Well I quite enjoyed that. Scotland fans will begin to wonder when they’re going to take the next step forward, as it was a familiar story today. They were the more exciting, more ambitious team and certainly the nicer to watch. But we’re going back to the same old adjectives: naive, lacking an edge, impatient. They had their chances and it’s to Scotland’s credit that they were of their own creation, rather than born of Welsh mistakes. At this point though, they really should be winning these matches.
As for Wales, at least they played for 80 minutes today. They also seemed to have some sort of game plan, unlike last week, based on relentless kick chasing and battering the Scots at the breakdown. It worked, but you can’t see Gatland’s men beating any decent teams any time soon.
Fun though that was, neither of these teams is a contender to make an impact on the World Cup, nor to win this Six Nations. Thanks very much for all your emails and tweets, sorry I couldn’t use them all.
Bye!
Full-time: Scotland 23-26 Wales
Do we have time for the restart? Glenn Jackson checks his watch, checks with the fourth official, and decides we do not.
Converted try! Scotland 23-26 Wales (Hamilton 80)
Hidalgo-Cyne goes quickly and gets up to the line. Scotland pile the bodies in and Jim Hamilton is the man to plunder his way over the line.
78 min The scrum is a woeful, ugly mess and Wales are penalised for not driving straight. Finn Russell kicks to touch down the left and finds a good position inside the 22. They win the lineout and pick and go. Russell’s pass goes loose once again and Wales think about countering, but Wales were offside and Scotland get yet another penalty.
77 min Phillips is on for Webb. In fact it was a knock-on by Hidalgo-Clyne while being tackled high, that was gathered up by Bennett, rather than an offload. Anyway, Wales win the lineout, but are held up in the maul and it’s a scrum to Scotland just inside the Wales half.
75 min There was a high tackle in there on Hidalgo-Clyne, so Scotland get the penalty. I’m not sure why Webb wasn’t sin-binned for that. Anyway, Scotland take the scrum, but from that Wales get a penalty themselves and clear.
74 min Sam Hidalgo-Clyne is on for Laidlaw and he’s almost in here! Scotland steal the lineout and ship it left to Hogg, who comes up and flies through the gap! He goes streaming down the left and passes inside to Hidalgo-Clyne, who makes for the line and passes inside to Mark Bennett to finish, but the pass is forwards! Oh what a shame, that was a wonderful attack.
73 min Wales run up to halfway, Welsh goes off his feet and concedes a penalty. Biggar finds touch on the left, just outside the 22.
72 min Wales win the lineout and pass inside, but Scotland win a penalty on the floor. No matter for Wales as Russell fluffs his kick, which grubbers along the floor to Liam Williams.
71 min Again they go quick and Bennett gets it, but he’s isolated 10m out. Support is there and Scotland drive forward again, but then they hold on and it’s a penalty to Wales. Great defence from the Welsh.
70 min Scotland drop it again but again it’s gone back. Scott steps through but can’t get there. It’s advantage Scotland as they pick and go. Back we go for a penalty.
69 min Wales go off their feet and it’s a penalty to Scotland right under the sticks. Laidlaw taps and goes...
68 min Scotland pick and go, crabbing inside towards the posts as they do so. Left they go and though it goes loose Cowan comes through. He’s almost there but then it goes loose again. Scotland retain possession but they;re being driven back.
67 min Now Roberts misses a tackle as Bennett goes clean through the middle. He’s up to the 22 on his own, but support arrives and Scotland have numbers right. Across it goes and Visser is up to the 5m line...
66 min Gordon Reid’s day becomes a cameo as he takes a blow and has to be taken off, so Alasdair Dickinson returns. Scotland have possession on halfway. A long pass is flung right to Hogg, who kicks ahead. He’s take out by Williams but the Welshman was already committed to the tackle.
65 min Nick Varley is not happy about the disallowed Welsh try: “how is that obstruction? They completely fool the defender into tackling what he thinks is the ball carrier, yet it’s called obstruction by the decoy player?”
How on earth is that not obstruction? The decoy maul goes straight into the defender and blocks of two more standing to the left. Even Jonathan Davies agreed and he’d argue black was white if it was in Wales’ favour.
Converted try! Scotland 16-26 Wales (Davies 64)
A delayed pass from Biggar to Davies and the Clermont man steps out of Scott’s weak tackle. He sells Jonny Gray with a dummy and canters over from 20m, under the sticks. Game over?
Updated
63 min Scotland secure it from the restart but then Jenkins turns them over inside the Scotland half. Tipuric and Faletau make half breaks on the right, then it comes back inside and Webb carries into the 22. The visitors have had all the territory in this half and really should have extended their lead by now.
62 min Well well well. Halfpenny pushes it wide of the left-hand post. Reid comes on for Dickinson on the Scotland side and Tipuric replaces Lydiate on the Welsh.
Leigh Halfpenny misses
Holy crap!
61 min Wales run it back up into the Scotland half. It’s shifted right and Blair Cowan comes into a ruck at the side, giving Halfpenny a shot at goal from 40m out, 15m in from the right. Hibbar, Baldwin and Ball are replaced by Baldwin, Andrews and Charteris.
No try
Penalty Scotland and Russell clears long, but doesn’t find touch.
Updated
60 min AW Jones takes the ball down and Wales maul towards the line. The two locks splinter and form a decoy maul that takes out the defender while Hibbard slips it left to Williams, who dives over. We’re checking with the TMO, but that’s a pretty obvious obstruction.
59 min Quick hands shift it left to Williams on the touchline, but Hogg and Harley combine to stop him. Beattie steals the ball but goes off his feet in doing so, then Biggar puts the penalty in the corner. Scott comes on for Dunbar and Strokosch for Beattie.
58 min Wales go through the phases, softening up the Scottish defence and getting up to the 22. Davies offloads well on the right and Warburton, then Jenkins make ground.
57 min Richie Gray looks to have done himself a mischief at the bottom of a ruck and he’s off, holding his arm, to be replaced by Jim Hamilton. Now Biggar takes a wonderful catch chasing Halfpenny’s kick.
56 min “This match reminds me why Argentina is set to be the surprise package of the WRC later this year,” writes Mark Turner. “Their tight and well disciplined (boring) forward motor would drill big holes in both Wales and Scotland today. And they’re arguably the 4th team in the Southern Hemisphere.”
I can’t see Argentina upsetting many teams; they’re not the team of eight years ago. There’s no question about them being the southern hemisphere’s fourth team though.
Penalty (Laidlaw 55) Scotland 16-19 Wales
Laidlaw is no mug with the boot himself and hits a confident penalty through the sticks to reduce the arrears to three.
Updated
54 min This time Scotland do get the ball. More picking and going and tackling between the halfway line and the 10m line, before Ball takes Johnnie Beattie out off the ball. Laidlaw will have a go from 42m, straight in front.
52 min An inauspicious start from Welsh as, er, the Welsh win the scrum against the head. Then all of the front row’s hard work is undone as Webb takes his eye off the ball and knocks it on at the back. He’ll be unpopular, even for a scrum-half.
50 min Wales move it quickly from right to left and Halfpenny comes up into the line on the overlap. They recycle it and pass right, but the ball goes loose from Hibbard and Richie Gray intercepts. The ball gets held up in a ruck and Scotland get a scrum on halfway, as Jon Welsh replaces Geoff Cross.
Penalty (Halfpenny 49 min) Scotland 13-19 Wales
He could stay awake, just to hear to breathing, watch you smile while you are dreaming. He could spend his life, in this sweet surrender, just stay lost in this moment forever. Because every moment spent with you is a moment he treasures.
Leigh Halfpenny doesn’t want to miss a thing.
Updated
48 min Wales’ kick chasing has been so, so good today. They had two men jumping with Hogg for that last one and the diminutive Scot had next to no chance. This is a good scrum from Wales and Roberts smashes through the defence, up to within 8m. The ball goes loose and we go back for a Wales penalty for Scotland not binding in the scrum.
46 min Dunbar takes in the restart and Laidlaw sends it high. Halfpenny catches inside the Scottish half and Wales go through the phases before Biggar puts up a great kick, which Roberts takes just outside the 22. They carry it into the 22 and the ball gets tied up in the ruck, so Wales get the put-in to the scrum.
Penalty (Laidlaw 45) Scotland 13-16 Wales
From 30m, about 5m to the left of the posts, Laidlaw knocks it through.
44 min It’s another poor throw from Ford, too long and Wales spread it wide. Roberts goes through but he’s isolated and holds on in the tackle from Dunbar, who got over the ball brilliantly. Laidlaw will go for goal...
43 min A great Scottish scrum and it destroys the Welsh pack. Penalty to Scotland and Russell drills his kick into touch inside the 22. Jonathan Davies is still off so Lydiate goes into the backline.
42 min Faletau does well to disrupt the lineout, but his tap down goes forward. Scrum Scotland a metre or two inside their own half, 15m infield. A good steady scrum here and they have an extra man in the backs...
41 min Back out come the players and Dan Biggar gets us back underway. Lamont takes and carries up to his own 22. They work it back inside and Jones comes into the ruck from the side. Penalty Scotland and, with excellent timing, Russell returns to the fray. Hogg finds a good touch, on the right, on halfway.
Updated
“I spend my working days locked in an office with my very, very Scottish manager,” writes Matt Dony. “One of us is going to have a very long day tomorrow. The half improved, but I can’t say I’m confident. Last week’s scars are still itching.”
Half-time: Scotland 10-16 Wales
A really enjoyable, if slightly sloppy and ill-disciplined half of that. Momentum swung back and forth between the two teams and Scotland did well to regroup after going down to 14 men and falling behind. As with the France match though, they lack the nous and the cutting edge that Wales have; a team with more know-how would have had a couple more tries.
40 min After a couple of phases Hogg scythes through a gap! He’s up to within metres of the line but Halfpenny makes a last-ditch tackle. Cross, then Richie Gray, then Laidlaw all have a go at the line but the Welsh defence is, though desperate, resolute. The ball gets held up in the ruck though and that’s that for the half.
39 min Cowan offloads brilliantly out the back of the maul for Laidlaw. The scrum-half switches play and Scotland lay siege to the line with a series of pick-and-drives. Oh but great play on the floor from Wales to steal it, but then Halfpenny misses touch and Hogg runs it back into the 22.
38 min Into the corner it does go and Scotland have the 5m lineout.
37 min Johnny Gray wins the lineout and this is an excellent driving maul from Scotland. They’re up to the five metre line in no time at all! Up to the line they go and the ball pops out the back of the pile of bodies, so we go back for the advantage to Scotland. Surely this has to go into the corner?
36 min Well the extra man pays immediate dividends for Wales, but the numbers could be evened up here as Jonathan Davies jumps with Beattie and takes the number 8 out. “It’s the exact same thing,” says Glenn Jackson, fairly, and issues the yellow card. Hogg kicks to touch on the right, just outside the 22.
Converted try! Scotland 10-16 Wales (Webb 34)
Cuthbert can only get to halfway before being caught. Scotland are too narrow though and Wales ship it across to the other side of the pitch to Williams. He gets away on the overlap and as the cover comes across, Williams pops it inside to Webb who crosses. Halfpenny converts from the touchline.
Updated
33 min Hogg moves to 10 and restarts. Wales take it in and Biggar sends one up, but it’s well taken by Laidlaw. It’s important for Scotland not to concede again before half-time. There’s a chance here though as Cowan knocks on in contact on the 22 and Wales get it wide to Cuthbert who races away...
Penalty (Halfpenny 32) Scotland 10-9 Wales
As happened last week, Scotland’s indiscipline is letting them down. Halfpenny knocks it over from the 22.
Updated
31 min Faletau picks it up and goes down the blindside. He offloads left to Williams, but the winger’s kick ahead is poor and easily taken by Russell. The fly-half misses touch and Biggar returns an up-and-under. A brilliant chase from the fly-half and he gathers, but is taken out in mid-air by Russell. The Scot was looking for the ball but he had plenty of time to get out of the way, especially as he had already looked at Biggar. Penalty and a yellow card for Russell.
Updated
29 min From the lineout Laidlaw sends it high, but Cuthbert takes well under pressure. Wales return with the kick then Hogg misses touch with his own return. Biggar takes it up to the 10m line and Scotland turn them over, but Laidlaw knocks on when picking it up.
27 min The Welsh front row drive in at an angle and Russell launches it downfield into touch on his own 10m line. Wales’ decision not to take those three points very much unvindicated.
26 min The rolling maul again, but Scotland hold it up and get the scrum!
25 min Alun Wyn Jones takes in Hibbard’s throw. They rumble towards the line and Scotland drag the maul down, so we’ll get a penalty for Wales at least. Left they go, through slick hands, but Cuthbert’s pass is too far in front of Halfpenny. Back we go for the penalty and Biggar boots it into the corner. Interesting move.
24 min Beattie on the charge carries up to halfway, but Geoff Cross enters the ruck at the side and it’s a penalty to Wales. It’s a long old way out and Halfpenny sends a brilliant kick down the right, to within 7m of the Scottish line.
23 min Dunbar hits the line on the crash ball, then Cowan makes ground. Scotland go through the phases and Russell chips over the top, but Williams turns and takes an excellent diving catch and calls the mark. Williams clears long and Scotland take the quick throw.
22 min Laidlaw pops the box kick over the top and Halfpenny sort of scuffs his clearance. We are back in the exact situation we were one minute ago.
21 min Williams takes in the restart and kicks to touch down the left. Scotland lineout just inside the Welsh half and they get clean ball.
Penalty (Halfpenny 20) Scotland 10-6 Wales
The world’s best kicker does not miss from 10m out, right in front.
Updated
19 min Oh what a take this is from Halfpenny, chasing Biggar’s high kick. He offloads it too and Williams surges on an arcing run towards the line. The winger is dragged down short and it goes right, Wales just 5m short. Back inside it comes and Ball knocks on, but the referee is playing advantage for hands in the ruck by Cowan. Back we go.
Penalty (Laidlaw 18) Scotland 10-3 Wales
I’d have got that. A well deserved three points for Scotland but they’ll have wanted more from all that territory.
Updated
16 min The ball actually deflected off a Welsh player on the way out, so Scotland have the lineout in the 22. They win it and, despite a big hit by Roberts, they carry it on. Advantage to Scotland and Laidlaw chips over the top for Dunbar. He can’t get to it and we go back for a penalty, for hands in the ruck, right in front of the posts and 15m out.
15 min Scotland collapse the scrum and Wales get the penalty. It’s cleared to touch but Beattie steals it again. They go right quickly and Dunbar slips through a gap. He draws the tackle and passes right to Bennett, but the outside centre flaps at it and it bobbles into touch. That’s poor, Wales had been carved open and Bennett should have been in.
14 min Scotland win the lineout and offload it shortside to Ford, who burrows towards the line. Scotland up to within 8m of the line, but when it comes back inside Laidlaw knocks it on at the base of the ruck. Nice move that though by Scotland.
12 min Well that certainly came from nothing; it had been all Wales up to that point. Scotland are looking to play from their own 22 here but there’s nothing on so Laidlaw box kicks long. Halfpenny catches and it’s spread from left to right, to Cuthbert. Visser makes a good tackle and then Webb is caught well by Harley at the back of the ruck. The number nine holds on and Russell kicks the penalty to touch in the 22.
Converted try! Scotland 7-3 Wales (Hogg 10)
Wales are up just outside the 22 but Russell strips Cuthbert of the ball and passes to Hogg on his left. The full-back puts the foot down, burns Webb off on the outside and scores from 70m! Laidlaw knocks over the easy conversion.
9 min Now they make ground as Liam Williams slips away after AW Jones’ slick offload. The move breaks down when Hibbard flings a wild pass back to no one, but then Halfpenny surges through a tight gap.
8 min Back to the rugby and Wales have a lineout 11m inside the Scotland half on the left after Russell sliced his clearance. Slowly and steadily through the phases they go without gaining any territory.
7 min Graham O’Reilly is angry. Fuming. FURIOUS I tell you. Because of Flower of Scotland: “Bloody band got the tune wrong again. The 3rd last note is natural, not a sharp.”
Penalty (Halfpenny 7) Scotland 0-3 Wales
Just to the left of the posts and on the 22, Halfpenny won’t miss this.
5 min A pleasingly steady scrum and Wales go left. Hibbard makes good ground and then Lydiate and Warburton carry it into the 22. Scotland fail to roll away and that’s a penalty to Wales. Easy this for Halfpenny.
4 min Gray nabs the lineout, but a mistake by Russell as he looks to kick to the space behind Cuthbert and Halfpenny, but gets it all wrong and the ball goes beyond the dead ball line. Wales get the first scrum of the day, on the Scotland 10m line.
3 min Beattie takes in the lineout and Scotland look to maul it. Nowt doing there so they reset and Beattie goes into contact 12m inside the Wales half. The number 8 holds on and it’s another penalty. Not an encouraging start this.
2 min Wales win the lineout and Roberts takes it up on the crash ball. Right it goes and Davies goes into Dunbar, who makes an excellent tackle, seals it off and Davies is penalised for holding on on the floor. Russell kicks down the left and finds touch around 10m outside the Scotland 22.
Peep! Glenn Jackson blows his whistle and Finn Russell gets things underway. Jonathan Davies collects the deep kick in his 22 and straight away Scotland go off their feet at the ruck and concede the day’s first penalty. Halfpenny kicks down the left to touch, 8m inside the Scotland half.
“Afternoon Dan.” Afternoon, Simon McMahon. “Can’t disagree with your prediction. I’d actually thought 24-20 to Scotland but didn’t want to tempt fate. Anyway, 60% of the time, I’m wrong every time, so figure it doesn’t really matter anyway. Hopefully a great game in store.”
@DanLucas86 scotland by 5? Are you mad? Saying that, it's Wales propensity to self destruct vs Scotland's lack of talent.
— thechuckchinaski (@ChuckChinaski) February 15, 2015
Lack of talent? Have you watched any of this Scottish team play?!
Pitch watch: actually looks pretty decent, as far as I can tell from these camera angles. Murrayfield is bathed in sunshine too, looks glorious. Everything in its right place for a cracker then.
I’m setting this up for a slog, aren’t I?
Ten minutes until kick-off. I’m really looking forward to this, not just because we’ve got two exciting teams but because Scotland v Wales always tends to produce open, enjoyable rugby. And then there are the ridiculous moments like this.
Predictions? Scotland by five for me.
“A moment of madness” is how Hogg describes the late hit on Dan Biggar that saw the Scot sent off a year ago. I remember being hugely surprised by that one, he’s an incredibly likeable player.
On that USA sevens try:
@DanLucas86 Disallowed? Never. #BeatCanada USA, USA, USA, as chaps here are somewhat wont to chant. Go Eagles. etc.
— Martin Pengelly (@MartinPengelly) February 15, 2015
No way. He definitely had a foot in touch before crossing.
There is of course the subplot of revenge today, too. Wales gave Scotland a mighty mullering, a record 51-3, last year in Cardiff after Stuart Hogg was sent off for a late tackle and the game all but ended as a contest early. The young British Lion has been absolutely brilliant since then though and it says a lot for his performance last week that most pundits had him in their Team of the Weekend despite putting three kicks to touch out on the full. If Dan Biggar’s kicking from hand is no good then we could see a lot of Hogg. You won’t hear me complaining about that.
My colleague from Team America, Martin Pengelly, has tweeted to strongly suggest I mention that the USA have done very well in reaching the finals of the Las Vegas Sevens. Here they are, scoring a try that, by my reckoning, should have been disallowed.
Good news department. The pitch at Murrayfield has been pretty piss poor in recent seasons and bad weather tends to mean the most unwatchable slogs happening in mudbaths. So it’s a pleasant surprise to see that the forecast in Edinburgh is for a sunny afternoon. That’s not great news for Scotland, mind.
With overcast weather predicted for the #SCOvWAL match, here's who will (and won't be) hoping for rain. #seebeyond pic.twitter.com/NweTtvq5Ax
— Accenture Rugby (@AccentureRugby) February 15, 2015
Preamble
Afternoon folks. In the blink of an eye we’re here at the end of round two of the Six Nations. A third of the way through and the end of this match will signal a decent enough time to gauge where our protagonists/antagonists (delete as per your allegiance) stand.
This match is arguably the most important of the weekend, from a neutral perspective. Both lost last time around: Wales in a match they would have expected to win, Scotland in one that they’ll retrospectively have seen as a missed opportunity. Vern Cotter’s young team impressed against France but showed a little naivety and ended up being muscled out of the contest.
One perspective therefore is that Wales are the last team they would want to face next up. Warren Gatland’s horde of behemoths are not known for their surprises: Warrenball is Plan A and it has, for the most part, been successful enough over the years that there has been little call for a Plan B.
That said, there has been a growing sense of discontent among Welsh fans following a poor autumn, with just the one win, and a flat display against the old rivals last Friday night. Something other than just smashing the opposition out the way might be called for, what with oppositions growing bigger and bigger themselves. Scotland may be an exception, but Wales no longer have an enormous size advantage over their global rivals.
What Scotland do have is their most exciting, young, invigorating and creative side in 20-odd years. Finn Russell, Alex Dunbar, Mark Bennett and Stuart Hogg bring pace and and eye for an opportunity in spades and if Wales go to sleep as they did against England, then the Scots should smell blood. Furthermore in the Gray brothers, they finally have an engine room that no one is going to bully.
Backed by a partisan home crowd, Scotland have their best chance in seven years of beating the Welsh. I hate to disagree with Eddie Butler (see below), but I don’t think they have to win; they will, however, be disappointed if they don’t put in an inspiring performance here. Wales at the top of their game would be favourites, but few expect Wales to be at the top of their game.
For the visitors, George North is absent after being knocked out cold twice last week, but his replacement is the exciting Liam Williams, man of the match – albeit from 15 – in the autumn win over South Africa. They have one other enforced absence as Samson Lee is injured, so Aaron Jarvis starts. This might not be a bad thing, as Lee took a hell of a beating at the hands of Joe Marler last time out.
Scotland too have an enforced change. Euan Murray, who also suffered in the first round against France, doesn’t play Sundays on religious grounds, so in comes Geoff Cross in his stead. The winger Tommy Seymour is also unavailable after getting injured early on last Saturday and it’s his Glasgow team-mate Sean Lamont who gets the starting berth. Edinburgh’s Dougie Fife, who replaced Seymour early on in Paris, remains on the bench.
Kick-off is at 3pm GMT. Here is your cast of gentlemen and players:
Scotland
15-Stuart Hogg, 14-Sean Lamont, 13-Mark Bennett, 12-Alex Dunbar, 11-Tim Visser, 10-Finn Russell, 9-Greig Laidlaw; 1-Alasdair Dickinson, 2-Ross Ford, 3-Geoff Cross, 4-Richie Gray, 5-Jonny Gray, 6-Rob Harley, 7-Blair Cowan, 8-Johnnie Beattie
Replacements: 16-Fraser Brown, 17-Gordon Reid, 18-Jon Welsh, 19-Jim Hamilton, 20-Alasdair Strokosch, 21-Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, 22-Greig Tonks, 23-Matt Scott
Wales
15-Leigh Halfpenny, 14-Alex Cuthbert, 13-Jonathan Davies, 12-Jamie Roberts, 11-Liam Williams, 10-Dan Biggar, 9-Rhys Webb; 1-Gethin Jenkins, 2-Richard Hibbard, 3-Aaron Jarvis, 4-Jake Ball, 5-Alun Wyn Jones, 6-Dan Lydiate, 7-Sam Warburton, 8-Taulupe Faletau
Replacements: 16-Scott Baldwin, 17-Paul James, 18-Scott Andrews, 19-Luke Charteris, 20-Justin Tipuric, 21-Mike Phillips, 22-Rhys Priestland, 23-Scott Williams
Dan will be here shortly with all the build-up to the Six Nations match between Scotland and Wales at Murrayfield. In the meantime, here’s Eddie Butler on the game:
It is the first game in the age of Vern Cotter that Scotland have to win. There, a little pressure. But it’s true. Up until now there’s been a honeymoon period including a summer tour that would have exhausted supporters following it merely on the map and an autumn series. The first went well, only coming unstuck on its last leg – and on its last legs – in South Africa. And November was negotiated without upsets one way or the other. There was, for example, no embarrassing defeat to the New Zealand B team (a defeat yes; humiliation no).
Nothing much seemed to be expected from those who follow Scotland closely inround one of the Six Nations at the Stade de France, where they have never won. And everybody seemed eminently satisfied with the performance: huge courage in defence and verve in attack. But now comes the one they must win: Wales at Murrayfield.
It may be a bit unfair on Wales, this hardening of the Scottish soul. Meetings between the two are by nature entertaining. But Wales have won the last seven, reason enough in its own right for the Scots to stiffen their resolve. The last time they met – the last game under Scott Johnson – was the worst with Scotland buried by a record margin, 51-3 in Cardiff.
To what extent should Scotland dwell on that game? Is it relevant in any way? Well, Scotland seem happy enough to linger on it, to savour the effect it had on them then and use it to provoke a reaction now. So here’s what happened. Scotland were already trailing 10-3 when Stuart Hogg collided with Dan Biggar late enough to leapfrog yellow and be shown a straight red card. Alasdair Strokosch and Greig Laidlaw have been happy to discuss the impact of that day when, according to the captain, “the jersey was humiliated”. Strokosch said: “It’s a big insult, a big slap in the face, and it’s not something that’s going to happen again.”
