Scotland v Wales – Scottish Rugby

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Bye for now

Keep an eye on Scottish Rugby’s social media channels for the full reaction to an amazing day.

Thank you for following the Scottish Rugby match centre today. We’ll see you in seven days when we take on Fiji!

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A record win over Wales

A 30-point margin today, beating our previous record win over Wales by two points!

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15 years in the making

To put Scotland’s achievement today into context, the last win at a Rugby World Cup came against Sweden… FIVE THOUSAND, FOUR HUNDRED A SEVENTY-FOUR days ago!

A fourth straight win over Wales, and a chance to back it up when we take on Fiji next Saturday, back at Salford Community Stadium.

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A MASSIVE WIN!!!!!

A performance for the ages!

Six tries for Scotland, three from McGhie who wins the Player of the Match, and it’s a win to start the World Cup campaign.

80

Wales penalty

Wales take a quick penalty with the clock in the red. Scotland have a monumental win, it’s just a question of how it ends now…

78

TRY GIVEN!

Mattinson’s excellent 10-metre pass to Orr to create the try is deemed flat, and try is given! Nelson converts.

Scotland 38-8 Wales

78

ORR BLIMEY???

Has Orr scored a belter?

She’s gone through a gap in the midfield, and forces her way past Metcalfe to score.

But the last pass may have drifted forward. A TMO check awaits…

76

Lloyd with the jackal!

Rhona Lloyd with an excellent jackal right on the half way line! Scotland just FOUR minutes from a first win in the Rugby World Cup since 28 August 2010.

The penalty is kicked out on Wales’ 22.

75

Prop swap

Lisa Cockburn is back on for Elliann Clarke, having briefly replaced her earlier for an HIA.

75

Jackaled again

Another strong jackal from Wales wins a penalty.

They kick it out on our 10m line.

73

Wales forced to clear from their line

Blacklock kicks through and Rollie puts in a monstrous hit on Metcalfe right on the try line. Wales just about scramble it into touch on their 22.

71

Big day for Wassell concludes

Emma Wassell, a year to the day after her benign tumour was discovered, is replaced after a seismic 70-minute shift. Eva Donaldson replaces her.

70

Jackal pen

Wales steal it back on the floor.

The penalty is sliced out on Wales’ 22.

70

Off feet

Wales get the ball on the floor but then go off their feet in a ruck.

Blacklock kicks to around 15m out from Wales’ line on the left wing.

68

Sub in the backs

Beth Blacklock replaces Lisa Thomson as Scotland find touch from a penalty awarded at ruck time.

We’ll throw in from just inside Wales’ half.

67

Prop swap

Molly Wright replaces Leah Bartlett.

66

EVIE’S IN!

A fifth try for Scotland!

Scotland’s lineout wasn’t straight, but an excellent scrum penalty is won which is tapped quickly. Two phases later Evie Gallagher breezes through two tackles and over! Nelson converts.

Scotland 31-8 Wales

60

Double sub

Sarah Bonar and Rachel McLachlan are replaced by Jade Konkel and Alex Stewart.

58

Stolen and cleared

Now that IS characteristic! A smart play from Orr after Wales had knocked on. Her kick finds touch on the halfway line.

57

Scrum penalty

A big drive from Wales and they win the penalty.

Welsh lineout on our 22.

55

Knock on

An uncharacteristic unforced error from Orr as she drops it in midfield.

Welsh scrum just outside our 10m line.

54

Straight out

Another successful counter-ruck from Wales, but Bevan’s box kick goes straight out.

Scotland lineout a metre inside Wales’ half.

53

Crabb to the bin

Gwen Crabb shown a yellow for a high tackle on Clarke. It could yet be upgraded to a 20-minute red card, with the bunker reviewing it as play restarts with a Scotland penalty on Wales’ 22.

But it’s kicked dead by Nelson, and Wales will have a 22 dropout.

53

TMO check

No lineout just yet, we’re going to have a look at a high tackle from Wales here after the TMO intervened.

53

Jackal pen for Wales

Martin grabs a loose lineout and Nelson charges through the middle. But then it gets a bit loose from Scotland and Wales win the jackal penalty.

Kicked out on their 10m line. Before the lineout, Caity Mattinson replaces Leia Brebner-Holden.

51

Cleared

Rollie finds a good touch just inside Wales’ half on their right flank.

49

Lost forward in the strip

Wales kick it back and then look to have stripped Scotland of the ball, but it’s gone forward.

Scottish scrum on our 22.

48

Free kick

Scotland will punt it long after winning the free kick at the scrum.

47

Sub in the front row

Lana Skeldon is replaced by Elis Martin as Scotland will put it to a scrum around 35m from our line after Wales spill it forward.

47

Dummy throw

Skeldon penalised for a dummy throw, it’s a Welsh free kick. They’ll tap and go on our 10.

46

Not straight

Let-off for Scotland. A couple of kicks each way and Nelson finds touch on the full, but the throw from Wales is again askew.

Scottish lineout on our 10m line.

44

HAT-TRICK FOR MCGHIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

YOU JUST DO NOT STOP HER!

Some phases down the left, then over to the right, then it’s pack to the left where McGhie steps around two Welsh defenders and in for her third of the day!

With less than a second left on the clock after the ball fell from the tee, Nelson nails the conversion!

Scotland 24-8 Wales

41

Excellent pressure!!!

Scotland kick it back from the restart and McGhie charges down George. Wassell races for the loose ball, and forces a knock on.

Scottish scrum just outside Wales’ 22.

41

Second half underway!

COME ON SCOTLAND!!!!!!

HT

Teams back out

Wales will soon get us back underway.

HT

Molly’s musings

We can also hear from tighthead prop Molly Poolman at half time:

“That was a fast start, just as we planned it. The girls have brought relentless energy. We have to keep our foot on the pedal. Big second half incoming.”

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McGhie-in it everything

Francesca McGhie raced in for her first World Cup try less than a minute into her first World Cup game, the first of three tries in the opening 40 for Scotland.

As Scotland centre Evie Wills has put it:

“We’ve got McGhie, SUPER FRAN MCGHIE! What a first half, and with so much left in the tank.”

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Advantage Scotland at half time!

Wales huff and puff but Scotland hold firm, and the side in red are dragged into touch to bring an end to the first half.

Two tries from Francesca McGhie and one from Leia Brebner-Holden have Scotland 17-8 up at the break.

40

Unplayable ball

Wales steal the ball and go forward, and the ball gets stuck in a maul.

With the clock in the red Wales will scrum down on our 22.

39

Obstruction

Wales obstruct Scotland as they form a maul! Escape for Scotland.

We kick the penalty to around 15 metres inside our own half.

38

HIA

Clarke will go for an HIA. Lisa Cockburn comes on.

38

Tackle on the floor

The sack is good from Scotland at maul time and the ball comes loose. Sarah Bonar comes away with and Scotland fire the passes from left to right where Rollie breaks up the right and kicks on.

Wales retreat, collect and clear, and Metcalfe chips over the top and gathers, tearing into our 22.

Scotland scramble to defend but there’s a tackle by a player on the floor and Wales get the penalty, which is kicked to around 15m from our line on Wales’ right.

35

Welsh scrum penalty

Bartlett penalised for not driving straight.

Kicked into our 22 on Wales’ right.

34

Not straight

Scotland clear the kick off and then Wales’ lineout isn’t straight.

We opt for a scrum a metre inside our half.

31

BREBNER-HOLDEN!!!

A third score!

McGhie breaks up the right. And after a few good carries we end up on the left flank a metre out where we get penalty advantage.

A strong carry from Leah Bartlett, and then Leia Brebner-Holden dummies and dives over. Nelson converts.

Scotland 17-8 Wales

30

Stolen

Wales nick it and find touch on their 10m line.

29

Defensive pressure!

Nelson chips over the top, and a blue wall rampages towards George, who spills it forward on the floor.

Scotland scrum in the centre of the pitch, just outside Wales’ 22.

27

UNBELIEVABLE jackal from Orr

Jasmine Joyce screams up the right wing, and when she’s tackled Wales go quickly up the middle.

But the retreating Orr is onto the ball like her life depends on it after Gallagher’s tackle, and the jackal penalty is awarded! That could be a huge moment in this one, as Scotland looked stretched there.

Thomson finds touch just inside Wales’ half.

27

Good nudge from Nelly

Wales steal it and kick upfield. Nelson returns it and finds touch just outside Wales’ 22.

25

Touch found

Kick off immediately cleared once more. Scottish lineout on Wales’ 10m line.

24

Penalty successful

Scotland 10-8 Wales

23

No release

Clarke thinks she has another breakdown steal, but the decision is a penalty against her for not releasing in the tackle before grabbing the ball.

Bevan will kick at goal, from just right of the posts inside the 22.

22

Off feet

Good counter ruck from Wales and Scotland go off their feet to try and secure it.

Wales kick the penalty to around 10m from our line on Wales’ left side.

20

Orr hacks on

Clarke with a fantastic ruck steal and Orr elects to kick through. It finds space but Lleucu George covers well and finds touch on our 10m line.

19

Rollie clears

Chloe Rollie kicks out around 30m from our line to our right wing.

17

FRAN AGAIN!!!

The maul is sacked legally by Wales. Gallagher and Clarke drive to their right, and then it goes back out left where McGhie has time and space to dot down for a second time.

Scotland 10-5 Wales

16

In the side

After a string of Scottish penalties, it’s Wales’ turn to concede one for a side entry at ruck time.

Nelson’s excellent touchfinder sees us throwing in at the lineout just five metres out on our left flank.

15

Cleared to touch

The restart put into touch on their 10m line by Wales.

14

Wass back on

As the game restarts, Wassell comes back on for Donaldson.

14

Try Wales

Wales maul their way over the line on the right, grounded by Alex Callender.

Scotland 5-5 Wales

13

Offside

Rachel McLachlan caught offside as Wales secure their lineout and drive for the line via the forwards.

Into the right corner by Wales.

11

Not rolling

Wales steal the lineout, and though Donaldson thinks she has jackaled it back the referee deems Elliann Clarke had not rolled away after the tackle.

The resulting penalty goes just shy of 15m out from our line.

9

Skeldon jackals back!

Lana Skeldon, who couldn’t shift Pyrs when she won her jackal penalty, exacts revenge! An excellent jackal of her own and the penalty is won.

Scotland now have the lineout just outside our 10m line.

8

Holding on

Thomson’s boot is returned, and after several phases from Scotland, it’s Alaw Pyrs who wins the jackal penalty.

It’s kicked into our 22 on Wales’ left wing. Lineout there.

6

Free kick

One reset, then Donna Rose pushes early. Thomson will hoof the ball downfield.

4

Scrum time; blood sub

The ball is kicked into touch by Thommo after the restart, but Wales’ throw in is squint.

We’ll have the put-in for the match’s first scrum, just outside the 22 on our right flank.

Meanwhile, Emma Wassell is replaced by Eva Donaldson as a blood substitution.

1

FRAN FROM THE START!!!!

WHAT A START!

Wales clear from the kick off, and Evie Gallagher runs it back up the middle. Scotland then go left, and Wales leave space after the ball goes loose. Helen Nelson sees it and goes down the left wing, finding Francesca McGhie right on the touchline, who races in the corner!

Scotland 5-0 Wales

1

The World Cup begins!

Lisa Thomson kicks us off.

COME ON SCOTLAND!!!

14:43

PASSIONATE anthems!

Salford is BUZZING for this one! We’re just seconds out.

Are we 80 minutes away from a first Rugby World Cup win since 2010?

14:40

The teams emerge!

Salford Community Stadium, nearing it’s capacity, is bouncing. Highland Cathedral is played by a fan and reverberates across the ground.

Scotland, in the traditional navy kit, and Wales, in their red but with black tracksuit tops to cover it, walk from the corner to the middle of the pitch, for what for many will be the biggest moment of their careers, if not their lives, to date.

There are smiles. There are tears. There is passion in abundance, which will surely only continue as we get into the anthems.

14:35

Back in the changing room

Any minute now the teams will be out on the pitch!