Wales picked up their first win of this year’s Six Nations with a gritty 26-23 victory over Scotland at Murrayfield. Both sides scored two tries each, and the game ended in controversy as the hosts felt they should have been allowed to continue their fightback.
Scotland scored a late try through Jon Welsh, to add to the early try by Stuart Hogg, but fulltime was blown by referee Glen Jackson when it appeared that there may have still been time on the clock. The loss leaves Scotland without a point from two matches.
“From where I was sitting, there was time to take the kick [restart],” said Scotland’s Greig Laidlaw.
“The majority of the stadium seemed to feel the same. Whether we would have gone on to score, that’s a different matter. Rome was not built in a day and this team is on a journey with Vern Cotter. I thought the referee forgot how long was on the clock at the end..”
View the final whistle incident
Scoring two tries apiece, with Ryys Webb and Jonathan Davies scoring for Wales, it was the boot of Leigh Halfpenny that ultimately proved the difference between the two sides, with his one extra penalty giving the visitors the edge.
It was Wales’ eighth straight victory over Scotland in the Six Nations, but the Scots will take heart from their performance, and coach Vern Cotter, who ironically used to be in charge of Glen Jackson when he was a player, said that he will submit notes on the referees performance.
“We were unconvincing last week and again towards the end today but a win’s a win,” said Wales lock Alun-Wyn Jones post match. “In the last couple of games we’ve been unconvincing but credit to Scotland, they never gave up.”
Wales are in fourth position on the table, level with France on points but have a worse points deficit. Scotland are second from the bottom, ahead of Italy, with both sides having lost two from two.
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