Some breaking team news sees Wales losing their inspirational captain Ryan Jones. He’s replaced Dafydd Jones, with Martyn Williams leading the team. For Scotland, they line up with an attacking looking back division led by stand-off – Phil Godman.
Wales undoubtedly will start this game as favourites, but don’t write the Scots off just yet. A few people in the know have tipped them as the potential dark horse of this championship. It should be a cracker. Time for the anthems, and then we’re off.
1 min. Scotland to kick off. An early victory for the Scottish pack, pushing their counterparts back despite conceding weight in the pack. A bit surprising that, but can they keep it up for the whole 80 minutes?
4 mins. Scrappy start from both teams. But the Welsh back line spurts into action with only a knock-on and some desperate defence keeping the scores level. The Reds already looking pretty dangerous with ball in hand.
6 mins. Great run back from Lee Byrne for the Welsh. He slices through the defence like a hot through butter. Only some indiscipline saves the Scots as the Welsh are penalised for not releasing the ball.
10 mins. No score yet, but Wales are looking like a well-oiled machine. A huge hit by Webster stalls that attack, but he’s that hurt. Sickening clash of heads, yet these rugby boys are tough, and he’s not down for long. How long can the Scots hold out?
12 mins. Not for long is the answer. Huge pressure on the Scots scrum sees them giving away a penalty shot in font of the sticks. Stephen Jones chips it through easily. Scotland 0 – Wales 3.
15 mins. The first roar from the Murrayfield faithful. First good turnover ball sees the forwards trundling on, then Southall breaks through the defence with a searing break, but it comes to nothing. Wales only conceded two tries in last season’s championship, and they seem as meagre again this year.
18 mins. I think the Scots have been studying the tape of Marco Bergamasco yesterday. Southall loops a 20-metre pass straight into touch, and throws away good attacking position. Dear oh dear.
20 mins. What was Jeff Cross thinking? The Scottish prop marks his debut with a yellow card, stupidly taking Lee Byrne out in the air. He’s stretchered off, looking in a bad way. When play does continue it’ll be 15 against 14. The inevitable substitution will have to wait for 10 minutes. Webster also pays for his heroic defence earlier. He’s been throwing up on the pitch, and can’t continue, Chris Paterson enters the fray.
22 mins. TRY WALES. Quick ball gives the Welsh back-line a chance to showcase their skills. And they need no second invitation, good work and great hands from Shane Williams and Lee Byrne sees Tom Shanklin in support to dive over. Richly deserved to be honest. Jones misses the extras. Scotland 0 – Wales 8.
27 mins. Wales are sensing blood, and going in for the kill. Instead of a kick for goal, they kick deep into enemy territory as they go in search of try number two.
28 mins. TRY W
ALES. The Welsh pack shoves the Scots off the ball with ease deep in the Scots 22. Stephen Jones is held just short, but Alan Wyn-Jones is backing up to touch down despite the attention of two defenders. Jones seems to have left his kicking boots down in the valleys, as he misses an easy conversion. Scotland 0 – Wales 13.31 mins. Penalty opportunity to Scotland, and finally a chance to get on the scoreboard. It’s Mr Reliable Chris Paterson, and he never looked like missing, drilling the ball through from 35-metres. Scotland 3 – Wales 13.
34 mins. Put this in the diary, as it’s such a rarity - a mistake by Lee Byrne. He’s been majestic so far, in attack and defence, but he’s just turned possession over kicking directly into touch there.
37 mins. Good pressure Scotland who do everything but score. Great moves from Paterson see him stopped centimetres short with the ball held up over the line. Attacking 5-metre scrum to Scots, but it comes to nothing, as the Welsh scrum muscles up and drives them back to clear their lines. Missed opportunity that.
40 mins. Silly play from the Scottish forward with hands in the rack, gives Jones a opportunity that he gratefully accepts right on the half time whistle. HALF TIME Scotland 3 – Wales 16.
So far, so good for the Grand Slam Champions. Amazingly enough, Scotland have had the lions’ share of the ball, yet Wales have been dominat. It’s the attack potency of their Welsh back-line, and their dominant pack that is proving to be the difference. Still, Scotland aen’t out this game, and if the Paterson had slightly longer arms, they would have gone in at half time level. The first score in the second half could be vital, if the Welsh get it, expect them to win it by some distance.
41 mins. TRY W
ALES. Great score by the Welsh right at the beginning of the half. Jamie Roberts barrels through the distance to create the chance. Super Shane flicks it out the back of his hands, and Halfpenny dives over in the corner. Brilliant stuff. The video ref has a look, but I think it’s more in admiration that anything else, it’s a try all end up. Jones misses the extras, again, and he’s the only reason this game hasn’t been put to bed already. Scotland 3- Wales 21.43 mins. Who can stop the Welsh dragon on this form? Relentless pressure, quick ball, and Harlem Globetrotters-like passing by Shane Williams again, sees them come close again. Although you can bet your bottom dollar that Martin Johnson isn’t sitting too comfortably watching this.
47 mins. Good break by the Scots, but a better tap-tackle brings that to an end. The Scots are huffing and puffing but just don’t carry much of a attacking threat. The Red cover defence comfortably dealing with everything that is thrown at that so far.
51 mins. It seems Chris Paterson has a point to prove today after starting off the bench. Another slicing run sees Wales concede a penalty in front of their own posts. Easy kick that for Paterson, as the Scots get some reward for a decent few minutes. Scotland 6 – Wales 21.
55 mins. The Scots try and mix it up with a few chances. It may work, but what they really need first to do is control the ball better on attack. Everything time they look dangerous they seem to knock-on, or give a penalty away.
58 mins. It must be, and it is. TRY WALES. Initial break by Roberts again puts Wales on the offence deep in the Scottish 22. The ball is recycled through the phases, and Super Shane pops up to crash over the line from close range. Too easy that for the Welsh. Jones, misses, needless to say. Scotland 6 – Wales 26.
60 mins. Your job is done Mike Philips, take a break. Philips takes a deserved break, having completely outplayed Lions’ rival Mike Blair at scrum half. Wales switch kickers for a penalty attempt, but Halfpenny proves as wayward as Jones, missing to the right.
62 mins. Further chances to the Welsh team with mass chances to the team. The game is so open now, expect more tries, and more likely to the team playing in red.
65 mins. Williams blots his copybook with a yellow card for a deliberate knock down from a quick Godman break. I think that’s the first time I’ve mentioned Godman, pretty much sums up the Scottish performance. Can the Scots make the extra man count, and restore some pride to their game?
69 mins. Yes they can!
TRY SCOTLND. Sub Max Evans gets on the outside of Williams, steps inside Byrne and crosses for a try. Good effort that, taking on and beating two great players there. Paterson proves as deadly as normal with the conversion. Game on? One more try and it certainly is. Scotland 13 – Wales 26.73 mins. They’re giving it a good. Wales seems to have stepped off the gas a bit, and it’s the blue team marching forward. A great Godman offload, sees Cusister breaking into the final third of the field with only a knock-on being the undoing of that move.
75 mins. Martyn Williams returns after his enforced break, and boy, do Wales need him. It’s all Scotland, with Max Evans at the forefront again. Stout defence keeping them at bay.
77 mins. Something for the video ref to get his teeth into. Paterson just failing to get downward pressure on a little grubbered kick through, knocking on in the process. That could have made the last few minutes interesting.
FULL TIME. Scotland 13 – Wales 26. The final whistle sounds with Scotland in the ascendancy, but just failing to get another try. Still, they’ll take great heart from their performance in the past 20 minutes, admittedly Wales had won the game by then and switched off a bit.
So it’s a great start for the Welsh in their bid to go for back-to-back Slams. In the first 60 minutes they looked a very good team, and have laid a marker down for the rest of the teams. They had match winners all over the pitch, with Roberts, Byrne and Philips really standing out today. For the Scots, they’ll be pleased with how they ended the game, but will need to address some serious issues before heading to Paris next weekend. Not least their inability to consistently cross the gain line proving a huge handicap.
Picture credits: www.zimbio.com, Huw Evans Picture Agency
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