Scotland ruin Alun Wyn Jones' record appearance with victory in Llanelli
Scotland ruined Alun Wyn Jones’ world record-breaking day as they claimed a 14-10 Guinness Six Nations victory over Wales in Llanelli. The Scots’ triumph at a windswept Parc y Scarlets was their first away win against Wales for 18 years.
And Wales, who wanted to mark captain Jones breaking Richie McCaw’s world Test match appearance record in winning style, could have few complaints as they suffered a fifth successive defeat.
It is their worst run of results since 2016, and they were also consigned to just one victory in the entire Six Nations campaign, which Wales have not experienced for 13 years, to increase pressure on head coach Wayne Pivac.
Replacement hooker Stuart McInally’s 61st-minute try proved the difference in a poor game littered with errors and precious little memorable attacking rugby.
Finn Russell, whose return to Scotland’s starting line-up lasted just 33 minutes before he suffered a suspected groin injury, kicked a penalty, as did his replacement Adam Hastings, before captain Stuart Hogg’s 80th-minute strike finished Wales off.
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— My Name'5 Doddie Foundation (@MNDoddie5) October 31, 2020
Wales plundered a try for prop Rhys Carre, with Dan Biggar and Leigh Halfpenny each kicking a penalty, but Scotland deserved to take the spoils. Wales suffered a late blow when flanker Justin Tipuric was ruled out due to due to tonsillitis, with Scarlets forward James Davies replacing him and Aaron Wainwright taking over from Davies among the substitutes.
Tipuric’s absence meant that Wales showed seven changes from the side beaten by France last time out, including a debut for Cardiff Blues flanker Shane Lewis-Hughes, but wing George North was dropped.
Russell returned for Scotland, handed a first Test start since last year’s World Cup after being omitted from the squad in January following a breach of team protocol, while Hogg and lock Jonny Gray were also back following their domestic and European double-winning exploits with Exeter.
A period of silence was held before kick-off to mark support for Rugby against Racism and to remember former Wales, British and Irish Lions and Llanelli wing JJ Williams, who died on Thursday, with the Wales players also wearing black armbands as Jones led them out.
Russell had an immediate chance to open Scotland’s account, but he drifted a 35-metre penalty chance wide before making amends eight minutes later as the visitors moved 3-0 ahead. Wales, as they had done against France eight days ago, encountered early lineout and breakdown issues, and they could make no impact during an error-strewn opening 15 minutes.
Scotland continued to dominate territory, and they almost broke through when Hogg created space, but his pass failed to find centre Chris Harris with Wales’ defence stretched. Scotland’s cohesion and general accuracy proved impressive in the blustery conditions, and it took Wales 30 minutes before they entered the Scottish 22, but their reward was immediate.
Hooker Fraser Brown got his radar wrong, overthrowing the ball at a lineout, and the Wales forwards capitalised, with Carre touching down and Biggar converting for a 7-3 lead before Russell departed and Hastings kicked a penalty on the stroke of half-time.
Wales also lost their fly-half to injury, with Biggar going off just three minutes into the second period and being replaced by Rhys Patchell. There was a greater urgency about the Wales forwards after the break, yet the home side continued to be frustrated by a penalty count that reached double figures against them by the 50-minute mark.
And Scotland went ahead in the 61st minute when an attacking lineout was driven at pace, crushing the Wales defence, and McInally touched down, giving Scotland a four-point advantage. A Halfpenny penalty ensured a tense finish, but Scotland closed out the contest in a calm and composed fashion through Hogg’s late penalty to secure a notable victory.
WLLLL… the streak of results that Wayne Pivac didn't imagine happening with Wales ??????? https://t.co/AFhyUbYg39
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 30, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
We’re building a bridge but can't agree where the river is.
2 Go to commentsfirst no arms shoulder or helmet tackle into his rib cage is going to be so very painful even to watch. go back to RU mate.
1 Go to commentsBulls by 5. Plus another 50.
3 Go to commentsJohan Goosen avatar. Cute. Surely someone at RP knows how to do a google image search?
3 Go to commentsCan’t these games play a little earlier? Asking for a friend.
3 Go to commentsIt’s impressive that we can see huge stadiums with attendance in the 40 000 to 50 000 region. It shows how popular this competition is becoming. What is even more impressive is the massive growth in broadcast viewership. The URC is one of the two best leagues in the World, the other being the Top14.
7 Go to commentsChristie is not Sottish, like the majority of the Scotland team.
2 Go to commentsHold the phone, decline over-rated. Is it a one game, dead cat bounce or the real thing? Has the Penney dropped? Stay tuned.
45 Go to commentsTotally deserved win for the Crusaders Far smarter than the Chiefs who seem to be avoiding the basics when it matters Hotham showed them what was missing and Hannah seems a real find - a tad light but that can be fixed over time
8 Go to commentsGreat insight into the performance culture with Sarries and I predict Christie will be a fixture in the Scotland team now for some time to come. However, he is slightly missing his own point around Scotland “being soft” when he cites physicality examples in defence of that slight. The issue is much closer to the example he referenced around feeling off before a game but being told “it doesn’t matter, you can still play well” by Farrell. Until Scotland can get their psyche in that square, they will carry on folding under extreme pressure…
2 Go to comments> We are having to adapt, evolve and innovate more than when we were in Super Rugby where there was only really one style that everybody had to play to gain the most success. Have = able to? Interesting what that one style might be? I thought SA sides still had bad tours now, or at least bad schedule, months away? Those extra few hours flights have to be a killer though, no surprise to see their sides doing so badly at the start of the season each year. I wouldn’t enjoy that unfairness as a supporter.
7 Go to commentsThe problem for NZ, and Aus, is they ripped up the SR model and lost a massive chunk of revenue that hasn’t been replaced. Don’t forget SA clubs went North because they were left with no choice, Argy unceremoniously binned and Japan cast adrift. Now SR wasn’t perfect, far from it, but they’ve jumped into something without an effective plan, so far, to replace what they’ve lost. The biggest revenue potential now lies in Japan but it won’t be easy or quick to unlock, they are incredibly insular in culture as a nation. In the meantime, there is a serious time bomb sitting under SH rugby and if it happens then the current financial challenges will look like a picnic. IF the Boks follow their provincial teams and head north then it’s revenue meltdown. Not guaranteed to happen but the status quo is a very odd hybrid, with the Boks pointing one way and the clubs pointing the other way. And for as long as that remains then the threat is real.
45 Go to commentsI think Etene has had some good tuition, likely while at the Warriors to be a professional that helped his rugby jump, but he was certainly thrown in the deep end way too early. Should have arguably 20 less SR caps, and therefor a way better record that he does at his age, but his development would have been fast tracked by the need to satiate his signing away from league. Again, credit to him and others that he has done it so well. Easy to fall over under that pressure in the big leagues like that but he kept at it when I myself wasn’t sure he was good enough.
1 Go to commentsAwesome story. I wonder what a bigger American (SA) scene might have mean for Brex.
1 Go to comments“Johnny McNicholl and the Crusaders” save a Penney. Who has been in camp this week and showed them how to play?
8 Go to commentsSo, reports of the Crusaders’ demise / terminal decline are perhaps just - slightly - premature/exaggerated…? 🤔 Will we see a deep-dive into that by the estimable Rugbypass scribes, and maybe one or two mea culpas? Thought not.
8 Go to comments1. The Chiefs are rudderless without DMac, which enhances his AB chances 2. Chiefs pack are powderpuffs. The hard men arent there anymore 3. They had their golden title chance last yr and wont threaten this yr. Gone in second round of playoffs.
8 Go to commentsHonestly, why did you have to publish such a foolish article the day they play us? 😂
45 Go to comments> They are not standalone entities. They are linked to an amateur association which holds the FFR licence that allows the professional side to compete in the league. That’s a great rule. This looks like the chicken or egg professional scenario. How long is it going to be before the club can break even (if that is even a thing in French rugby)? If the locals aren’t into well it would be good to se them drop to amateur level (is it that far?). Hope they can reset from this level and be more practical, there will be a time when they can rebuild (if France has there setup right).
1 Go to commentsWhat about changing the ball? To something heavier and more pointed that bounces unpredictably. Not this almost round football used these days.
35 Go to comments