Wales Vs Scotland: Russell Inspires Scotland to 26-23 Comeback and Doddie Weir Cup Win in Cardiff

The Six Nations clash in Cardiff saw wales vs scotland produce a dramatic turnaround as Scotland overturned a 17-5 half-time deficit to win 26-23, lift the Doddie Weir Cup and celebrate a historic streak over their neighbours. The result mattered for tournament momentum and delivered a stirring finish at the Principality Stadium.

Wales Vs Scotland at a glance

Final score: Wales 23-26 Scotland. Scotland celebrated a fourth successive win over Wales for the first time in 99 years and lifted the Doddie Weir Cup at the Principality Stadium. Attendance was listed at 70, 649, with the Cardiff crowd noted as lively after a week that had produced one of Wales’s lowest recent home crowds.

How the game unfolded

Wales built a 17-5 half-time lead through tries from prop Rhys Carre and wing Josh Adams. Scotland stayed in touch when wing Kyle Steyn scored, and the second half belonged to Finn Russell and his teammates. Russell crossed himself and played a decisive role in a quick-restarter sequence: his opportunistic kick led directly to Darcy Graham’s try after a Wales penalty, a moment that shifted momentum. Replacement hooker George Turner finished a drive to give Scotland the lead in the 74th minute and secure a bonus-point win.

Key players, cards and selections

• Finn Russell scored 11 points in the second-half turnaround and created two fast-paced tries that were central to Scotland’s comeback.
• Wales centre Joe Hawkins was shown a yellow card for a dangerous tackle.
• Gabriel Hamer-Webb made his Wales debut.
• Scotland recalled Blair Kinghorn and Duhan Van der Merwe and later celebrated the contribution of Rory Darge, who was named Player of the Match.

Full team sheets and scoring summary

Wales selection: Rees-Zammit; Hamer-Webb (Murray 62), James, Hawkins, Adams; Costelow (Evans 56), Williams; Carre (Smith 42), Lake (Elias 56), Francis (Griffin 51), Jenkins (Thomas 75), Carter, Plumtree (Botham 9), Mann, Wainwright. Tries: Carre, Adams. Conversions: Costelow 2. Penalties: Costelow 2, Evans.

Scotland selection: Kinghorn; Steyn, Jones (Jordan 67), Tuipulotu, Van der Merwe (Graham 54); Russell, White (Horne 54); McBeth (Schoeman 34), Cherry (Turner 54), Z Fagerson (Millar-Mills 54), Williamson (Bayliss 34), Cummings (Gilchrist 67), Brown, Darge, M Fagerson. Tries: Steyn, Russell, Graham, Turner. Conversions: Russell 3.

Reactions, injuries and wider context

Wales captain Dewi Lake described the defeat as gut-wrenching and said the loss will hurt. Former Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones called the performance a "massive foundation builder" for Steve Tandy’s side. The Wales head coach, Steve Tandy, noted injuries to Sam Costelow and Taine Plumtree, saying both don’t look great. Observers described the match as bizarre, pulsating, entertaining and frustrating; the dragon was said to have awoken from a three-year slumber as Wales appeared set to end a 13-game losing run in the Six Nations before the late swing.

There is an additional context noting Wales have now lost their last 14 games in the Six Nations. Scotland’s victory backed up their Calcutta Cup success the previous week, marked their third instance of beating Wales directly after a win over England in the same championship, and sent Scotland to the top of the table in the short term.

What’s next

Wales will next travel to Ireland on Friday, 5 March. Scotland are scheduled to host France the following day and will then head to Dublin for a Triple Crown showdown on the final weekend. Recent coverage of the championship suggests the tournament drama will continue to unfold across those fixtures.

Voices from the Scotland camp

Rory Darge praised the team’s determination, highlighting the physical battle in the pack and the significance of wrestling back from 17-5 down. Scotland captain Sione Tuipulotu reflected on the team’s mindset, saying they dug deep and did what was needed to "win ugly, " crediting the pack for outstanding work. Finn Russell pinpointed the quick kick and restart that led to Darcy Graham’s try as the turning moment and acknowledged Wales’ strong, passionate performance and the difficulty of the breakdown during the contest. Scotland celebrated overturning a 12-point deficit to leave Cardiff with a memorable win.

Recent updates indicate details may evolve around squad fitness and form as both nations move forward in the Six Nations schedule.