Six Nations 2016
Clinical Wales too strong for Scotland
PA Sport
February 13, 2016
Report Match details
Date/Time: Feb 13, 2016, 16:50 local, 16:50 GMT
Venue: Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
Wales 27 - 23 Scotland
Attendance: 74160  Half-time: 10 - 13
Tries: DG Davies, North, Roberts
Cons: Biggar 3
Pens: Biggar 2
Tries: Seymour, Taylor
Cons: Laidlaw, Weir
Pens: Laidlaw 3
CARDIFF, WALES - FEBRUARY 13:  Tommy Seymour of Scotland takes a cross kick to score his team's first try during the RBS Six Nations match between Wales and Scotland at the Principality Stadium on February 13, 2016 in Cardiff, Wales.  (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Tommy Seymour gathers the ball to score a first-half try for Scotland
© Getty Images
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Teams: Scotland | Wales

Second-half tries from Jamie Roberts and George North turned a tight match decidedly in Wales' favour as they defeated Scotland for their first win of this season's Six Nations.

Wales were looking to kick-start their RBS 6 Nations campaign following last weekend's draw in Dublin.

Dan Biggar was forced off early in that 16-16 draw with Ireland but he was named in the starting line-up for the Principality Stadium clash after making a speedy recovery from an ankle knock.

Wales' guests were also looking to make amends following their own painful opener. Scotland had been expected to give England a test at Murrayfield but slumped to a 15-9 defeat as their post-World Cup buzz faded badly.

Wales shade Scotland in Six Nations epic

Dark Blues head coach Vern Cotter -- who had already had to call in Duncan Taylor after centre Matt Scott was ruled out with a thigh strain -- had to make a last-minute adjustment after Sean Maitland suffered an injury on the eve of the Cardiff clash, meaning Sean Lamont was promoted from the bench to start.

The last time Scotland were in Cardiff they were hit by a red bulldozer as they conceded 51 points in a record defeat.

And Warren Gatland's Welshmen looked like they again meant business from the off, storming to within a yard of the Scottish line after Alun Wyn Jones collected a fourth-minute lineout before the visitors could finally halt them in their tracks.

But there was no holding back Gareth Davies three minutes later as he picked up a loose ball on halfway after Taylor and Jamie Roberts tussled in the air. The Scarlets scrum-half then sprinted all the way to the corner for the opening try, converted by Biggar.

Scotland were guilty of missing some big opportunities against the English, but they pulled the trigger impressively to level after 12 minutes. They remained patient as they plugged their way through 12 phases before finding space to exploit on the right, with Finn Russell lobbing a perfect kick to the corner for Tommy Seymour to dot down. Skipper Greig Laidlaw converted.

Scotland struggled under the high ball when the teams met at Murrayfield last year but a pair of excellent takes under pressure by Seymour allowed them to kill off Welsh momentum.

However an accidental clash between Stuart Hogg and Welsh hooker Scott Baldwin as they both ran towards another dropping kick robbed the Dark Blues of their influential full-back, with the Glasgow man limping off after injuring his back to be replaced by Wasps' Ruaridh Jackson, who was only named on the bench after Maitland's pre-match withdrawal.

It was a blow for Vern Cotter's team but their disappointment was soothed a little as Laidlaw nailed a 40-metre penalty as Scotland nudged in front.

Myall: Wales' big players stepped up
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Biggar stuck over a kick of his own to briefly tie the scoreboard again but another Laidlaw effort gave Scotland the interval lead.

Wales found themselves on the back foot early in the second period until a surging run from George North finally gave them some impetus.

The giant Northampton wing was brought down 10 metres shy of the Scottish line but an offside call at least gave Biggar another simple penalty to boot over.

His team-mate Liam Williams needlessly knocked-on with no-one in dark blue near him, though, handing Laidlaw his third penalty as Scotland moved ahead once more.

But the Welsh faithful were on their feet urging wing Tom James forward after he spotted a gap on the left hand side before driving 70 metres upfield. However, he was upended by Taylor with the whitewash in sight as Scotland survived that scare.

The reprieve was short-lived, however, as Wales made the pressure on the Scottish try line count, Jamie Roberts barging over from short range and Biggar adding the conversion.

Wales continued to make Scotland pay for handling errors, a scrum for a knock on leading to their next try. It was George North who did the damage, seizing the ball in the middle of the Scotland half and showing tremendous footwork and turn of pace to burst away down the right and over for the score.

Scotland gave themselves late hope when Duncan Taylor broke through from deep to touch down. Laidlaw added the extras, but another knock on by the Scots after the restart gave the game a fitting conclusion.

Jamie Roberts celebrates his second-half try, along with teammate Taulupe Faletau © Getty Images
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