Six Nations – Round Two – Scotland v Wales
DAM Health Stadium, Edinburgh
As predicted this turned into a battle royal. So much hung on the result.
For the Scots it would mean a return at last to winning ways; for the Welsh a continuation of the long-delayed happy days. For once they started as favourites.
Keira Bevan had the honour of leading the troops out; she was celebrating her 50th cap at the age of 25.
The Scots had the advantage of the wind at the start. With rain falling too, they can’t claim they made the best of their good fortune.
They had a worrying start: just 25 seconds into the game Rachel McLachlan lay on the ground. She had made a solid tackle, but left her head directly in line with her target, Bethan Lewis. She was withdrawn for an HIA. Fortunately she did return 12 minutes later after the necessary protocols.
Wales struck early. Bevan dipped cleverly under an attempted clinch to make a big break. All too quickly the Scots were on the back foot. A penalty kick to the corner finished with yet another try for Sisilia Tuipulotu. We already know one of the Players of the Tournament. She went on score a second and receive the PotM award for the second time running. But then, there aren’t many 17-stone teenagers running around rugby fields at pace these days.
Caity Mattinson launched an excellent 50-22 from the base of the pack to shift momentum. But once again it was the Scots’ fate to drop a pass. And for all Lana Skeldon’s hard work around the field, the line-out remains an area of grave Scottish weakness. Why aim long at a line-out close to the opposition’s line?
Another recurrent handicap showed as a cluster of phases lost a few acres of precious ground. There aren’t enough players who can win the battle of the tackle.
On the quarter-hour Sioned Harries thought she had scored a neat try off the side of a ruck close to the line. But one more eagle-eyed TMO spotted that she hadn’t rejoined it from through the gate.
It took the Scots nearly half-an-hour to post their first score, Helen Nelson slotting a penalty. (3-5)
Then, disobeying every coach’s warnings, they allowed the Welsh an immediate riposte. Harries made a big break using her favourite pirouette for Gwen Pyrs to finish the job. (5-12)
The Scots regained the initiative. The Welsh were warned after conceding penalties. Nelson aimed for the corner, a line-out worked perfectly and Skeldon claimed her tenth try for her country. Nelson kicked a fine conversion.
The Wales line came under another heavy attack, but once more the Scots lacked penetration. Does the staff not spend time working on decisive moves in this position?
Just before the break Kerin Lake was shown yellow for an infringement at the breakdown. Could the Scots exploit the advantage? Not before the break; unforced errors continued.
Half-time 10-12
Now Wales had the wind with them. Pyrs went over for her second before Lake returned to duty. (10-19).
Just before Lake’s time was up the Scottish backs at last unleashed a fine move. Nelson and Meryl Smith contrived to slip Coreen Grant through an inside line and she went over. (17-19).
Was it inevitable that the game at once swung to the other end? And that Tuipulotu was on the end of the raid? (17-24).
Chloe Rollie repeated her exploit of the previous week with another fine try. (22-24) Now surely was the Scots’ best chance. The crowd was roaring them on.
But no, it was the reinvigorated Welsh who mounted two more scores to make the game safe. First they wisely opted for a penalty (Elinor Snowsill this time) to widen their narrow lead. Then Ffion Lewis made another decisive break to complete the scoring.
Yet more misery for the hosts, though they tried to put a brave face on things post-match. They had put three tries together; but equally they had failed to accept many other chances, and their defensive structures had been punctured all too easily.
Result: Scotland 22 Wales 34
Player of the Match: Sisilia Tuipulotu
Teams
Scotland
15. Chloe Rollie 14. Coreen Grant, 13. Emma Orr, 12. Meryl Smith, 11. *Francesca McGhie, 10. Helen Nelson, 9. Caity Mattinson, 1. Leah Bartlett, 2. Lana Skeldon, 3. Christine Belisle, 4. Lyndsay O’Donnell, 5. Louise McMillan, 6. Rachel Malcolm (captain), 7. Rachel McLachlan, 8. Evie Gallagher
Bench:
16. Jodie Rettie, 17. Anne Young, 18. Elliann Clarke 19. Eva Donaldson, 20. Eilidh Sinclair, 21. Mairi McDonald, 22. *Beth Blacklock 23. Liz Musgrove
Wales
15 Courtney Keight, 14 Lisa Neumann, 13 Hannah Jones (captain), 12 Kerin Lake, 11 Carys Williams-Morris, 10 Elinor Snowsill, 9 Keira Bevan, 1 Gwenllian Pyrs, 2 Kelsey Jones, 3 Sisilia Tuipulotu, 4 Abbie Fleming, 5 Gwen Crabb, 6 Georgia Evans, 7 Alex Callender, 8 Bethan Lewis
Bench
16 Katherine Evans, 17 Caryl Thomas, 18 Cerys Hale, 19 Kate Williams, 20 Sioned Harries, 21 Ffion Lewis, 22 Lleucu George, 23 Hannah Bluck
Attendance: 3,031
Afterthought
In my increasingly desperate search for a Scottish win, I have to wonder how efficient the coaches are in their preparations. Why do the backs’ moves so often look lateral? What detail goes into the building of a successful line-out?
