Six Nations 2015: Wales bounce back to leave Scotland without a win

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/feb/15/soctland-wales-six-nations-match-report

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Wales kept their Six Nations championship hopes alive, if only just, breaking Scottish hearts in the process and denying them only a second win in 12 years. But it was close, the replacement prop Jon Welsh squeezing over in the final minute to halve the Welsh lead.

Unfortunately for the Scots it was too little and too late. Four seconds after Finn Russell had landed the conversion Glenn Jackson blew for full time to a chorus of boos from a packed crowd, the referee having deemed there was not time for the kick-off.

The exasperation was understandable. After seven consecutive defeats at Welsh hands Scotland had had the chance of a rare victory snatched away. “I wasn’t going to complain when they blew the final whistle,” said the Wales captain, Sam Warburton, while the Scotland coach, Vern Cotter, initially said he would not discuss the matter and then did just that, highlighting 12 minutes at the end when Welsh indiscipline earned only penalties.

“There are a lot of things we don’t have control of and I’m not going to waste energy talking about things which aren’t going to change the result,” said the New Zealander before adding, “but there were three penalties in the 22 in the last few minutes and some of those might have been cynical and been worth a yellow card, but obviously not.” Cotter said Test coaches were constantly in communication about referee performance, which yesterday included the award of two yellow cards. “We’ll try to send something through to help them,” he added.

Wales go to France next, while Scotland entertain Italy for what could, yet again, become the tussle to avoid the wooden spoon when their season started so optimistically. This performance was an improvement on the defeat in Paris and once again their backs caught the eye, Stuart Hogg scoring a scything 60-metre try, while the Scotland captain, Greig Laidlaw, was at his niggling best, chivvying the forwards as well as landing all five of his kicks at goal.

The first half was frantic and as interesting for two yellow cards as two breakaway tries. First Hogg scored once Russell had stripped the ball from the giant Cardiff wing Alex Cuthbert. The Glasgow full-back left Richard Hibbard in his wake while making the conversion a certainty for Laidlaw.

Wales then scored a try of their own, Leigh Halfpenny knocking the ball loose in the shadow of his own posts before Liam Williams scampered 50 metres. The wing, playing in place of the concussed George North, then released Rhys Webb, the Ospreys scrum-half juggling but getting home.

By the time Halfpenny converted Russell was in the sin-bin for upending Dan Biggar in mid-air. It was one of those incidents where the powers that be ordain a yellow although no malice was involved and Russell suffered more from being unable to get out of the way of the flying Biggar. Gatland saw it as a red card but admitted “that’s from a Welsh perspective”.

Five minutes later Wales were also down to 14 when Jonathan Davies collided with Johnnie Beattie and, after consulting the busy TMO, Simon McDowell of Ireland, Jackson again decided he had no option but to show the yellow.

It took the edge off a half which had started with a buzz around Murrayfield, the crowd on its feet to welcome both teams and in turn rewarded by two sets of players determined to entertain from the off. By the interval 26 points had been scored, 16 of them by Wales, who looked to have shaken off their Cardiff blues.

The second half started with a mid-air clash of heads – but no penalty or card – between Hogg and Jamie Roberts and a couple of penalties for Laidlaw to one from Halfpenny which upped the ante even before Jackson found himself with another difficult decision.

Wales had rolled their driving maul right, leaving a gap down the left through which Williams darted. The visitors celebrated while Scotland pointed to a bit of obstruction from the Welsh engine room of Jake Ball and Alun Wyn Jones. Jackson and McDowell sided with the Scots and a few minutes later Halfpenny also spared them and increased the tension by failing for the first time with a penalty attempt.

However, the turning point was just about to come. Wales kept up their pressure and, when Biggar found Davies in front of the posts, the Clermont centre had the wit and the sidestep to leave Hogg for dead and go over under the posts.

Scotland were not dead. Of course not, but 10 points in 17 minutes was a big ask. Alex Dunbar broke but ran out of support, Laidlaw was toppled under the posts, Rob Harley dropped the ball, Jonny Gray twice launched himself and Mark Bennett was convinced he had got home, but somehow the Welsh line survived a 12-minute battering until Welsh finally squeezed over. Too little too late and disagreement to the end. “Alun Wyn says it wasn’t a try because he was under the ball,” said Gatland, although he did concede that Scotland under Cotter were tough to put down. “Vern has brought a little of that Kiwi mentally,” he said of his compatriot.

Scotland Hogg; Lamont, Dunbar, Bennett (Scott 58), Visser; Russell, Laidlaw (capt; Hidalgo-Clyne 71); Dickinson (Reid 61, Dickinson 64), Ford (Brown 71) Cross (Welsh 49), R Gray (Hamilton 56), J Gray, Harley, Cowan, Beattie (Strokosch 58).

Tries Hogg, Hamilton. Cons Laidlaw, Russell. Pens Laidlaw 3. Sin-bin Russell 32.

Wales Halfpenny; Cuthbert, Davies, Roberts, Williams; Biggar, Webb (Phillips 74); Jenkins, Hibbard, Jarvis (Andrews 61), Ball (Charteris 61), Jones, Lydiate (Tipuric 61), Warburton (capt), Faletau.

Tries Webb, Davies. Cons Halfpenny 2. Pens Halfpenny 4. Sin-bin Davies 37.

Ref G Jackson (NZ) Att 67,144