Welsh try blitz seals victory (From Western Telegraph)

Welsh try blitz seals victory

8:40am Monday 13th February 2012 in Wales Rugby By Chris Kirwan

WALES 27 SCOTLAND 13

AT half-time at the Millen-nium Stadium yesterday it seemed as though Scotland could be about to serve up a gigantic portion of humble pie.

Just 16 minutes into the second half their hopes were in tatters thanks to a sensational Welsh salvo. With their impressive pack to the fore, Scotland bossed the first 40 minutes to suggest that the Wales team had been right – we were getting carried away by thinking ahead to France on March 17 and considering a potential Grand Slam and Triple Crown.

Scotland had been written off all week after a toothless Calcutta Cup defeat to England, including by yours truly, but they tore into Wales from the off.

But for all the good, honest grunt of the likes of Richie Gray, Ross Rennie, David Denton and Sean Lamont, the Scottish attack is about as sharp as a cast member of Geordie Shore.

The scores were tied at 3-3 at the break but it was game over when three quickfire Wales tries earned a 27-6 lead with 56 minutes on the clock.

It was breathtaking stuff, no doubt prompted by a half-time rollocking from coach Warren Gatland, and there is no doubt that, like in Dublin, Wales were good value for their win.

And just like the success at the Aviva Stadium it was achieved amid injury disruption and the absence of key figures.

Captain Sam Warburton was ruled out before kick-off with a thigh injury but Aaron Shingler had a super debut in the 7 jersey.

Similarly, wing George North limped off with an ankle injury before half-time and Leigh Halfpenny was magnificent after being moved to the flank.

All in all it was a good win for Wales but there is plenty of room for improvement.

The Scots made a terrific start and dominated possession with their loose forwards carrying hard, albeit into a solid Welsh defence that was showing great line speed.

There were some ferocious hits in a frantic opening with Jon Davies levelling Lee Jones and lock Jim Hamilton repaying the complement by smashing George North. No mean feat.

It was an engrossing and open start that was in stark contrast to the fare served up by Italy and England in Rome, yet it was pointless after a quarter.

That was in part due to another spluttering Welsh performance at the lineout with two prime attacking opportunities in the 22 wasted by overthrows (one by Huw Bennett another by Ken Owens while the number 2 was in the blood bin).

And it was the visitors that struck first with fly-half Greig Laidlaw giving them a deserved lead on 22 minutes after Wales killed the ball following yet another super surge by flanker Ross Rennie.

We had to wait until the half hour for the answer to the question of who would have Welsh responsibility from the kicking tee and it was full-back Leigh Halfpenny who coolly slotted over a leveller.

Scotland were impressive in the first half, running hard and running straight to some effect.

But they were a tad predictable and, just like against England eight days earlier, lacked that X-factor to make their dominance count.

That they went into the break at 3-3 would have been galling for coach Andy Robinson, especially after a late siege on the Welsh line was ended by a careless knock-on by prop Allan Jacobsen.

And the visitors were made to pay from the restart when a prime attacking position was gifted to Wales after Scotland made a hash of the kick-off.

Swift lineout ball was worked to the left and then back to the right where James Hook popped the ball to wing Alex Cuthbert to barge through Laidlaw’s weak tackle.

Halfpenny converted and then added a 46th minute penalty to put Wales well in command, even more so because Nick De Luca was sin-binned for the offence (a tackle off the ball on Jon Davies).

Laidlaw inched the 14-man Scots back to within a score on 48 minutes but their respite was short-lived, an incessant attack ending with Cuthbert putting Halfpenny over to add seven points to his personal tally.

If that wasn’t quite the killer blow then we didn’t have to wait long for Scotland, hindered by another yellow card for Rory Lamont, to be put out of their misery.

Halfpenny kept racking up the points when Mike Phillips and Toby Faletau combined to put their full-back over down the left from a five-metre scrum.

Laidlaw reduced the deficit when he nipped over from close range – ending Scotland’s four-Test streak without a try – and also added the extras.

That the Scottish ended on the front foot will only serve to add to Robinson’s frustration at a mad opening salvo to the second half.

It will also provide Gatland with plenty of ammunition ahead of Mission Triple Crown at Twickenham in a fortnight.

WALES: L Halfpenny, A Cuthbert, J Davies, J Roberts (S Williams 77), G North (J Hook 39), R Priestland, M Phillips (L Williams 74), G Jenkins, H Bennett (K Owens 10-19, 40), A Jones (P James 72), R Jones (captain, L Reed 74), I Evans, D Lydiate (A Powell 72), A Shingler, T Faletau.

Scorers: tries – A Cuthbert, L Halfpenny (2); conversions – L Halfpenny (3), penalties – L Halfpenny (2)

Scotland: R Lamont, L Jones, N De Luca, S Lamont, M Evans (S Hogg 15), G Laidlaw, C Cusiter (M Blair 48), A Jacobsen, R Ford (captain, S Lawson 71), G Cross (E Kalman 57), R Gray, J Hamilton (A Kellock 57), A Strokosch (J Barclay 42), R Rennie, D Denton.

Scorers: try – G Laidlaw; conversion – G Laidlaw; penalty – G Laidlaw (2)

Referee: Romain Poite (France)

Attendance: 73,189