Match Report: Scotland 24-21 Wales

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND - MARCH 22: Scotland's Emma Orr breaks to score a second half try during a Guinness Women's Six Nations match between Scotland and Wales at The Hive Stadium, on March 22, 2025, in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Ewan Bootman / SNS Group)

It was Wales who were first to the party, taking advantage of a marginal missed touch to build territory through multiple phases and when scrum-half Keira Bevan found a gap, it took good scramble defence, and a knock-on to follow, to foil.

The hosts were then overpowered from the resulting scrum, giving away the game’s first penalty, and Wales capitalised through hooker Carys Phillips, who burrowed over with Bevan converting (0-7, 5 mins).

Scotland got a foothold in the game as their dangerous back three all looked to get hands on the ball, Chloe Rollie, Francesca McGhie and Rhona Lloyd all making gains before a penalty was given for holding on in the tackle.

Helen Nelson’s clever chip was raced onto by McGhie moments later with the wing darting around again giving great field position, but the ball was turned over.

Still, Scotland persisted with a possession-based approach rather than kicking for field position and after a bruising defensive set in which it seemed each Scot touched the ball at one point, Wales were drained and called for offside on their 22, Nelson converting to go second outright on the all-time Women’s list with 188 points (3-7, 16 mins).

Welsh discipline was beginning to shows signs of creaking with a fourth penalty conceded within the space of a few minutes, as Scotland’s physical presence started to take its toll on visiting bodies.

And that toll seemed to have come at the costliest price as captain Rachel Malcolm rumbled over from a line-out maul to give her side the lead. Nelson’s expertly judged touchline conversion added the gloss, but the referee Kat Roche had word from her officiating team to bring play back just as the restart was happening, for an illegal obstruction in Scotland’s maul formation.

McGhie and Bevan exchanged thrilling, defence-splitting runs but both were halted by virtue of being too quick for their own teammates, isolated in the tackle and cut adrift from further cohesion.

When play was again brought back, this time for a high tackle on Lana Skeldon by Wales’ Alaw Pyrs (correctly adjudged to have been a penalty and no more), Scotland sensed a pre-half-time breakthrough.

Nelson’s touch-finder led to another attacking line-out maul and when Lloyd was held up, second row Sarah Bonar got the job done from close range with Nelson again converting (10-7, 36 mins).

Wales’ number 8 Georgia Evans was given a yellow card on the stroke of half-time for illegally pulling down a Scottish maul, and that was essentially the last action of the half as Bevan put the ball dead.

Half-time: Scotland 10-7 Wales

Scotland positively roared out of the half-time blocks as Evie Gallagher rampaged through the Welsh defence to lay the platform for a Lisa Thomson close-range try, but once more play was brought back, this time for obstruction in Gallagher’s initial surge.

But the home crowd wouldn’t have to wait long to celebrate. Thomson punted a spilled ball after Nelson’s tackle on Kayleigh Powell and, after McGhie almost forced a turnover, Emma Orr picked up the loose ball and cantered home for Scotland’s second try, Nelson converting (17-7, 43 mins).

The off-pitch officials were involved again when Rollie was hit high in the Wales in-goal area by Evans, who had only returned to the pitch from her earlier sin bin. Two yellows and Evans was off for what would constitute a 20-minute red card.

Wales did then go mightily close when Bevan sniped for the line but Malcolm’s excellent defence held the Welsh scrum-half up.

By now the rain was teeming down, replacing the much friendlier conditions of early afternoon, but Wales got some light at the end of their tunnel when Gallagher was sin binned for an illegal clear-out.

Wales cashed in with Abbie Fleming’s score and when Bevan converted, it was once more a three-point game (17-14, 53 minutes).

Gallagher’s yellow was upgraded to red as the hour mark approached, with the worsening conditions forcing both sides into survival mode, and yet Scotland remained determined to adopt an attacking mindset.

Orr’s fabulous break got her side into the Wales 22 and when centre partner Thomson jinked through from the next phase, it laid a platform for Leah Bartlett to barge over for the hosts’ third, with Nelson clipping over the extras (24-14, 64 mins).

A fascinating encounter was given more fuel when Wales replacement prop Gwenllian Pyrs went over late on to take the visitors to within three (24-21, 75 mins).

But Scotland used their collective match play experience to see out the rest of the game and start their 2025 Guinness Women’s Six Nations championship with victory.

Full-time: Scotland 24-21 Wales

Scotland: Chloe Rollie (Trailfinders Women), Rhona Lloyd (Les Lionnes de Bordelais), Emma Orr (Bristol Bears), Lisa Thomson (Trailfinders Women), Francesca McGhie (Leicester Tigers), Helen Nelson (Loughborough Lightning), Leia-Brebner-Holden (Loughborough Lightning); Anne Young (Loughborough Lightning), Lana Skeldon, Elliann Clarke, Hollie Cunningham (all Bristol Bears), Sarah Bonar (Harlequins), Rachel Malcolm (captain) (unattached), Rachel McLachlan (Montpellier), Evie Gallagher (Bristol Bears).

Replacements: Elis Martin (Loughborough Lightning) (for Skeldon, 52 mins), Leah Bartlett (Leicester Tigers) (for Young, 52 mins) Christine Belisle (Loughborough Lightning) (for Clarke, 52 mins), Adelle Ferrie (Edinburgh Rugby/Corstorphine Cougars) (for Cunningham, 75 mins), Alex Stewart Edinburgh Rugby/Corstorphine Cougars) (red card replacement, 73 mins), Jade Konkel (Harlequins) (for McLachlan, 52 mins), Caity Mattinson (Trailfinders Women) (for Brebner-Holden, 47 mins), Evie Wills (Leicester Tigers).

Wales: Jasmine Joyce-Butchers; Lisa Neumann, Hannah Jones (capt), Kayleigh Powell, Carys Cox; Lleucu George, Keira Bevan; Maisie Davies, Carys Phillips, Jenni Scoble, Abbie Fleming, Alaw Pyrs, Kate Williams, Bethan Lewis, Georgia Evans.

Replacements: Kelsey Jones, Gwenllian Pyrs, Donna Rose, Gwen Crabb, Bryonie King, Meg Davies, Courtney Keight, Nel Metcalfe.

Referee: Kat Roche (USA)
Assistant referees: Jess Ling (Australia) and Shanda Assmus (Canada)
TMO: Oli Kellet (Australia)
FPRO: Ian Tempest (England)

Attendance: 4,234
Guinness Player of the Match: Helen Nelson (Scotland)