Rugby Union - Six Nations Championship - Scotland v Wales - Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh, Scotland, Britain - March 8, 2025 Scotland's Blair Kinghorn in action with Wales' Jarrod Evans REUTERS/Russell Cheyne
EDINBURGH (Reuters) -Fullback Blair Kinghorn and centre Tom Jordan scored two tries each as Scotland claimed a frenetic 35-29 bonus-point Six Nations victory over Wales at Murrayfield to inflict a record-extending 16th loss in a row on the visitors.
Scotland's five-try victory moves them to 11 points from their four games, five behind leaders France, who they face in Paris next Saturday.
Wing Darcy Graham also crossed for the home side, who were superb in the first half to build a 28-8 lead, but the game became scrappy and loose in the second period and Scotland were unable to find the same continuity.
Wales scored four tries via fullback Blair Murray, centres Ben Thomas and Max Llewellyn, and lock Teddy Williams, and will rue some naïve play in the opening half that preceded a much improved performance in the second for interim coach Matt Sherratt.
"For 50 minutes we played really well and then took the foot off the gas and allowed Wales in," captain Finn Russell said.
"The 80-minute performance is more in the mindset, and making sure we don't just switch off, that we are ruthless."
Scotland made it three wins in a row against Wales for the first time since the 1991 Five Nations but will look at it as a game of two halves, with some sublime rugby in the first and scrappy possession in the second.
Wales won the second period 21-7, which should be a huge boost in confidence for a team that has seen some shattering lows of late, but the win they so desperately seek eludes them ahead of England's visit to Cardiff next Saturday.
They join Italy as the only Tier-1 side to have lost 16 successive games in the professional era.
Scotland took five minutes to score their first try at the end of 14 phases Kinghorn was free down the left wing, Huw Jones slipped the ball inside for centre partner Jordan to score the home side’s second.
Wales withstood more Scottish pressure before they hit back with a try of their own as Gareth Anscombe’s wonderfully weighted chip behind the home defence was perfect for Murray to race onto and score.
A moment of deceit from Russell sent Graham over for his 30th international try as the flyhalf delayed his pass to slip the wing into a gap for an easy score.
WALES' POOR DECISIONS
WillGriff John’s cynical play on his own five-yard line led to a yellow card for the Wales prop in a mad few minutes for the visitors that likely cost them the game.
They then tried to run the ball out of their own 22 and when Murray threw a wild, no-look pass inside to avoid a line-out, Thomas was unable to collect and Jordan was able to kick clear and score.
Sherratt had asked the team to be brave and ambitious, but it was naïve play.
The home side added a fifth try through Kinghorn, before Thomas scythed through a gap in the Scotland defence to get his side’s second score and replacement Williams barged his way over.
Llewellyn crossed on the hooter to give Wales two bonus points and some belief that they are beginning to turn the corner.
"Ultimately, the first 20 minutes was always going to dictate how the game went. It was a really brave effort in the end to come back and get two (bonus) points," Sherratt said.
"But the reality is they (Scotland) may have dropped off 10% (in the second half). But I can't fault the effort. The amount of tackles our forwards put in were outstanding."
(Reporting by Nick Said, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
