Wales player ratings: Aaron Wainwright stars in Six Nations fightback but it’s not enough to beat Scotland

After their 27-26 defeat to Scotland in the Six Nations at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, here’s how the Wales team performed on Saturday.

Wales player ratings

15 Cameron Winnett: It was a memorable Test debut for the young Cardiff full-back. While nothing appeared to be going right during the first half, he grew into the game and showed some deft touches on attack, gaining a match-high 126 metres and also caught the eye with some good kicks into touch. 8/10

14 Josh Adams: Didn’t do much on attack during the opening half and conceded a silly penalty for dissent which proved costly as Finn Russell slotted the resulting place-kick for Scotland. Like most of Wales‘ players, he came back strongly in the second half and eventually gained 48 metres. 6

13 Owen Watkin: Not a good day at the office for the Ospreys stalwart as he battled on attack as he made some handling errors and also struggled in defence. Replaced by Mason Grady early in the second half. 4

12 Nick Tompkins: Another one who took some time to get into the game and after a quiet opening period, he was solid for most of the second half, especially in the execution of his defensive duties where he made 10 hits. 5

11 Rio Dyer: After flying under the radar during the opening period, the Dragon came to life after the interval and played a leading role in his team’s second-half turnaround. Finished with 70 metres gained from seven runs and crossed for a deserved try. 8

10 Sam Costelow: Not a game he will remember fondly as he was on the back foot most of the time when he was on the field before being replaced after failing a HIA late in the opening half. 4

9 Gareth Davies: The veteran number nine struggled behind a retreating pack during the opening half and couldn’t get his outside backs firing. It was not a surprise when Tomos Williams replaced him at half-time. 4

Led the Welsh fightback

8 Aaron Wainwright: The Dragons star led his team’s second-half fightback with an outstanding all-round performance and walked off with the official Player of the Match award after the game. Wainwright worked tirelessly in all departments throughout this clash, finishing with 65 metres gained, 12 tackles made and he also scored a well-taken try. 9

7 Tommy Reffell: Gave good support to Wainwright, especially with his excellent breakdown and defensive work, while he also did his bit on attack. The Leicester Tigers star eventually made eight tackles and gained 20 metres. 8

6 James Botham: The Cardiff tearaway got Wales’ comeback underway when he crossed for their first try early in the second half but that was his final act as he was replaced shortly afterwards. 6

5 Adam Beard: Wales’ lineout kingpin did not have things going his way during the opening half as they lost some balls at the set-piece but he came back strongly after the interval. Was also prominent on defence with eight tackles made. 6

4 Dafydd Jenkins: The young Welsh skipper deserves plenty of credit for the way he led his troops, especially during the opening period when he remained calm despite a horror showing from his team. Jenkins also caught the eye with a superb defensive display and finished with a team-high 17 tackles made without missing any. 7

3 Leon Brown: Wales’ scrum was under pressure during the opening half and it was not surprising that the Dragons front-row came off at the interval with Keiron Assiratti replacing him. Was solid on defence with seven tackles. 5

2 Ryan Elias: Failed to find his jumpers on a few occasions during the first half and although he was replaced by Elliot Dee at half-time, he put in a big defensive shift as he made 10 tackles during his time on the field. 5

1 Corey Domachowski: The Cardiff stalwart emptied the tank during an 80-minute shift and put his body on the line on defence and attack during that period. Made more of an impact in the former, finishing with 12 tackles and also stood up well in the scrums. 6

Replacements: The Welsh were under the cosh for long spells during the opening period but some astute alterations at half-time and early in the second half saw them come back strongly. Amongst the players who caught the eye were Williams, Alex Mann and Ioan Lloyd. 8

READ MORE: Scotland player ratings: Finn Russell blows hot and cold in historic Six Nations win over Wales

Planet Rugby player ratings key

10 – Career-defining performance
9 – Outright blockbuster effort
8 – Significantly influenced the result of the game
7 – Committed and effective outing
6 – Flashes of brilliance outside of executing fundamentals
5 – Fulfilling the role required by position (base level)
4 – Poor execution of fundamentals
3 – Costly errors and/or discipline in the game
2 – Poor performance that directly impacted the result
1 – Grossly ineffective throughout
0 – Should have carried water instead