face France 262= Hogg Jones R Lamont Ansborough Morrison Laidlaw Blair __________ Chunk Ford Cross Hamilton Gray Barclay Denton Rennie SUBS TBC. xxxxx to all my followers
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