Wales player ratings v Scotland: Taulupe Faletau the ‘star performer’ as visitors slump to another defeat
Wales number eight Taulupe Faletau and captain Jac Morgan.
After their 35-29 defeat to Scotland at Murrayfield, here’s how the Wales team performed in the Six Nations clash on Saturday.
15 Blair Murray: The New Zealand-born full-back continued where he left off against Ireland as he delivered a brilliant attacking performance. Murray proved a handful to Scotland’s defence as he gained 65 metres from eight runs which included four defenders beaten and he was rewarded with a try. 8
14 Tom Rogers: Not much to report here as he was forced off the field due to injury early in the opening half. N/A
13 Max Llewellyn: The Gloucester man was caught out of position on defence a few times and it had dire consequences for Wales. He showed some attacking intent in the second half but by that time Scotland had the match sewn up already. 5
12 Ben Thomas: The 26-year-old was a willing ball carrier as he completed 16 runs but made little headway, although he started Wales’ fightback when he crossed for a try. Thomas also impressed on defence as he made 17 tackles. 6
11 Ellis Mee: The young Scarlets speedster looked lively on attack as he finished with 47 metres gained from five runs and was solid on defence with seven hits. 6
10 Gareth Anscombe: The experienced fly-half slotted an early penalty but made little impact in other areas as he battled to get his outside backs into the game with his playmaking skills. 4
9 Tomos Williams: The Gloucester star couldn’t replicate the performance he delivered against Ireland as he battled to make an impact on attack in this clash. Made his biggest impact on defence with six tackles. 5
Another strong performance from Taulupe Faletau
8 Taulupe Faletau: The veteran back-row was his team’s star performer as he was excellent in all aspects of the game and refused to surrender despite his side being second best for most of this match. Faletau did brilliantly on attack and finished with a match-high 111 metres gained from 15 carries but also shone on defence as he completed 19 hits. 9
7 Tommy Reffell: The Leicester Tiger came off second best in his direct duel with Scotland co-captain Rory Darge and was replaced by Aaron Wainwright early in the second half. Anonymous on attack and restricted mostly to defensive duties. 5
6 Jac Morgan (c): Like all his previous matches in the Six Nations, the visitors’ skipper came to the fore with another excellent all-round display for the full 80 minutes. Morgan emptied the tank either side of the ball with his biggest impact made on defence as he made 25 tackles. 8
5 Dafydd Jenkins: Like his skipper, the Exeter Chiefs man was like a machine on defence and he finished the match with a whopping 28 tackle completions. Also won his fair share of lineout balls and was a willing ball carrier. 8
4 Will Rowlands: The experienced second-row did what was expected of him in the lineouts and he put his body on the line on defence where he made 12 tackles. Replaced by Teddy Williams in the 63rd minute. 6
3 WillGriff John: The Sale Shark was solid in the scrums and had a high work-rate on defence, but he was yellow carded for a cynical defensive foul late in the second half and Scotland scored a try shortly afterwards. 4
2 Elliot Dee: Like most of his team-mates, the Dragons man put in a big defensive shift and he eventually made 14 tackles but less visible in other areas and eventually replaced by Dewi Lake in the 46th minute. 5
1 Nicky Smith: Another player who was doing plenty of defensive work and stood up well in the scrums. Made 11 tackles during a 56-minute stint but eventually replaced by Gareth Thomas in the 56th minute. 6
Replacements: The Welsh replacements deserve plenty of credit as most of them made a big impact when they took to the field and their presence was felt in the final quarter when Wales finished with a flurry. In the forwards, Teddy Williams brought plenty of energy to the visitors’ cause and was rewarded with a well-taken try in the 68th minute. Meanwhile, the introduction of Jarrod Evans midway through the second half sparked Wales’ attack into life and they scored 21 unanswered points after he entered the fray. 8