Barclay, who has assumed the captaincy from Greig Laidlaw, said at his eve-of-match press conference that he doubted Gatland would change a formula of play that has served him well in 10 years as Wales coach.
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The first came after six minutes.
Scotland are without 10 players‚ including Richie Gray‚ Wales are missing 10‚ including Sam Warburton‚ Toby Faletau‚ Rhys Webb‚ Rhys Priestland and Dan Biggar‚ while France are missing nine front line players‚ including the like of Wesley Fofana and Morgan Parra. This is the tightest of the opening round of fixtures with Wales the slenderest of favourites.
Wales’ inspirational captain Alun Wyn Jones – who was denied a try in the second-half after being held up on the line – credited Wales performance.
Scotland player Ben Toolis attempts to block the box kick of Gareth Davies.
“It is annoying, especially when they have a kicker of Leigh’s ability”, said hooker Stuart McInally, who had carried hard for the visitors. No matter, Wales was still on attack, and Halfpenny expertly finished a two-on-one.
That sizzling start also dealt a severe blow to the poise Scotland had been showing recently – most notably when they handed Australia a fifty point beating in their final autumn internationals outing.
He repeated the trick from long range with 49 minutes gone, and at 20-0 it was clearly just a case of how many Wales would win by.
“They are founding the basis of their play on exciting club rugby”.
Way back in 1994 I played for Scotland against Wales in Cardiff, broke my leg in the middle of the match and still had more fun than I did yesterday afternoon.
But the Scottish game brings a new dimension to the issues experienced in the autumn – a different crowd may not be aware of the need to arrive early and, perhaps most significantly, the game kicks-off at 2.15pm and so represents the first sold-out early afternoon kick-off rugby worldwide under the new restrictions.
It said everything about Wales’s assurance that there was no uplift from Scotland at the start of the second half.
Fellow Scarlets Gareth Davies and Steff Evans also scored, with Scotland’s late response coming from replacement Pete Horne.
The Six Nations Championship kicks off this weekend with the winners widely touted to emerge from the realm of “Last men standing”.
If a lack of groundbreaking ball-carriers had forced them to play behind the gainline in the opening period, they ran out of possession after the break.
Wales ladies: Wales head mentor Rowland Phillips has picked four uncapped players to begin Friday’s 2018 Women’s Six Nations opener with Scotland.
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The entire Six Nations tournament is widely tipped to boil down to a Grand Slam decider between England and Ireland at Twickenham on March 17 and Best admitted Ireland know the full cost of defeat in Paris.
