Wales Vs Scotland – Russell inspires Scotland's late comeback in Cardiff
Scotland overturned a 12-point deficit to beat Wales 26-23 in a dramatic wales vs scotland clash in Cardiff, a victory that kept the visitors top of the Six Nations table. The match turned in the closing minutes as George Turner crossed and Finn Russell’s kicking proved decisive in a stirring second-half recovery.
Wales Vs Scotland: Turner and Russell force the turnaround
In the closing stages at the Principality Stadium, George Turner piled over from close range and Finn Russell’s kick made it a three-point game; the visitors then held on to claim the win. The finish followed a late period in which Scotland pounded at the Welsh line, forcing pressure and ultimately breaking through. Finn Russell scored 11 points in the second-half turnaround and Scotland left Cardiff with five points.
Second-half fightback, score swings and Cup retention
Scotland were 20-5 down after 47 minutes but won the remainder of the contest 21-3 to overturn that deficit and win 26-23. The visitors produced an outstanding second half to overturn a 12-point margin, retain the Doddie Weir Cup and maintain momentum in their charge for the 2026 Guinness Men’s Six Nations. The win followed their Calcutta Cup success the previous week and sent Gregor Townsend’s side to the top of the table; they will drop to second if France beat Italy on Sunday.
Wales’ early intensity: Carre, Adams and Costelow’s scoring
Wales sparked the match early. Rhys Carre finished the opening try, converted by Sam Costelow to make it 7-0 after nine minutes, and Josh Adams finished in the left corner to push Wales further ahead. Costelow’s penalty after an offside took the hosts to 17-5 by the 30th minute. The home side’s early periods involved long attacking phases and energetic running from Tomos Williams and Eddie James; a long pass intended for Duhan van der Merwe was intercepted by Josh Adams in one key moment.
Injuries, discipline and crowd in Cardiff
Wales contended with injuries to Sam Costelow and Taine Plumtree; head coach Steve Tandy said both "don't look great. " Wales captain Dewi Lake called the loss gut-wrenching, saying the performance was there and that staying in moments for the full 80 minutes proved costly. Cardiff provided a raucous backdrop, with a healthy attendance of 70, 649 in the Principality.
Referee calls, substitutions and tactical moments
Referee Matt Carley played a role in early stoppages, penalising Wales for going off their feet after a nine-phase attack. Joe Hawkins was shown a yellow card for a high tackle in the opening stages and that sin-bin period remained in place while Wales defended stoutly. Scotland threatened from an attacking line-out when Finn Russell delayed a pass to find Kyle Steyn, and later Blair Kinghorn’s gallop created Steyn’s score — Steyn’s 16th international try.
Scotland used tactical changes: Pierre Schoeman replaced Nathan McBeth, Josh Bayliss replaced Max Williamson and Gregor Brown moved into the second row. Bayliss also won a jackal penalty early after the restart, while Wales countered with their own breakdown penalty at one stage. Sione Tuipulotu said the team had to dig deep; the visitors described the victory as hard-earned and characterful rather than stylish.
Teams, scorers and match specifics
Wales: 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: 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.
Across the match there were extended phases, tactical substitutions and periods of high intensity; Scotland’s second-half resilience, George Turner’s late score and Finn Russell’s kicking ultimately decided a memorable Cardiff encounter.
