Wales’s decision to give their top dozen women professional contracts at the turn of the year is already bearing fruit. After their rousing comeback victory in Dublin last weekend Siwan Lillicrap’s rejuvenated side moved to second in the Six Nations table with a breathless win at Cardiff Arms Park over a Scotland side that simply refused to buckle. Wales know that the real test lies ahead when they face England at Kingsholm next Saturday but a first home Six Nations win for three years proves the revolution is up and running.
The replacement scrum-half Ffion Lewis settled the game in the dying minutes and Lillicrap and Alisha Butchers were outstanding in the back row as Wales recovered from a nerve-shredding first half in which they were forced on the back foot against opponents humbled by England a week earlier.
Scotland were the better side in the first half when Welsh ill-discipline threatened to hand them an unexpected victory in front of the biggest crowd to watch a women’s game in the Principality. Wales had to make more than a hundred tackles in a torrid first 40 minutes and by the end the main emotion was relief.
Scotland drew first blood when hooker Lana Skeldon celebrated her 50th cap by burrowing over the line after Sarah Bonar won a lineout. All the early pressure came from the visitors, who were playing with plenty of ambition. Wales struggled for possession and territory in the first quarter but eventually got a foothold in the game. Hooker Carys Phillips forced her way over after a surge from a lineout.
Scotland were playing most of the rugby and after a multiphase move scrum-half Jenny Maxwell hoisted a hopeful kick to the corner and Rhona Lloyd took advantage of a wicked bounce to outfox two defenders for Scotland’s second try. The visitors butchered a chance of a third try when they spurned a three-woman overlap but Wales continued to concede penalty after penalty and the first half finished with Kerin Lake shown a yellow card by referee Joy Neville for flopping over the ball to prevent quick release by the Scotland pack.
A player short, things soon got worse for Wales after the break when Lloyd dived over in the corner for her second try. But Wales’s reaction was instant. The replacement Sioned Harries, on the field for only a couple of minutes, emerged from beneath a pile of bodies to claim the try and Wales were back in the match.
Scotland, now facing 15 opponents again, began to make mistakes as Wales turned up the heat. The Welsh pack began to dominate and Scotland prop Leah Bartlett was shown a yellow card for collapsing the fourth in a series of scrums. Wales kicked to touch and from the lineout replacement Kelsey Jones was driven over to level the scores.
Five minutes were left on the clock when Butchers broke off the back of a scrum to give Lewis the chance to run in the winning try. Even then Scotland refused to lie down. The game ended with them on the Wales line and Lillicrap was slightly fortunate to stay on the field when her left hand flailed at a Scottish pass.
Wales clung on. These two teams will play each other in their World Cup pool later this year and Wales will not take Scotland lightly.
