“Tidy up, fellas” was the message referee Andrew Brace gave the Welsh players after they conceded their 14th penalty in the 77th minute.
Those three words summed up Wales’ performance which was one of inaccuracy, ill-discipline and frustration.
Wales’ players understandably looked dejected at the final whistle, and they could have no cause for complaint after being put to the sword in brutal fashion.
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After Brace called time on such a one-sided contest, Wales captain Ken Owens and tighthead prop Dillon Lewis looked on, going over to congratulate Stuart Hogg and George Turner a few minutes after the final whistle.
Proud west Walian Owens looked dumbfounded at the end as he looked on at the Scotland players celebrating but also making time to give his players a tap on the back to prevent their spirits from dropping to even lower levels.
There was very much a look of “it can’t get any worse than this can it?” from the Wales players.
Wales looked frustrated throughout and on the stroke of half-time when tempers flared Dan Biggar vented his anger at Scotland scrum-half Ben White saying “who the f**k do you think you are?"
Biggar’s anger was palpable throughout with the Toulon playmaker giving Rio Dyer a stern talking to after the Wales wing threw the most unkind hospital pass his way.
There were moments when Wales got under Scotland’s skin none, more so than in the scrum where Wyn Jones seemed to get the upper hand over Zander Fagerson. “He’s not holding his weight! He’s not holding his weight!” said the Scotland tighthead. Brace dismissed the Scotland prop before going over to Owens to say “he has the ascendancy but make sure he stays honest,” referring to Jones.
Many scoffed at Gatland’s decision to select two opensides in his back-row, especially considering it was at the expense of Taulupe Faletau. But the reality is Tommy Reffell kept Wales in the game for longer than they should have been in it.
Reffell went about his business quietly with a large part of the second half consisting of his team-mates shouting “well done, Tommy".
Reffell was like a man possessed clamping over the ball with the perfect body angle to stem Scotland’s momentum on more than one occasion. He was so good at the breakdown it was easy to assume the action wasn’t legal.
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“It looks like he’s coming through the gate,” said Zander Fagerson. But of course he wasn’t; the Leicester Tigers man is so astute at the breakdown, picking and choosing which rucks to contest.
But they couldn’t maintain any pressure and imploded in spectacular fashion and their frustration got the better of Gatland’s men.
In the 50th minute Brace gave Wales a final warning, prompting Owens to ask whether he could chat to his players. Owen bellowed words of encouragement, trying to liven his players up, but it didn’t have the desired effect.
After another scuffle which had Biggar at the centre of it yet again Brace told Owens “Ken, when the whistle is blown we get up and move on.”
Gatland will hope his players take heed of those words ahead of the final three games of the championship.
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