A match of few highlights in Cardiff brought into doubt the raw strength of both teams a year out from the World Cup
Five minutes before the half-time break, Scotland had the put-in to a scrum inside Welsh territory. After three phases Wales turned the ball over and began a charge upfield through the relentless Taine Basham. Liam Williams soon had it and exchanged several innocuous kicks with Stuart Hogg. Wales kept possession but coughed it up a minute later as it was Scotland’s turn to win the breakdown battle and regain control. Not that they did much with it. Several phases down the road and very little had changed.
This brief segment encapsulated so much of the contest. Neither group was terrible. There were some exciting moments from men wearing red and blue alike. Wales’s forwards made massive strides from their defeat to Ireland last week, carrying with intensity and testing Scotland’s defence around the tighter channels.
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