Two red cards, six tries, a nip-and-tuck scoreboard and a traditional Scottish deluge falling from the sky. This had pretty much everything and Scotland were the team left standing with a victory at the end of a pulsating encounter. These sides meet again in August, in Pool B of the Women’s Rugby World Cup, and judging by the skill, physicality and entertainment on show in Edinburgh, that appointment in Salford will be unmissable.
Sarah Bonar, Emma Orr and Leah Bartlett scored tries for Scotland while Helen Nelson kicked a penalty and three conversions – each one proving important in the final reckoning. Carys Phillips, Abbie Fleming and Gwenllian Pyrs were try-scorers for Wales, who started and finished strongly but ultimately paid for missing 35 tackles. Credit to Scotland, too, for whom the wing Fran McGhie was a constant threat, for their smooth handling skills and forward muscle.
“It probably wasn’t the prettiest performance from us,” Nelson told the BBC. “We were frustrated after the first half when we came in, we’d had a lot of possession but probably weren’t clinical enough at the breakdown. But I’m just proud of the girls, to front up in not the best conditions and get the win.”
Sean Lynn, the new Wales head coach, was coming off the back off a Premiership victory with Gloucester-Hartpury last weekend and his new charges tore into the contest like champions. Scotland barely had a touch for seven minutes while Wales worked through multiple phases of intelligent handling and perceptive running. Their reward was a try for Phillips after four minutes, the front-rower flopping over from short range and Keira Bevan converting.
Scotland were pleased to be reacquainted with their old friend, the ball, and McGhie had home supporters on their feet with a thrilling chip and chase down the middle. Pressure from Bryan Easson’s side built steadily on the visiting defence and Rachel Malcolm, the captain and blindside flanker, looked to have them in the lead with a catch-and-drive from a lineout. However, the TMO intervened and the referee, Kat Roche, overruled the score for obstruction.
Welsh tackling had been nothing short of heroic, but their defence was breached three minutes before half-time when Rhona Lloyd made a determined burst on the Scottish left, allowing Bonar to burrow over. Georgia Evans, the Wales No 8, received her first yellow card of the afternoon for collapsing a maul.
Despite a bright start, by half-time Wales had made 97 tackles to Scotland’s 74, while Scotland had made 498 attacking metres to 296. Most worryingly for Lynn, perhaps, was that Wales had missed 19 tackles.
Sure enough, defensive slackness appeared to have cost them when Evie Gallagher went charging into space two minutes after half-time following a slick Scottish lineout. It was Lisa Thomson who eventually touched down but again the TMO, Oli Kellett, had identified a blatant obstruction by the openside flanker Rachel McLachlan.
Not to worry: Scotland had their second try after a ball was hacked into space and McGhie’s pace and hustle saw the ball pop out of a ruck, allowing Orr to canter in. Scotland had a 10-point lead and Wales were soon reduced to 14 again when Evans rushed in with a high challenge on Chloe Rollie. Two yellow cards equalled a 20-minute red.
Scotland’s Gallagher was promptly sent to the sin-bin for dangerous play at a ruck before Fleming’s try for the visitors, converted by Bevan, brought Wales to within three point with a quarter to play. Gallagher’s yellow card was upgraded to red via a bunker review: “A high degree of danger attacking the lower limb,” said the TMO Kellett. Interesting to wonder what Fabien Galthié and Antoine Dupont might make of that.
France were pushed all the way by Ireland in the Women's Six Nations opener after Gabrielle Vernier was sent off for a high tackle, before a late scoring burst secured victory for Les Bleues in Belfast.
After the Ireland No 8 Aoife Wafer's second try on 66 minutes, Dannah O'Brien's conversion would have levelled at 17-17, but the fly-half's kick strayed wide. Morgane Bourgeois, who kicked 12 points with an immaculate five from five, punished Ireland with a penalty four minutes later before Emilie Boulard's try stretched the visitors' lead to 12 and extinguished Irish hopes.
France also visit Parma and London in three away fixtures in the campaign as they build towards the World Cup later this year, and were seriously tested by Ireland's physicality. Vernier had run a lovely line after six minutes to get France off the mark before Marine Ménager finished off a flowing move 11 minutes later after powerful carries from Charlotte Escudero and Melisande Llorens.
At 14-0, the threat of a rout hung in the air, but the hosts launched themselves into the contest with a crashing short-range score by Wafer on 21 minutes. Vernier was dismissed on 44 minutes after rushing out of the line and smashing head-on-head into Eve Higgins.
A powerful Irish drive culminated in a try for Neve Jones five minutes after the break and Wafer's second, with 14 minutes left, was a similarly well-coordinated shove. A fright for France before decisive late scores by Bourgeois and Boulard.
Ireland's Edel McMahon told the BBC: "There is frustration around the group, because we let that game slip away from us at times, but I'm also incredibly proud of where the girls have come from … We're competing with top-tier nations, we're testing them, we're hard to beat and we're firing shots." Luke McLaughlin
Easson’s side were undeterred. Orr went scything into space thanks to a stunning offload by Thomson and the Scottish forwards took over, Bartlett smashing through the defensive cover for the decisive try. A 10-point lead looked defendable but Wales were restored to 15, after the 20-minute red card, and were threatening as the clock ticked down. Scotland held firm to secure back-to-back wins against Wales for the first time in 20 years. Easson’s side go to France next weekend while Wales host England in Cardiff. Neither encounter is likely to be as close, or as thrilling, as this one.
“The positives were passion and energy,” Lynn said of the collective Welsh effort. “I asked for it and they delivered … The proudest part for me was we still had that belief, we were still in the game, when they went 12 points up … I’m super proud.”
“It means a lot,” Scotland’s Nelson said. “We knew they were going to come at us. We can take confidence from that, not just for the Six Nations but for the World Cup.”
