Scotland Celebrates Fifth Consecutive Victory Over Wales
Scotland secured a narrow 24-19 victory against Wales in the opening round of the Women's Six Nations, marking their fifth successive win over the Welsh side. Both teams entered the championship opener with the aim of securing a win, especially with challenging fixtures awaiting in the second round.
The match, held in Cardiff, was closely contested and gritty, with Scotland earning a valuable four points as they prepare to face world champions England at Murrayfield next Saturday. Wales, despite the loss, managed to salvage a losing bonus point but now face the daunting task of hosting France at Cardiff Arms Park.
Meanwhile, England and France both achieved bonus-point victories over Ireland and Italy respectively during the opening weekend. Historically, these two teams are expected to compete for the Grand Slam in the final weekend's Le Crunch fixture.
Scotland Holds On to Claim 24-19 Win Over Wales
For Wales, the victory was particularly important given their upcoming away matches against England and Ireland following the visit from France. These fixtures present significant challenges for a team ranked 12th in the world. The defeat means, similar to the 2024 and 2025 tournaments, Wales' fate could hinge on their final game against Italy, this time with the advantage of playing at home.
Before looking ahead, it is important to analyze the factors that contributed to the result against Scotland.
Scotland Celebrate Hard-Fought Victory Over Wales
Lynn Hails Much Improved Wales Performance
Better, but the Wait for a Win Goes On
In the first 30 minutes at Principality Stadium, Wales displayed a markedly improved performance compared to their World Cup exit last summer. Defensively, they were aggressive and effective, making dominant tackles and limiting Scotland's opportunities. This improvement reflects the influence of new defence coach Tyrone Holmes.
Offensively, Wales showed greater variation, utilizing wider channels and posing a threat when in possession. However, their attempt to maintain intensity throughout the full 80 minutes fell short as energy levels declined after halftime. Scotland's fly-half and player of the match, Helen Nelson, played a pivotal role in controlling the game during the second half.
Nelson executed a well-placed kick behind the Welsh defence that led to Shona Campbell's try. Additionally, debutant Seren Singleton and Kayleigh Powell experienced missed opportunities by allowing the ball to bounce. Scotland's Meryl Smith also delivered a precise kick that set up Lucia Scott's try. In contrast, Wales' kicking game was less effective, an area head coach Sean Lynn acknowledged would require attention before their next match.
Wales' set piece also showed inconsistencies, with some line-out difficulties occurring in promising positions. Nevertheless, Wales demonstrated resilience; after trailing 24-12, they mounted a comeback largely fueled by their bench players. Line breaks from Donna Rose and Seren Lockwood facilitated Kate Williams' try. Even in the final moments, Wales continued to play assertively from deep within their half until the ball went dead in the 89th minute.
What the Pundits Thought
Former Wales captain Siwan Lillicrap said: "It was a hugely improved performance, we probably startled Scotland at first, they didn't know what was coming at them, especially from a defensive point of view. I thought in the first 30 the attack looked much better, they were testing Scotland's defence, but credit to Scotland, in that second half they came out and they found that kick space in the wide channels."
Former Wales fly-half Elinor Snowsill said: "If we look at the game as a whole there were some huge strides taken forward by Wales. They are looking much more comfortable in defence, their systems and their structures, with some really dominant shots going in. They are making themselves a team that's hard to score against, and that's exactly what we want. We've come out with a very heavy kicking game, but when we kept the ball in hand we showed promise."
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Preparing for Les Bleues
Sean Lynn acknowledged the selection challenges he faces for Wales and indicated that the weekend's results have provided additional considerations. Given Wales' ineffective kicking game and France's potent backline, Lynn may contemplate repositioning Kayleigh Powell to fly-half. Powell has demonstrated capability in this role during the World Cup match against Fiji. Additionally, starting Seren Lockwood ahead of Keira Bevan at scrum-half is under consideration, with Lockwood having impressed off the bench.
France, traditionally a powerhouse in women's rugby, may currently be in a rebuilding phase typical at the start of a new World Cup cycle. Against Italy, they scored only one try in the first half but surged to five tries in the second half, exhibiting a more free-flowing style reminiscent of their former play.
The upcoming match against France will take place at Cardiff Arms Park, following a relatively underwhelming performance at Principality Stadium. Saturday's attendance was 10,569, a significant decrease compared to the 77,120 spectators at Allianz Stadium for England's opener against Ireland.
Despite this, Lynn and the Welsh players remain hopeful of garnering strong support as they pursue their first Six Nations win in over two years. While the challenge is considerable, a defeat could result in Wales facing a third consecutive wooden spoon entering the final game. Fortunately, there remains ample rugby to be played before that point.
