Was Scotland's Cardiff comeback a statement victory for a side destined for glory... or just a chaotic act of escapology for a team with no business competing for the Six Nations title?
When Gregor Townsend was asked to give his assessment on a chaotic and enthralling comeback win in Cardiff, he felt that Scotland had overcome their demons.Those gremlins which were bound to be rattling around their heads when they found themselves trailing 20-5 with half an hour to play. A mental hurdle had been overcome.Red-hot favourites at kick-off, Scotland spent the first hour of this match playing with fire. Flames that had come from a dragon which had suddenly awoken from a three-year slumber.Credit to Wales. They were excellent in so many aspects of the game and gave Scotland one hell of a scare, before eventually just running out of puff towards the end. But it was Scotland who pulled off a great escape, the kind of which even prime Steve McQueen would have been proud.It was Finn Russell who managed to free himself from the cooler in Cardiff in the nick of time to lead the escape to victory.Picking his team up by the scruff of the neck, dragging them kicking and screaming to the most ugly and gutsy triumph, Russell was superb in that final half-hour. Finn Russell crosses for his side's second try to begin their second-half fightback Scotland players celebrate George Turner's late score that put them ahead for the first time Darcy Graham jumps for joy after crossing for the opportunistic try that changed the gameHe scored the try which sparked the comeback, before a brilliant piece of opportunism saw him combine with Darcy Graham as the little winger crossed for the try which changed the whole momentum of the game.This was not the performance that Scotland would have had in mind. They were miles off it during that first half and Wales were deservedly in front.Scotland were second best at the breakdown and were woefully soft in the physical battle. It was feeble. In the changing room, Rory Darge tore strips off them.By that point, Townsend had already seen enough. Max Williamson and Nathan McBeth had been hooked after just half an hour.Neither could have any complaints. But, truth be told, Townsend could have taken off any of the eight forwards and it would have been justified.It should be said that Josh Bayliss was excellent in the back row when he came on, carrying with thunderous intensity during the second-half revival. Sione Tuipulotu and Rory Darge get their hands on the Doddie Weir Cup at full-time in CardiffCredit to the head coach for being ruthless enough to make those changes so early in the game. For all of the many line breaks Scotland had made in that first half, their accuracy thereafter was dreadful.This was far from a perfect performance. It was flawed, badly flawed in some areas. It was the type of game we have seen Scotland lose so many times in the past.Only this time, they won. Russell and Co pulled it out of the fire in the most stunning fashion, with George Turner’s try five minutes from time putting the Scots ahead for the first time in the whole match.Better late than never. The bonus-point win not only guarantees Scotland the chance of winning a Triple Crown against Ireland on the final weekend, but keeps them in contention to win the championship.It’s a tall order, of course. France, who are due at Murrayfield in a fortnight, remain the strong favourites to go on and win the Grand Slam. But with Russell in this sort of form, anything will feel possible.He was brilliant in the victory over England the previous weekend and was superb once again in Cardiff, only in a different sort of way.Scotland are a long way from being the finished article, but with arguably the best player on the planet right now in top form, why shouldn’t they at least have a puncher’s chance in these final two matches? Finn Russell gets an ice-pack on his hamstring at full-time and is a man Scotland must keep fitAntoine Dupont would no doubt have something to say about Russell being described in those terms, but it’s a very close call.Certainly, when the two go head to head at Murrayfield in a couple of weeks, sparks will fly. It is rare to see two genius talents at the peak of their powers going up against each other.Russell’s try came after almost 30 phases, as Welsh resistance finally cracked. Scotland had planned for it to crack long before then, of course.The inclusion of Duhan van der Merwe and Blair Kinghorn in the backline demonstrated a desire to go on the attack and get the ball wide as much as possible.To an extent, Scotland did that. They cut through Wales repeatedly in the first half and made a number of good line breaks, only to then relinquish possession in the cheapest of fashion.Their discipline was also awful in key moments as they continued to give away penalties that killed their momentum.Yet, in spite all of this, they won. They have now beaten Wales four times in succession for the first time in 99 years. The defeat was harsh on a Wales team who have not won a Six Nations match since 2023Even after that try from Russell, they were still in a hole. A penalty from Jarrod Evans put Wales 23-12 ahead with just over 20 minutes to play.Then came the game’s defining moment. From the restart, Wales switched off and were not alive to the danger.Russell and Graham were a step ahead; the fly-half kicking deep into the Welsh 22, the bounce of the ball was kind, and the little winger collected it to score.It was opportunism at its finest. Wales must have felt like they had been mugged. Even Fagin or the Artful Dodger could not have picked a pocket quite like this.The shift in momentum was massive. Scotland now had belief. Wales were shell-shocked. Chasing a first Six Nations win since 2023, they tried to cling on for dear life.That they fell short in the end is bound to sting. But there will have been much to hearten their head coach Steve Tandy in this performance.The sight of the Principality Stadium being close to full capacity once again was also a huge positive. The task for Wales is to now try and avoid the wooden spoon if possible. Small steps and all. George Turner ploughs his way towards the line for the score that proved decisiveScotland now have much loftier ambitions. Maybe this will go down as a gutsy, grinding victory which laid a platform for a championship win.There are times when teams just need to grind it out and win ugly. Scotland did that on Saturday, and then some.Or was it just another chaotic act of escapology from a team who have no business challenging the likes of France or Ireland?Well, it depends on whether your glass is half-full or half-empty. But with two games to go, Scotland are still in this fight.And that’s a damn sight better than the mess they were in a fortnight ago after Rome.
