"Very good first half, not so good last quarter" – Scotland's Gregor Townsend & Finn Russell reflect on mixed bag Wales win

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Tom Jordan and Blair Kinghorn grabbed two tries each as Scotland returned to winning ways against Wales in Edinburgh.

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Darcy Graham also crossed on his return from injury as the hosts survived a late Welsh surge to win 35-29, their second victory of the championship. Addressing the media at Murrayfield following the match, head coach Gregor Townsend and co-captain Finn Russell discussed the second half drop-off, looked ahead to facing France and more.

Townsend & Russell discuss a solid win

Scotland led by 27 points before shuffling the pack around the hour, resting key players such as Russell and Zander Fagerson for the final 20 minutes as Wales half-threatened a comeback. Townsend discussed the overall performance from his side and the late Welsh charge.

GREGOR TOWNSEND: "[It was a] very good first half and not so good last quarter. Sometimes that happens when you've got a big lead. They had more possession in that second half.

"It was a disappointing way to end, conceding a try. The first half probably exceeded expectations given the quality of the Welsh performance last week. Real credit goes to our players and how well they played in the first half. 

"We're absolutely delighted with the result. What we do during the week is work to deliver a winning performance."

FINN RUSSELL: "Great to get the bonus point win against Wales. I think going into that game, they showed against Ireland that they're much better than what everyone thought of them. 

"I think after 50, 55 minutes we probably switched off a little bit. So I think for us, learning as a team, we need to stamp that out and make sure we have ruthless 80 minute performances."

Russell talks return to kicking form

The Bath fly-half spoke earlier in the week about his disappointment at missing all three kicks in the defeat to England, leading to a low rating from RUCK for his performance. Having made 100% of his five attempts at the posts this afternoon, Russell joked about his improved fortunes kicking at goal.

FINN RUSSELL: Yeah, I think I had my boots on the right feet today! It was good… I did quite a bit of work this week and just got myself in the groove, which was nice actually.

"As a kicker, it can be quite tough when you're not kicking well and you're trying to solve problems with every attempt rather than just being in the groove. 

"I think it's tough to have kicked well today after not kicking well in the England game, which could've changed it."

Townsend & Russell talk Stade de France test

Scotland conclude their Men's Six Nations with a trip to Paris, taking on current leaders France. The Scots still have an incredibly slim chance of finishing second – needing a 52-point victory over Les Bleus. However, Townsend and Russell are looking forward to the challenge presented by the world number four side.

GREGOR TOWNSEND:  "It'll be pumped to the max, won't it? I think the atmospheres now at Stade de France are amazing – we saw it during the World Cup.

"They're a quality side. When you saw the French club teams dominating in Europe and scoring 70-80 points against quality English sides… it shows you what can happen if you allow them to get on the front foot. They scored 70 points against a very good Italian team and put 40 on Wales and Ireland. Just now this is probably the toughest fixture in world rugby. They beat the All Blacks in November, so we can't wait to be involved in it."

FINN RUSSELL: "I think [France] will be a real challenge for us and I think it will show our character as a team.

"It's one of the hardest challenges going over to Paris and trying to beat France, who have just come off the back of a massive win. It will really show us where we are as a group."

A dip in standards with Russell substituted

The 32-year-old was replaced by Stafford McDowall on 62 minutes, with both player and coach citing cramp as the reason. This replacement coincided with Scotland's drop-off in form as the Welsh went on a 21-point run to close the match.

GREGOR TOWNSEND: "During that period we didn't have much ball, so it was more about what we were doing defensively. There were a few set-piece errors and we weren't able to get the ball and the possession we were doing so well in the first half.

"I don't think the 10s had a big influence in the period when Wales came back into it. I think we did really well getting to the try line on two occasions. Credit goes to Ben [White] and Finn for playing so well in that first half."

FINN RUSSELL: "It's probably more frustrating when you're on the side watching it, but it's tough to watch on. I wouldn't say the game was won at all at 50 minutes. I was cramping up, actually, I came off because of that. I think the boys did well. We probably could've scored another one or two tries in the last 15 minutes.

"We'll look back at the game next week and probably be frustrated with how we didn't score more tries in that second half. But overall it's a bonus point win and we're going to be happy with that."

Townsend & Russell Talk Inside Centre Chemistry

The Scots were left reeling before the championship by an injury for Lions hopeful Sione Tuipulotu. Having initially started with Stafford McDowall at 12, Townsend pivoted to versatile Glasgow back Tom Jordan from Ireland onwards. Russell and Townsend both emphasised the importance of cohesion in the back line for success on the big stage.

GREGOR TOWNSEND: "When Tom came off the bench against Italy he showed that he can have a real impact at Test level at 12. In November we saw it at 15 and it's his first Six Nations tournament. He's grown in influence, connecting well with those around him and also being a ball carrier himself. He's very aggressive, which is what we want in our centres.

"I thought the back line combined really well. Duhan [van der Merwe] is providing assists for people and Blair is such a creative player, but also a strike runner himself. Huw [Jones] as well and Darcy, it was great to see him back."

FINN RUSSELL: "It's good playing with TJ. He's a brilliant player. He's a 10 at Glasgow, so he's good at communicating, you've got a second ball player there. He and Huw play a lot together, so they've got that connection. I think it's been an easy transition with him filling in for Sione being injured. 

He's been brilliant the last four games, I think today he was outstanding. I thought he was going to get man of the match today, not Blair. We get on really well off the field too. I think that's the most important thing for a 10-12 – how you get on off the pitch, because that translates to on-field. You're very relaxed with each other. He's a great guy and a brilliant player."

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