Wales Vs Scotland: Reaction and analysis from Cardiff
Scotland rallied from a 17-5 half-time deficit to beat Wales 26-23 in Cardiff, a comeback that lifts Scotland to the top of the Six Nations table and hands Wales a 14th consecutive Championship defeat. The wales vs scotland match delivered a late turnaround that reshapes the immediate title picture and sets both teams up for decisive fixtures next month.
Wales Vs Scotland reaction and analysis
Wales led 17-5 at the break after first-half tries from prop Rhys Carre and wing Josh Adams, with Sam Costelow contributing accurate kicking. Scotland responded in the second half with four tries: Kyle Steyn, Finn Russell, Darcy Graham and replacement hooker George Turner. Russell’s scoring play and a nearly immediate restart that set up Graham shifted momentum, and Turner’s finish from the back of a driving lineout in the 74th minute put Scotland ahead for the first time and secured a bonus-point victory.
Key moments that turned it
The match pivoted in a handful of sequences. A lengthy 27-phase spell preceded Finn Russell’s second-half try, which came after Wales’ defensive line was exploited. Moments later, a deep restart from Russell produced a fortunate bounce that Darcy Graham collected to score. The late driving maul that George Turner finished clinched the win and the Doddie Weir Cup at the Principality Stadium.
Player notes and discipline
Wales debuted Gabriel Hamer-Webb and saw captain Dewi Lake visibly distraught after the loss, which he described as "gut-wrenching. " Wales centre Joe Hawkins received a yellow card early for a high tackle that left the hosts down to 14, and that period helped shift early momentum. Scotland recalled Blair Kinghorn and Duhan Van der Merwe to the matchday selection, and Jarrod Evans came on to add a second-half penalty for Wales as the visitors mounted their comeback.
Implications for both campaigns
The wales vs scotland result has immediate table consequences: the win moved Scotland to the top of the Championship ahead of an unbeaten France fixture. Scotland will host France next before a final-round Triple Crown showdown in Dublin; if their form holds, they could be in position to challenge for the Triple Crown later in the tournament. For Wales, the defeat extends a run of 14 successive Six Nations losses, though some observers described the performance as a positive foundation to build on.
What's next on the schedule
Wales travel to Ireland on Friday, 5 March, while Scotland host France the following day, with both sides facing fixtures that could determine momentum heading into the final weekend in Dublin. The coming matches will be the next test of whether Scotland can sustain the comeback form that produced this bonus-point win and whether Wales can convert signs of progress into a breakthrough result.
Key takeaways:
- Scotland 26, Wales 23 — second-half comeback secured by four tries.
