Things started serenely enough in couchland. England were made to work hard for their victory at Twickenham against a spirited Italian side but ultimately prevailed with a rather flattering scoreline of 41- 18. England were not at their best but their strength in depth was too much for the Azurri despite the visitors drawing first blood with a smart try.
The main event was the visit of Wales to Scotland.
Scotland were feeling confident after putting away England the previous weekend
while Wales had just about got home against Ireland. I have had the pleasure of
witnessing many brilliant games between these two Celtic cousins and know full
well how unpredictable they can be. The overhead pictures of Murrayfield showed
frost and snow in the area surrounding the stadium which looked a bit like an
oasis. I bet it was bloody freezing
though.
As against Ireland, Wales started brightly and kept
the ball for a protracted series of phases and were finally rewarded with a penalty
and a three point lead. This stung the Scots into action and the next half an
hour was miserable for a Wales player and supporters alike. Scotland tore into Wales
and Wales duly started to leak penalties. The Scottish tactical kicking was
astute while the Welsh quite simply were glad to just boot the ball up field
and hope for the best. Kicking the ball away to someone as talented as Stuart
Hogg just won’t do. The Scots were always on the front foot and there was only
one result. A penalty and two smartly taken converted tries from Graham and
Hogg put Scotland firmly in the driving seat at 17-3.
Scotland were hungry for more and another try would
surely have put the game beyond the visitors’ reach. Wales managed to win a couple
of penalties and completely against the run of play gave themselves a lifeline
when some sharp passing put Rees-Zammit in the clear. His searing pace and a
smart step did the rest and the youngster touched down for a much needed try.
Although the conversion was missed Wales had a glimmer of hope with a 17-8 half
time score that could have been a whole lot worse.
The second half started with the Scots camped on the
Welsh line looking for all the world like they were going to rebuild their
lead. I was squirming uncomfortably on the couch and thinking I needed a stroll
in the garden as the Scots crashed over the line. Then, thankfully, I could
plonk myself back down as the try was disallowed for obstruction. The subsequent
penalty gave much needed relief and Wales worked their way back down the field.
A call went out for another can of lager to refresh the parts….
The Welsh backs had actually looked quite dangerous when
they had not kicked the ball away. A slick passing move created an overlap for Rees-Zammit
to put Liam Williams in for a try. The conversion was good and Wales were very
much back from a seemingly inevitable defeat at 17-15. This was much more like
it but you knew that the Scots would surely bounce back.
Then disaster for Scotland, prop Zander Fagerson
charged into a ruck and made contact with Wyn Jones’ head. This was not spotted
by the referee who was awarding a kickable penalty to the Scots down field. The
TMO brought the Fagerson indiscretion to the referee’s attention and it was red
card. Wales were up against fourteen men just like the previous week against Ireland.
You could see Welsh spirits visibly lifted and moments
later they were pressing on the Scotland line and Wyn Jones drove over for
their third try. Wales had actually taken the lead at 17-20. Hardy and Sheedy
had replaced the starting half backs and it was Sheedy who missed what could
have been a crucial conversion with normal kickers Biggar and Halfpenny (head
injury) off the field.
The benches were emptied as a tough encounter took its
toll. Scotland opted to replace a wing in Graham with a forward, Gray, and were
all set to play a forward dominated game. The Scots marched down field and laid
siege on the Welsh line. The Welsh defence against the Scottish forward drives
was brilliant. The Scots finally passed the ball out and the Welsh defence out
wide was found wanting against the redoubtable Hogg who powered through some
flimsy tacking to score. The conversion sailed over and Wales were behind again
at 24-20 with about ten minutes left.
“Cometh the hour, cometh the man”, they say. That man
was Rees-Zammit. He received the ball with a small amount of room to work with
and took off down the wing. He had the skill and presence of mind to dink a
perfectly weighted kick over the approaching Hogg and then win the race for the
touch down. A brilliant try that the late J.J. Williams would have been proud
of. Agonisingly, the crucial conversion was missed but Wales had the narrowest
of leads 24-25 and had secured a bonus point.
The last few minutes of the game were all Scotland as
they strove desperately to get their noses in front. The Welsh defence was
superb and a brilliant relieving kick from Rees-Zammit pinned the Scots back in
their twenty two. With the clock in the red, van de Merwe broke clear with Hogg
in support. It looked odds on a Scotland try but a last-ditch ankle tap from
Watkin saved the day. Van de Merwe couldn’t get the ball away cleanly and Hogg
knocked on. Wales had done it!
I collapsed on the couch and sent for a cold towel. This
old heart can’t stand too much more of this!
What a fantastic game! A real roller coaster of
emotions. This is the second week running that Wales have managed to squeeze
home against depleted opposition. It will surely do wonders for team spirit and
the nation will perhaps get right behind the beleaguered Pivac. Wales clearly
have a lot of work to do but to score four tries, three from the backs, is a
feat in itself.
Next up is England in Cardiff with the Triple Crown up
for grabs. Wales have a couple of weeks to lick their wounds and recharge their
batteries. Team selection will be interesting to say the least. With the
exception of number six, the forwards probably pick themselves fitness
permitting. I would like to see Navidi selected against the English and then have
one or more of the younger contenders in the team against the Italians.
The backs will be a bit of a conundrum though with strength
in the back three with Halfpenny, Williams, Adams, North, Rees-Zammit and Amos staking
their claims if fit. Finding the centre combination is the most troublesome
area. Will North play in the centre at 13 ahead of a fit again Jon Davies? Who
will play at 12?
The half backs also pose a dilemma as the Welsh
tactical kicking has been sub-standard. Only the work done behind closed doors
will decide this. The substitution of Biggar and Davies on Saturday maybe a signal
of what is to come.
I am glad I don’t have to wrestle with these problems
but we are in a stronger position than we thought we would be only a few weeks
ago with a couple of victories under our belts. So all powr to their elbows
Well done everyone now let’s get ready for England.
Come on Wales!
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