Wales Vs Scotland: Scotland rally from 17-5 down to win 26-23 in Cardiff
wales vs scotland produced a dramatic turnaround in Cardiff as Scotland scored three second-half tries to overturn a 17-5 half-time deficit and claim a 26-23 win at the Principality Stadium, lifting the Doddie Weir Cup and earning a bonus-point victory.
Second-half surge secures comeback
Wales led 17-5 at half-time after tries from prop Rhys Carre and wing Josh Adams, but Scotland closed the gap through a try from wing Kyle Steyn before the visitors produced three decisive second-half scores. Fly-half Finn Russell crossed for Scotland, and Russell then produced a piece of opportunism to set up Darcy Graham direct from the restart after a Wales penalty. Replacement hooker George Turner finished a drive to snatch the lead in the 74th minute and seal the bonus-point win, with the final score 26-23.
Wales Vs Scotland: cards, debuts and recalls
Wales centre Joe Hawkins was shown a yellow card in the match. Gabriel Hamer-Webb made his Wales debut. Scotland recalled Lions pair Blair Kinghorn and Duhan Van der Merwe to their side for the game. Scotland lifted the Doddie Weir Cup after the victory at the Principality Stadium.
Bench impact, early substitutions and player issues
Scotland’s bench proved crucial, with Josh Bayliss, Darcy Graham and George Turner making a major difference after the break. The match report notes: “The prop was taken off after just 34 minutes for Schoeman as Townsend tried to spark a response after a poor start from Scotland. ” A separate line states: “His first Six Nations start for Scotland lasted just 35 minutes as the Glasgow man was taken off for Bayliss” — the context is unclear in the provided context about which player that line refers to. The report also records: “Difficult afternoon for the hooker. Gave away a couple of penalties and wasn't as deadly accurate as you would wish in the lineout. No surprise to see Turner come on after 55 minutes. ” Another passage notes: “Poor pass to Cherry in the first half killed one of Scotland's many first-half attacks dead. Never stopped offering a physical threat. Replaced by Millar Mills. ”
Reaction from the pitch and what it means next
Wales captain Dewi Lake called the defeat "gut-wrenching". Former Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones described the performance as a "massive foundation builder" for Steve Tandy's side. Tom English, Scotland chief sports writer on Sportsound, provided post-match commentary. The result gave Scotland a fourth successive win over Wales for the first time in 99 years and extended Wales' run to 14 straight Six Nations defeats.
Scotland now head into a match against France in a fortnight's time with momentum and their hopes of both winning the tournament and landing a Triple Crown remain intact. Wales are scheduled to travel to Ireland on Friday, 5 March; Scotland host France the following day before a Triple Crown showdown in Dublin on the final weekend.
There were multiple post-match reactions and highlights packages after the game, including a highlights reel labelled "Spirited second-half fightback gives Scotland win over Wales" and short video segments on topics ranging from player omissions and defensive improvement to managerial links and broader sport stories.
Next on the calendar: Wales travel to Ireland on Friday, 5 March, and Scotland host France the following day, with a Triple Crown showdown in Dublin set for the final weekend of the championship.
