W6N: Scotland make winning start after holding off fierce Wales fightback

03/22/2025 05:07 PM

Scotland 24

Wales 21

STUART BATHGATE @ Hive Stadium

SCOTLAND did not make life easy for themselves in a Six Nations match punctuated by stoppages and replays, but in the end they did just enough to see off a spirited Wales team playing their first game under new head coach Sean Lynn.

Both teams scored three converted tries, and both had their No 8 sent off for a 20-minute red, Evie Gallagher following Wales’ Georgia Evans to the bin in the second half. In terms of the scoreboard, then, the only thing that separated the teams was the penalty from player of the match Helen Nelson that opened the home team’s account. But what really made the difference, as captain Rachel Malcolm said later, was the composure shown by her players as they ran down the clock after a 10-point advantage had been reduced to a mere three.

 "I'm thrilled to be on the winning side,” she said.  “To grind that out is something we can be hugely proud of. We definitely left tries out there – I don't think it was the most clinical performance that we maybe wanted. 

"But I also think the energy and fight that Wales brought to the game made it extremely difficult for us. They never backed down at any point. 

"It was a game of who was going to buckle first, because we both brought a huge amount of energy to the game.  Going away to France we're going to have to be slightly more accurate than we were today.

"The way we managed the game in those last 10 to 15 minutes was why we came out on top. I thought our game management was exceptional. The girls who came off the bench added a huge amount of energy when we needed it." 

Wales began the game just as Lynn would have wished, with an assertiveness that saw them take a deserved lead after five minutes. A maul from a lineout set up the platform, and three phases later hooker Carys Phillips finished off. The conversion by scrum-half Keira Bevan put the visitors 7-0 up.

Scotland's first couple of attacks came to nothing, but just past the quarter-hour mark the Welsh defence offended and Nelson made no mistake with the penalty. The home team then thought they had gone ahead when Malcolm finished off from a lineout maul. Nelson added the conversion, but then the score was chalked off for obstruction following a TMO review.

Still, that was a sign that Scotland were getting on top after that shaky start, and they kept on on the front foot for the rest of the half. Francesca McGhie was a threat to Wales every time she got the ball, and one break of over 30 metres looked likely to produce a score, only for possession to be lost in the tackle.

But five minutes from time, the home side managed to make their pressure count. Rhona Lloyd broke from a lineout drive, then some close-range assaults on the line ended with Sarah Bonar touching down. Nelson's conversion made it 10-7. Evans was then shown a yellow card for collapsing a maul in the build-up to that score.

Her opposite number Gallagher thought she had scored within two minutes of the restart, but it was chalked off for obstruction in the build-up. A second Scotland try was only delayed, however, and it came after 44 minutes when Emma Orr seized on a loose ball and raced to the line after the defence had failed to deal with a hack upfield by Lisa Thomson. Nelson's conversion made it 17-7.

Evans came back on – but was soon off again for a high tackle on Chloe Rollie. The second yellow became a 20-minute red card, and the same fate then befell Gallagher after she also put in a dangerous tackle. Scotland coach Bryan Easson said later that the team will appeal against that decision.

Abbie Fleming scored from a lineout maul as Wales hit back, with Bevan's conversion making it 17-14. Scotland needed to reassert themselves, and they did with 15 minutes left when substitute Leah Bartlett scored. 

Orr made the initial break, Thomson took it on, and Bartlett finished off comfortably. Nelson's conversion restored the home team's ten-point advantage, and Scotland then went in search of the bonus-point score.

To no avail. Instead, five minutes from time it was Wales who scored, with replacement Gwenllian Pyrs finishing off after heavy pressure. Bevan converted to make it 24-21. Scotland needed to show some composure in the closing minutes, and, as Malcolm said, they did exactly that, with replacement scrum-half Caity Mattinson kicking dead to secure  a merited if hard-fought victory. 

Lynn did not quite regard the defeat as a moral victory, but for a first outing with a team who had lost their way iunder the previous regime, there was a lot to be pleased about. "I asked the players to bring energy and passion and I couldn't fault them today,” he said. “I'm super proud of the group.

"There's things we need to be working on, but Rome wasn't built in a day, and I've only been in for three or four sessions. And there's a lot of positives."

There were a lot of positives from a Scottish perspective too, above all the fact that they found a way to win while playing within themselves. After all, not so long ago, this side all too often found ways to lose narrowly.

Having said that, they know that they will need their performance levels to go up a gear or two on Saturday, when they play France in La Rochelle. The French beat Ireland 27-15 in Belfast yesterday.

Teams –

Scotland: C Rollie; R Lloyd, E Orr, L Thomson, F McGhie; H Nelson, L Brebner-Holden (C Mattinson 48); A Young (L Bartlett 53) , L Skeldon (E Martin 53), E Clarke (C Belisle 53), H Cunningham (A Ferrie 76), S Bonar, R Malcolm (captain), R McLachlan (J Konkel 53), E Gallagher (A Stewart 73). Unused replacement: E Wills.

Wales: J Joyce; L Neumann, H Jones (captain, C Keight 70), K Powell, C Cox (N Metcalfe 74); L George, K Bevan; M Davies (G Pyrs 51), C Phillips (K Jones 51), J Scoble (D Rose 41), A Fleming, A Pyrs (B King 62), K Williams, B Lewis, G Evans (G Crabb 70). Unused replacement: M Davies.

Scorers – 

Scotland: Tries: Bonar, Orr, Bartlett. Cons: Nelson 3. Pen: Nelson.

Wales: Tries: Phillips, Fleming, G Pyrs. Cons: Bevan 3.

Scoring sequence (Scotland first): 0-5; 0-7; 3-7; 8-7; 10-7 half-time; 15-7; 17-7; 17-12; 17-14; 22-14; 24-14; 24-19; 24-21.

Yellow cards – 

Scotland: E Gallagher 53.

Wales: G Evans 36 and 48.

Red cards – 

Scotland: Gallagher 53 (upgraded from yellow by bunker).  

Wales: Evans 48 (20min red for two yellows).

Referee: Kat Roche (USA).

Attendance: 4,234.

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