The emotion of the Scotland players at full-time here perhaps told you everything you needed to know about the importance of this afternoon. Their buildup to the World Cup has been mired in controversy, with their head coach, Bryan Easson, confirming his departure after this tournament as well as contractual disputes surrounding many of their squad.
But all those factors, and all that motivation, blended together to deliver a stunning performance and a significant victory. With the might of Canada and the slightly less problematic Fiji also in Pool B, it was not inconceivable to suggest this was the most important game of the opening weekend, doubling up as a straight shootout for a place in the knockout stages.
Games between these two sides are notoriously close; no Scotland supporter needs reminding about Keira Bevan’s 86th-minute penalty that split the sides at the last World Cup. But this was different, with Scotland magnificent in taking a sizeable step towards the quarter-finals.
France grind down Italy in Pool D
France scored three tries to beat Italy 24-0 in their Women's Rugby World Cup opener in Exeter.
After a tight start between the two Pool D teams, Joanna Grisez broke the deadlock in the 27th minute to cross, squeezing through a gap in the Italian defence before grounding and Morgane Bourgeois converted.
France almost had a second following a scrappy defensive effort from Italy, but their effort was ruled out after the ball was deemed to have been simultaneously grounded by both Alyssa D'Inca and Bourgeois.
The French full-back shortly extended their lead from the tee just before the break and Assia Khalfaoui eventually bagged the second five minutes into the second-half, with Bourgeois converting.
France were then forced to work for their third try, going through 20 phases before Charlotte Escudero, pictured, went over and Bourgeois added the extras. PA Media
Easson perhaps summed it up best. “A performance like that doesn’t really surprise us,” he said. “But it’s extremely satisfying; we were ruthless in attack and defensively we made Wales look pretty ordinary.” He is not wrong: there were times when Wales were made to look sub-par.
They must now, in all probability, defeat Canada and Fiji to qualify unless the latter can pull off a shock against Scotland next Saturday. Their head coach, Sean Lynn, said: “I’ve just said to the players that’s just not good enough. We said we wanted to be physical and credit to Scotland, they bullied us off the park. You can’t start both halves like that.”
This was Scotland’s biggest victory over Wales, and their biggest margin of victory in a World Cup game since 1994, with the tone set inside 55 seconds as Francesca McGhie finished a fine move down the left. It would not be the last time Scotland would exploit that area of the pitch.
Wales responded with a try for co-captain Alex Callender but the greater moments of dominance on the gainline belonged to Scotland. They went back ahead when McGhie claimed her second before Leia Brebner-Holden finished another patient piece of attacking play after Wales initially halted a break in midfield.
A penalty from Bevan either side of the second and third Scottish tries kept it mildly in the balance at the break, with Wales trailing by nine. But when McGhie completed her hat-trick in a carbon copy of her first try to clinch the bonus point, the writing was very much on the wall for Wales.
Scotland Rollie, Lloyd, Orr, Thomson (Blacklock 68), McGhie, Nelson, Brebner-Holden (Mattinson 53); Bartlett (Wright 61), Skeldon (Martin 47), Clarke (Cockburn 38), Wassell (Donaldson 72), Bonar (Konkel 60), Malcolm, McLachlan (Stewart 60), Gallagher. Tries McGhie 3, Brebner-Holden, Gallagher, Orr. Cons Nelson 4.
Wales Metcalfe, Joyce, Dallavalle (Cox 47), Keight, Neumann, George (Powell 66), Bevan (Lockwood 61); G Pyrs (Davies 51), Jones (Phillips 51), Rose (Tuipulotu 38), A Pyrs (Fleming 47), Crabb, Williams, Lewis, Callander. Try Callender. Pen Bevan.
Referee Maggie Cogger-Orr (NZ). Attendance 10,054.
They survived a 10-minute period without Gwen Crabb, but shortly after she returned Scotland pushed further ahead when Evie Gallagher cut through. There was even time for Emma Orr to add a sixth try with two minutes remaining but by then the damage had long since been done to Wales’s qualification hopes.
