The match was dominated by the whistle of South African referee Craig Joubert who had no hesitation in blowing up at scrum time. Leigh Halfpenny and Greig Laidlaw were the chief beneficiaries as their boots kept the scoreboard ticking over in a match where attacking rugby occasionally threatened to break out in between the whistle.
Hooker Richard Hibbard scored the only try of the match in the first half to give Wales a slender 12-13 lead at the break. Scotland never seriously threatened the Welsh try-line in the first half and they didn’t get any nearer in the second.
Wales will now go into next week’s match against England full of confidence in the championship decider.
Halfpenny knocked over a penalty in the fourth minute to get Wales up and running, but Laidlaw responded almost immediately from the kick-off when Ryan Jones was penalised at a ruck.
Wales dominated the early possession but found the Scottish defence impregnable. Dan Biggar was reduced to sending the ball high in the air but Stuart Hogg and Sean Lamont were able to defuse the bombardment.
On a rare excursion into Welsh territory from an astute kick by Matt Scott, Scotland were able to force Wales into a mistake. The visitors were caught offside and Laidlaw had no problem adding his second success of the day.
The normally reliable Halfpenny then pushed three penalty attempts wide so George North took matters into his own hands. He burst down the right hand touchline to set up Wales deep inside Scotland’s territory. Mike Phillips and his forward colleagues charged into the defensive wall before hooker Richard Hibbard burrowed over to score his first try in 22 matches. Halfpenny finally rediscovered his kicking boots to add the conversion.
Laidlaw pegged Wales’ lead back to within a point when landing a 40m penalty after the Welsh scrum was penalised.
Scotland suffered a blow when second row Richie Gray was stretchered off with 10 minutes of the first half remaining. The towering lock was replaced by Alastair Kellock.
Duncan Weir then put the Welsh defence on red alert with a cheeky chip and chase to the line. Biggar saved the day by scooping the ball up close to the line but was forced to dab down. Scotland were then inexplicably penalised from the scum five metres out as Wales relieved the danger.
Laidlaw put his side back in front when his 43m penalty just had enough oomph to carry the cross bar. Scotland only to play out the remaining seconds to go in at the break ahead but lock Jim Hamilton had a brain implosion when he charged into Mike Phillips at a ruck. Halfpenny sent Wales into the lead at the break with an easy penalty.
The stop-start nature of the game continued from the re-start when Toby Faletau was penalised. Laidlaw’s penalty from 46m however proved beyond him.
Halfpenny increased the lead in the 46th minute when Johnnie Beattie was harshly pinged for sealing off but the Scots hit back when Faletau was penalised for collapsing a rolling maul. Once again Laidlaw stepped up to nail his fifth penalty.
Halfpenny increased Wales’ lead to four points when the Scottish scrum once again irritated the referee. In-discipline continued to hamper Scotland with Halfpenny knocking over a penalty in the 59th minute with the visitors jumping out to a 15-22 lead.
Laidlaw pegged back the lead with his sixth penalty after Justin Tipuric went off his feet at a ruck. The Scottish scrum half had another chance to reduce Wales’ lead but he sent his shot wide.
Wales threatened to play some expansive rugby but were again thwarted by dogged Scottish defence before Lamont was caught off-side. Halfpenny had no problem adding salt to the wound with another success. The Wales full back put his side 10 points clear when the Scottish scrum capitulated again.
Scotland threw the kitchen sink at Wales in the dying moments, but the men in blue were left red faced as their efforts came to nothing as Rob Howley’s men stay on course to successfully defend their Six Nations crown.
