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Wales winger Louis-Rees Zammit scores the first of his two attempts against Scotland.
Wales benefited from a red card for the second weekend in a row in the Six Nations to beat Scotland 25-24 for a second win to open the championship on Saturday (Sunday New Zealand time).
The Welsh were trailing 17-15 in the 54th minute when Scottish prop Zander Fagerson collided with a ruck and slammed into the face of Welsh prop Wyn Jones, who was trying to wrest the ball from him.
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Scotsman Zander Fagerson receives a red card against Wales.
It was a similar incident to the one that landed Peter O’Mahony to the red card in the 14th minute for Ireland in their 21-16 loss to Wales last week, and the same fate befell Fagerson after multiple video reviews.
Jones regained his senses to break into an attempt a minute later. And although captain Stuart Hogg regained the lead for the Scots in battle with his second try of the game, a 70-minute try by Louis Rees-Zammit, also his second, after running with his own chip ahead he finally secured victory. for Wales.
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Scotland coach Gregor Townsend didn’t think it was a clear red card, with Jones in the process of raising his head as Fagerson flew into the ruck, shoulder first.
“I’m more simply questioning the process to see a red card replay,” Townsend. “Obviously if he touched his head, I thought he had gotten in and cleared his head. The TMO hinted there was a late move.”
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George Turner from Scotland is held by Aaron Wainwright (L) from Wales.
Looking to capitalize on a first win over England at Twickenham in 38 years, Scotland came out fast in a sub-zero Murrayfield and overwhelmed the visitors in the first half hour, taking a 17-3 lead thanks to converted attempts by Darcy Graham. his eighth in 16 tests, after hitting a chip behind the defense of scrum half Ali Price and then Hogg, who kicked forward and pounced on a loose ball after it was spilled by retiring Welsh running back Leigh Halfpenny.
Rees-Zammit and Liam Williams responded with attempts on either side of halftime for Wales, who are a surprising early tournament leader, although the team is benefiting from the indiscipline of their rivals. There have only been 10 red cards in 21 years of the Six Nations, and two of them have arrived in the space of a week.
“We are improving every week in certain areas of the game and we showed a lot of character today,” Wales coach Wayne Pivac said. “However, we cannot get carried away with this. We have to build on it.”
Pivac was under pressure entering the Six Nations after just three wins, against Italy, twice and Georgia, in his first 10 games in charge since replacing Warren Gatland.
Now a victory over England in the third round in two weeks would prepare the Welsh for a second title in three years.
“We are happy with the character,” said Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones, “but we were largely disappointed in how we played.”
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Hamish Watson is looking to download for Scotland.
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In Murrayfield, Edinburgh
Wales 25 (Louis Rees-Zammit 2, Liam Williams, Wyn Jones tries; Leigh Halfpenny pen, Callum Sheedy with) Scotland 24 (Stuart Hogg 2, Darcy Graham tries; Finn Russell pen, 3 with) Wales. HT: 8-17.
