Halfpenny ends drought as Wales crush Scotland in Cardiff
Wales made light of significant injury worries to get their Six Nations campaign off to a flying start as Leigh Halfpenny starred in a 34-7 drubbing of Scotland on Saturday.
Warren Gatland’s preparations for the tournament were disrupted by a number of key players being ruled out with various fitness concerns, including the likes of Sam Warburton, Taulupe Faletau, Dan Lydiate, Jonathan Davies and Liam Williams.
As a result, Scotland were touted as favourites to prevail in Cardiff and classed by many as dark horses to lift the trophy, but their dismal away form continued as Wales benefited from a whirlwind start that saw them score twice in the opening 12 minutes at the Principality Stadium.
Scotland have now lost 16 of their 18 away games in the Six Nations since 2010, their only two victories coming in Italy, and they contributed to their own downfall here as Gareth Davies intercepted Ali Price’s pass to surge over.
Townsend and Barclay dejected after defeat
Halfpenny passed 700 points in Tests as he registered his first try for five years soon afterwards, the full-back converting both scores and slotting two penalties as Wales moved 20-0 in front with half an hour to go.
Having gone 38 Tests without a try, Halfpenny made it two in one afternoon midway through the second period and the bonus point was secured in the closing stages as Steff Evans produced a stunning mid-air finish in the left corner, with Peter Horne’s reply no more than a consolation.
FULL-TIME: @WelshRugbyUnion 34-7 @Scotlandteam
A brilliant performance from Wales, what could they achieve in #NatWest6Nations 2018! #WALvSCO pic.twitter.com/b1yjhXs1zl
— Guinness Men's Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) February 3, 2018
Scotland spent most of the opening six minutes inside Wales territory but were suddenly undone as Price’s pass infield was seized upon by opposite number Davies, who raced away to score from 60 metres.
Wales went close to a quickfire second when Evans knocked on with the line beckoning following superb build-up play involving locks Cory Hill and Alun Wyn Jones.
They did not have to wait long, however, as Scotland were penalised for an illegal feed into the resulting scrum, allowing Wales to work it left and then back to the right for Halfpenny to crash over.
The visitors continued to manoeuvre themselves into promising positions but on each occasion a sloppy turnover scuppered their efforts and their profligacy was further punished early in the second period as Halfpenny slotted a simple penalty.
John Barclay was the transgressor on that occasion and the visiting captain was penalised again shortly afterwards, Halfpenny thumping another kick straight down the middle from just inside the Scotland half.
There was no let up from Wales, who sent Halfpenny over for his second just after the hour, and Evans piled further misery on the away side with a spectacular winger’s finish seven minutes from the end.
Horne gave the Scotland fans something to cheer with a minute remaining but it could not take the shine off a wonderful win for Wales.
Gatland confident of another win at Twickenham
Key Opta stats:
– Scotland have now lost all 10 of their opening Six Nations fixtures when starting the championship away from home.
– Wales’ victory was their 50th in the Six Nations. They’re the fourth side to reach this milestone after England, Ireland and France.
– Gareth Davies scored his 10th try since the beginning of the Rugby World Cup, no international scrum half has scored more in that period.
– Wales’ 27-point victory was their second biggest win ever against Scotland, after their 51-3 win in Cardiff in March 2014.
Comments on RugbyPass
Brett, from my distant perspective, I hope you get to keep the Rebels. Any ideas of teams from Japan or Argentina are just crazy. Won’t happen. If you look at logistics, it is much easier to get to LA from Auckland, Brisbane, Melbourne or Sydney than to Buenos Aires. All with direct non-stop daily flights. You may even get some “gringos” to watch the games, with some younger players compared to Giteau and Nonu who still “play” in the area. I think it is virtually impossible to get a competitive Argie team for SR. All Pumas are in Europe, almost all second tier players are also in Europe. Fringe players are in South American pro rugby tournament (and many still in the MLR!) but these players who might be most interested in joining a new Jaguares do not have the skills to compete. As I have been saying since the Jaguares joined, they should have had TWO teams to make logistics for visiting teams better and Argie player development improved as well. Jaguares/Pumas was not ideal. But this is where Pichot and his cronies did not think long enough. Further the country with he new president “No hay Plata” Milei is in a very difficult situation. Galperin, the richest man in Argentina owns the Miami franchise of MLR. I don’t think you can get him to invest in Argentina. Actually, he played rugby himself. He was a fly half. He is worth around $6 billion!
1 Go to commentsWell done Baby Boks we will take the Draw. No 9 senseless long passes in those conditions. let’s move on and hope for some good weather
4 Go to commentsHow did it end a draw. South Africa didn’t score any points as far as I can see
4 Go to commentsNo doubt this will be a fantastic occasion and I plan to be there, but I think the bean counters have won out over the rugby brains. In my opinion, it is foolhardy to give the Black Ferns the experience of playing in front of 60,000+ at Twickenham a year before they might be playing there in a World Cup Final. Better to play France at Twickenham and Black Ferns at Kingsholm. The difference in takings would be miniscule.
1 Go to commentsDom kant
193 Go to commentsBen is a little incel desperately trying to stir the pot and stay relevant. We used to get mad at his articles. Now we just feel sorry for him
193 Go to commentsPerhaps we may need to put an asterisk on NZ’s ‘87 WC win since the Boks weren’t there. You know, just as a reminder. Poor Ben Smith. Go cry somewhere else.
193 Go to commentsNz should have won. I didn't watch the game, but the ref was at fault and the bounce of the ball and the Bokke used the Bomb squad and the Bokke slow the game down and the Bokke scrum. They should remove the scrum. The Bokke are to strong. Not fair. Nz should have won
3 Go to commentsThanks for a much more balanced piece Ned and not that BS that Bin Smuth just posted a short while ago. read this article and then Bin Smuth’s and tell me there isn’t a huge difference🙄
3 Go to commentsWere the Baby Boks part of this game or did the Baby Blacks play themselves?🤔 That man Bin Smuth once again does a little write-up on the game and it is like 95% about the Baby Blacks🤣 Glad he ends off with the Baby Blacks were actually in cruise control for most of the game and weren’t actually playing for the win WTF🤣🤣 Maybe he was expecting the Baby Blacks to run rampant….
4 Go to commentsOne does not expect anything more from Ben Smith who epitomises the worst of New Zealand media arrogance and an inability to balance what he has to say about any team that beats the All Blacks. His reference to context is pathetically thin. He does not comment that Frizell deserved a red card given his blatant manipulation of his body to ensure that he could drop his body weight onto Mbonambi’s lower leg. No mention of the ball lost forward before the All Black’s try (lost in-field of the 5 metre line and gathered beyond). The All Black commitment and effort was superb and there was little in it. Given the Springbok passage to the final and the loss of their hooker in the first three minutes, their resolve and capacity to win their fourth final out of eight attempts (not three out of ten) deserves the praise that has been forthcoming from media around the world, worth reading and listening to. Ben should join his “pundit” friends on TV - he would fit in well. This sort of article reduces any credibility Rugby Pass has ever had. Why persist with this sort of nonsense? The man does his country and a rugby blog a disservice.
193 Go to commentsEtzebeth went on to say: “I would never dream of saying that systems stay in place following a change in captain. To say that would be deeply, deeply, disrespectful of Siya. A while back an Irish person told me they would be fine without Sexton, so I’m just responding to that.”
3 Go to commentsClose games are what we want to see…. What a match it was…. I am sure that everyone was drained by the end of it. The reality of it all there has to be a winner and a loser. The fact that we still talking about it is almost 6 months to the day Rugby is the winner.. Asante sana… Here is to 2027 and what it will bring out.
193 Go to commentsIt’s going to be a good game. COYQ
1 Go to comments“Shock”, the guy was casually saying he was just slightly surprised. Nowadays if you say anything it gets taken completely out of context. Calm down everyone.
156 Go to commentsAll I can say after reading this bitter, sour, sad piece is… Thank you very much! This will be read in the change room just before kick off on 31 August…
193 Go to commentsLook, we know contradicting opinions and wacky comments bring readers and clicks, so well done to RP for allowing always-wrong-Ben to say something here. However RP needs to put a disclaimer next to his comments for their own credibility. NZ was and is incapable of acknowledging their opp beating them. They refused so with Ire and with Arg in 2022 and also the Boks in 2023 x 2. Nothing Ben says here holds water, NZ attacked backwards, except when Kolisi and Kolbe was off And cyncialy took out Bongi, we played without lineouts for 75mins. Kolisi and Kurt-Lee almost scored twice. Thats 3 vs 2 for Boks, but the Boks opportunities was legal. Boks should have been 16-3 up by half time. Tacticaly the Boks attacked better defended better scrummed better (without a hooker) kicked better and crossed the whitewash more times. Boks beat Fr Eng Nz to win in 23, comeon give some credit at least. Even Federer Verstappen NY Mets, Mamoa, was able to see a great human sport achievement by the Boks and their DNA Boks #RWC27 !🏉
193 Go to commentsForget the 85kg bit, that can become something else. However I do like the one off test on ANZAC day idea. SR plays Fri/ Sat, test players travel Sunday and the squads have the full week together before playing Saturday. Rest of SR has a week off. Either involve women's teams in same location or in the other country and rotate annually. Herbert is right in that change is needed.
3 Go to commentsI’ve read loads of nonsense before but this article takes the cake. Or perhaps someone changed the date for April Fool's Day.
3 Go to commentsReally Rugbypass? Ben Smith I think you forgot what the Springboks did to the All Blacks at Twickenham 8 weeks earlier? Springboks 35 All Blacks 7. There is alot of ifs and buts in your article. The All Blacks threw the sink at the Springboks and unfortunately they were not good enough regardless if they played with 14 men or not. It was the Springboks who forced the All Blacks to make mistakes! Sorry but not Sorry the Springboks is the best ever Rugby World Cup Nation in the world. 4 Cups baby!
193 Go to comments