Scotland dramatically snatch Cardiff ‘pot-boiler’ after Wales seemed set for upset victory
The obscured George Turner scores the lead-taking try for Scotland
The 2026 Six Nations is the gift that keeps on giving, with this pot-boiler Wales-Scotland fixture in Cardiff the latest delicious helping in the captivating tournament.
Steve Tandy’s inspired Welsh dramatically led 17-5 at the interval and then 23-12 with 22 minutes remaining, leaving them poised for a spectacular upset win, but they ultimately couldn’t cope with the rousing Scottish comeback where they eventually hit the front with a converted 75th minute maul try to snatch a 26-23 win.
It was riveting theatre. Let’s be brutally honest, no one gave the hapless Wales a hope in hell coming into Saturday’s Round Three home fixture. Just six days earlier, they were hammered 54-12 in Cardiff by the flying French. That was their 23rd loss in 25 outings.
Adding to the one-sided nature of the predictions was how the Scots had demolished England at Murrayfield, stuffing them with a 31-20 result that didn’t properly reflect their superiority. However, with the Scots plagued by turnovers, a superbly entertaining contest unfolded at the Principality Stadium.
Bloody nose
Welsh debut maker Gabriel Hamer-Webb was immediately given a treatment-needing bloody nose in a frantic start where the first threat came from Scotland’s Duhan van der Merwe in an attack that culminated in a yellow card for Joe Hawkins because of his high tackle on Gregor Brown.
It should have been the cue for the Scots to kick on, but with Kyle Steyn hauled down by Taine Plumtree near the line getting followed by a Josh Adams intercept, the early momentum shifted and it was instead Rhys Carre who opened the scoring down the other end following a quick-tapped Dewi Lake penalty.
With the try converted, Hamer-Webb returned from his knock, the Hawkins incident remained at a yellow after review from the foul player bunker, but Plumtree was forced off injured.
Before Hawkins came back to make it 15 versus 15, though, the Scots struck off a set-piece with the recalled Blair Kinghorn providing the assist for the try-scoring Steyn, but that was as good as it got in the opening half for them.
Restored to the full complement, a Sam Costelow kick got Wales up the pitch and with Eddie James, Carre and Alex Mann then getting in on the action, Adams was in at the corner for the 19th minute try converted by Costelow for a 14-5 lead.
The advantage inspired the Welsh to stick with their physical approach, and the frustration this increasingly caused for the Scots was rewarded with Costelow adding a 31st-minute penalty.
A stirring reaction was needed from the visitors and it ruthlessly came from the sidelines with Townsend unceremoniously hooking prop Nathan McBeth and lock Max Williamson five minutes before the break, with Pierre Schoeman and Josh Bayliss coming on.
Neither made an immediate impact, leaving Wales exiting at the break 12 points ahead and firmly believing they could deliver an upset result.
This confidence ratcheted up further with Costelow landing an early second-half penalty to make it a 15-point gap that was followed by the sight of the Scots butchering another opportunity with Duhan van der Merwe’s pass eluding the fumbling Huw Jones.
One of the most criticised areas of Welsh play since Tandy took charge for the Autumn Nations Series. He had previously been the Scottish defence coach, but his influence in an area where Dan Lydiate was working as an interim coach hadn’t yet transferred.
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There was a definite uptick in this match but, even with that improvement, they still came unstuck. They courageously manned the barricades for 26 relentless phases before the Scottish pressure told on phase 27 with Finn Russell bursting to the line for his converted 54th minute try to reduce the leeway to 20-12.
With Lake and the injured Costelow now going off and Scotland sending on George Horne to try and up the tempo even more, the Welsh were set for an examining time, but they received an immediate break with a Russell kick getting blocked.
The ensuing panic after it was regathered and passed to Horne saw Scott Cummings go off his feet at the ruck, enabling newly arrived sub Jarrod Evans to kick a 58th-minute penalty for 23-12.
This now breathless match had a spectacular development from the restart, with Russell’s kick finding grass in the 22 and bouncing in favour of sub Darcy Graham to score with his first touch. Russell’s conversion from out wide cut the gap to just four points.
A sway-both-ways, edge-of-seat period of rugby followed, culminating in a kickable penalty for Wales that was overturned due to a croc roll from Tomos Williams on Rory Darge. Referee Matthew Carley soon illustrated consistency in this situation as Scotland’s Sione Tuipulotu was penalised for his neck roll at a ruck on sub Nicky Smith.
This brought us to the 70th minute, where Louis Rees-Zammit was penalised for playing the ball on the ground after he was tackled by Tuipulotu. The Scots went to the corner only to mess up at the maul and spill the ball.
On ticked the clock, with the Scots next kicking to the opposite corner with a 74th-minute penalty. They took the resulting lineout without the referee having whistled an end to time off and the try was ruled out.
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However, when play was allowed to proceed, a maul joined by some of their backs made unstoppable headway and ended with George Turner getting the bonus point try converted by Russell for a 26-23 lead.
Further penalties against the Welsh followed, with the match ended by a Russell attempt flashing wide of an upright.
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The teams
Wales: 15 Louis Rees-Zammit, 14 Gabriel Hamer-Webb, 13 Eddie James, 12 Joe Hawkins, 11 Josh Adams, 10 Sam Costelow, 9 Tomos Williams, 8 Aaron Wainwright, 7 Alex Mann, 6 Taine Plumtree, 5 Ben Carter, 4 Dafydd Jenkins, 3 Tomas Francis, 2 Dewi Lake (c), 1 Rhys Carre
Replacements: 16 Ryan Elias, 17 Nicky Smith, 18 Archie Griffin, 19 Freddie Thomas, 20 James Botham, 21 Kieran Hardy, 22 Jarrod Evans, 23 Blair Murray
Scotland: 15 Blair Kinghorn, 14 Kyle Steyn, 13 Huw Jones, 12 Sione Tuipulotu (c), 11 Duhan van der Merwe, 10 Finn Russell, 9 Ben White, 8 Matt Fagerson, 7 Rory Darge, 6 Gregor Brown, 5 Scott Cummings, 4 Max Williamson, 3 Zander Fagerson, 2 Dave Cherry, 1 Nathan McBeth
Replacements: 16 George Turner, 17 Pierre Schoeman, 18 Elliot Millar Mills, 19 Grant Gilchrist, 20 Josh Bayliss, 21 George Horne, 22 Tom Jordan, 23 Darcy Graham
Referee: Matthew Carley (RFU)