Scotland blows 27-0 lead against Wales before ending losing streak in Cardiff

CARDIFF, Wales — An astonishing comeback by a novice Wales rugby side fell one point short and allowed Scotland to end a 22-year hoodoo in Cardiff to start the Six Nations on Saturday.

Scotland prevailed 27-26 after blowing a 27-0 lead and triumphed at Principality Stadium for the first time since 2002.

The Scots satisfied pre-match predictions at 20-0 for their biggest halftime lead against Wales in 100 years. When captain Finn Russell again set up wing Duhan van der Merwe for his too-easy second converted try, Scotland was cruising at 27-0 after 43 minutes.

To that point, Wales' younger, new-look side was making it easy for the visitors with a dismal, error-ridden effort. Then complacency by Scotland and the injection of replacement scrumhalf Tomos Williams sparked life and urgency in Wales, and the home side streaked in four successive tries, carried along by a capacity crowd of 74,000 that had been silenced under the roof.

In 19 wild minutes, tries to flanker James Botham, playing his first test in more than two years, wing Rio Dyer, No. 8 Aaron Wainwright and debutant back-rower Alex Mann — three of them converted by three-cap replacement Ioan Lloyd — had Wales within a point with 12 minutes to go.

But Scotland's experience and recovered poise managed the end better, and it finished on the Wales try-line. The Scots hammered Wales for 14 phases and van der Merwe reached out for a hat-trick try but was denied by Dyer's leg.

Still, the Scots ended a run of 11 consecutive defeats at the home of Welsh rugby.

“It's a funny one,” Scotland coach Gregor Townsend said. “A lot of our players are disappointed and we're trying to say to them this is an important win for the next few weeks of the championship, but also in terms of not winning here for so long.”

Russell, under no pressure from Wales in the first half, was given an easy ride by a dominant pack and conducted his side's attack professionally.

They were 10-0 up after 11 minutes after prop Pierre Schoeman reached out under a pile of bodies to dot down between the posts.

Russell, five-for-five off the tee, was gifted three points when Wales wing Josh Adams was penalized for throwing the ball into the crowd.

Big tackles by front-rowers Zander Fagerson and George Turner stopped Wales cold, then waves of Scotland attacks finished with van der Merwe's 22nd try in his 35th test. Scotland was 20-0 up and Wales was in utter disorder.

The lineout was a mess, and the kicking was wasteful. The damage was limited only by Scotland's creaky scrum and seven penalties conceded.

“I can apologise for the first half, it's probably the worst first 40 performance in my whole rugby career as a coach,” Wales' Warren Gatland told the BBC. "We were terrible, shocking.

"The message at halftime was to do what we wanted to do in the first; bring some tempo, play with a bit of intensity and play some rugby, nothing flashy.

“The players should be disappointed with the first half but proud for the second half that they didn't throw the towel in and could have won the game.”

Another pointless clearance launched a two-pass counterattack by Scotland that gave van der Merwe his second try to start the new half.

But Wales was upgrading around halftime with the introduction of Lloyd, Tomos Williams, and tight five forwards Keiron Assiratti, Elliot Dee and Teddy Williams.

The lineout, unreliable in the first half, suddenly was the launchpad for tries by Botham and Dyer.

Scotland hooker Turner was just back from the sin-bin when center Sione Tuipulotu was sent there for being offside twice amid 16 penalties conceded to Wales' four. Dee quick-tapped and Wainwright plowed over between the posts.

Another lineout drive sent Mann over and Lloyd's conversion made it 27-26, but Wales couldn't arrange one more score to complete a comeback for the ages.

“The win is brilliant but that second half was nowhere near where it needed to be,” Russell said. “A little bit disappointed to be honest."

Scotland will host France next weekend while Wales goes to England.