1 year ago
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4 mins. A couple of minutes of scrum-faff ends with Wales offered a free kick for early engagement by Scotland. Biggar launches it high for his players to chase, but a red knock on will bring about another Scotland scrum.
2 mins. Wales are tidy enough with their exit drill from the kick-off, and Hogg has his first run of the game, skipping a few tackles as he takes it 20 metres or so. The visitors soon have it back and are probing on the Scotland 10 metre line.
KICK OFF!
Finn Russell gets the show on the road.
The match ball is brought to the pitch by former Scotland and Lions flanker, Rob Wainwright, and the rest of the team that have cycled it 550 miles from Cardiff to raise money for the Doddie Weir Foundation. A poignant moment, full of hope in the wake of the loss of the big man.
As the players take the field, let’s take a moment to remember the sadly departed Scotland No 8, Siobhan Cattigan, by joining the campaign for the 8th minute ovation in remembrance.
Duhan Van Der Merwe is being interviewed on the TV and when asked about why he committed to Scotland the big wing explained, on the verge of tears, how Edinburgh gave him a chance when he had few options, had failed his medical, and couldn’t see much future. Therefore, he feels he wants to give everything he can to the thistle because the backing the club, and by extension in his eyes, the country gave him.
What a moving moment, and a wonderful rebuke to the negative “project player” narrative from some quarters.
Pre match reading
Futher reflection of the Gatland changes from our man, Michael Aylwin..
Can Scotland push on? Are Gatland’s changes a sign of permanent transition to a young set of forwards? Let me have your views on such things via the emither or a tweet
Officials
It’s an all IRFU affair in the disciplinary corps
Ref: Andrew Brace
Asst: Frank Murphy
Asst: Chris Busby
TMO: Brian MacNeice
Preamble
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way...”
I’m not saying that’s what the dressing rooms of the two teams felt like as the final whistle hooted on last week’s matches, but I don’t reckon it was far off.
Wales, put in their place by an Ireland side not bothering to open the throttle fully, had little to look forward to; while Scotland, making something of a habit of beating England home and away, could begin to make plans of a better tomorrow.
But we’ve been here before, have we not? Scotland’s 2022 Calcutta Cup win was followed immediately by a terrible performance in a loss to Wayne Pivac’s welsh caravan of mediocrity. This is why there was less talk of celebration from Gregor Townsend and Jamie Ritchie last week and more focus on the next game - this game.
Warren Gatland took a fresh look at the mostly familiar squad from this first stint last week and clearly decided that may not be the way to go. If last week was Warren v1.1, it’s safe to say this week looks like the official release of version 2.0+.
Teams
Gregor Townsed has unsurprisingly done a copy forward of his squad from last week, replacing only WP Nel as Zander Fagerson – who would’ve started at Twickenham – is fit once more.
Warren Gatland has not done this; even the incomparable Taulupe Faletau has been jettisoned in a much changed starting XV. Also out of the pack are Justin Tipuric and Alun-Wyn Jones . Dafydd Jenkins makes his first start at lock, while Tommy Reffell and Christ Tshiunza make up the flanks with Jac Morgan moving to 8. Up front, Wyn Jones and Dillon Lewis are the new starting props, with Gareth Thomas and Tomas Francis leaving the matchday squad altogether.
The backline is as you were, and the bench features young Opsrey, Rhys Davies, as a replacement lock, plus the return of Rhys Patchell.
Scotland Stuart Hogg; Kyle Steyn, Huw Jones, Sione Tuipulotu, Duhan van der Merwe; Finn Russell, Ben White; Pierre Schoeman, George Turner, Zander Fagerson, Richie Gray, Grant Gilchrist, Jamie Ritchie (capt), Luke Crosbie, Matt Fagerson.
Replacements: 16 Fraser Brown, 17 Jamie Bhatti, 18 WP Nel, 19 Jonny Gray, 20 Jack Dempsey, 21 George Horne, 22 Blair Kinghorn, 23 Chris Harris.
Wales Liam Williams; Josh Adams, George North, Joe Hawkins, Rio Dyer; Dan Biggar, Tomos Williams; Wyn Jones, Ken Owens (capt), Dillon Lewis, Dafydd Jenkins, Adam Beard, Christ Tshiunza, Tommy Reffell, Jac Morgan.
Replacements 16 Scott Baldwin, 17 Rhys Carre, 18 Leon Brown, 19 Rhys Davies, 20 Taulupe Faletau, 21 Rhys Webb, 22 Rhys Patchell, 23 Alex Cuthbert.
English (US)