SCOTLAND ended their Six Nations campaign with a well-merited win to claim fifth place in the final Championship table.
It was their first victory in the tournament since a 2018 triumph away to Ireland, a first win, too, since they made Scotstoun their home, and a result that gives Wales the Wooden Spoon.
A consolation score by the visitors produced a final score that flattered them somewhat, and on another day Scotland might have won the try count by a more emphatic margin than 4-2.
But head coach Bryan Easson was nonetheless satisfied with the result, and with the composure shown by his squad after defeats in previous weeks by England and Italy.
“The work the girls have put in over the past few months, they really deserved what they got today,” he said. “The resilience they’ve shown, their adaptability to everything, and it being only the second time in 17 years we’ve beaten Wales – we have to look at that as a really positive result.
“Obviously we’ll review and look at it. There are a lot of positives but also a lot of things that we can work on. We’ve got a good group here, a good growing group, and we’ve now won a game and we’ll kick on.”
Scotland got off to a positive start, taking the lead after five minutes when Megan Gaffney finished off in the left corner after the Welsh defence ran out of numbers. Helen Nelson was just wide with the conversion attempt, but, after tentative beginnings in their previous two matches, it was still a highly encouraging opening to the match by the home side.
Wales began to fight back despite coming under pressure in the scrum, and although Robyn Wilkins was wide with a first penalty attempt after quarter-of-an-hour, she was on target with two efforts in the following 10 minutes to put her team ahead.
But Scotland reasserted themselves, and after opting to scrum a penalty well inside the Welsh half, they regained the lead when Megan Kennedy finished off after a powerful assault on the line. Nelson converted to make it 12-6.
That lead widened to 17-6 five minutes before the break when Christine Belisle got the home side’s third try, unconverted this time. Again a patient build-up proved key, and in the end the loosehead had the sheer strength to force her way over from no more than a metre out.
Trailing by those 11 points at the break, Wales hit back within two minutes of the re-start when Lisa Neumann squeezed in at the right corner after a blindside break. Wilkins converted, and the visitors were right back in the game.
Scotland needed to do something to halt the visitors’ momentum, and they did when Siobhan Cattigan broke from midfield. An offence by the Welsh saw the Scots go to touch, and from the line-out drive, back-row forward Evie Gallagher got her team’s fourth try, converted by Nelson.
Wales were deflated by that score, and they only rarely set up a good attacking position in the following 20 minutes, a scoreless period which ended when Nelson added a penalty from in front of the posts. That made it 27-13, and with just 10 minutes to go, Scotland had the game all but won.
Winger Caitlin Lewis got the last-gasp try for the visitors, and Wilkins added the conversion.
In the day’s earlier games, England retained their title with a 10-6 win over France, while Ireland claimed third place thanks to a 25-5 victory against Italy.
Scorers, Scotland - Tries: Gaffney, Kennedy,
Belisle, Gallagher. Cons: Nelson 2. Pen: Nelson.
Wales - Tries: Neumann, Lewis. Cons: Wilkins 2. Pens: Wilkins 2.
Scotland: C Rollie; E Musgrove, H Smith, L
Thomson, M Gaffney; H Nelson (captain), J Maxwell; C Belisle (L Cockburn 71), L Skeldon, M Kennedy (L Bartlett 60), E Wassell, L McMillan, E Gallagher, R McLachlan, S Cattigan (J Rettie 21-36). Unused substitutes: N Howat, M McDonald, S Law, E Wills, R Shankland.
Wales: J Joyce; L Neumann, G Rowland, H Jones (captain), C Lewis; R Wilkins, M Davies (M Webb 79); C Thomas (G Jenkins 74), R Lock, D Rose (C Hale 65), N John (A Fleming 71), T Wyn Davies (G Crabb 60), M Johnes. B Dainton (S Powell-Hughes 60), G Evans. Unused substitutes: K Jones, J Knight.
Referee: C Munarini (Italy).
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here