Six Nations: Finn Russell conjures special Scotland comeback to break Welsh hearts

Scotland’s Murrayfield showdown with Six Nations title favourites France is now a defining game for head coach Gregor Townsend and his players.

A week after England were sent home from Edinburgh to think again, Townsend’s team followed up an emphatic Calcutta Cup success by posting back-to-back Six Nations wins on Welsh soil for the first time.

There was a repeat of the nerve-shredding drama that accompanied their last Cardiff visit two years ago when Scotland prevailed by a point after Wales almost wiped out a 27-0 deficit, as the Scots fought back from 15 points adrift this time to prevail 26-23.

And while a win against the favourites for the wooden spoon will hardly send shockwaves throughout the rugby world, it still warranted sitting up and taking notice, given that Scotland had lost on 10 of their previous 12 Six Nations trips to the Welsh capital and were without three injured Calcutta Cup heroes in Jamie Dobie, Jack Dempsey and Jamie Ritchie.

It also neatly teed up the business end of a tournament that will resume on March 6 with Scotland in contention for silverware.

Given they have never finished higher than third since Italy were welcomed to the top table 26 years ago, anticipation levels are high.

Yes, Scotland will need to do it the hard way – beat France, then topple Ireland in Dublin, while possibly still needing other results working for them – but they have given themselves a fighting chance of being crowned Six Nations champions following five third places, nine fourths, eight fifths, four wooden spoons and an opening weekend defeat against the Azzurri this time round.

Trying to stop the free-scoring French – 13 tries and 90 points in two games before hosting Italy today – will require a substantial amount of midnight oil being burnt in planning meetings north of the border, yet Scotland have done it successfully on five previous Six Nations occasions, including three times under Townsend.

“It will be one of the great occasions. It is the challenge Scotland want, and they know a win against France at Murrayfield positions them to win the championship, and that is not a place Scotland have been in since the Five Nations,” said former Scotland captain Rory Lawson, who is part of Premier Sports’ live Six Nations coverage.

“We’ve spoiled some teams’ Grand Slams or Championship opportunities, but we have never been in that position ourselves.

“It becomes the game of Gregor Townsend’s tenure, because you would be rewinding four weeks to a stage where people were questioning whether he should have a job on the Monday after the Italy game and to then be in a position with an opportunity to beat France at home would be a tremendous occasion.

“Gregor doesn’t want to be defined by his record against England, which is phenomenal.

“He wants to be defined by a Six Nations title for the first time. Last Saturday has put the power back in his hands to a certain extent, but we know that sport is fickle and he will be defined by the results against France and Ireland.

“It was a phenomenal bounce-back against England after losing to Italy. It was one of the most impressive turnarounds I have seen, but you could tell the business minds of players and coaching staff after the game was that it matters not unless they back it up. It is a huge challenge, and the size of it cannot be overlooked, but this squad has to be conscious that it could define this group of players. Opportunity knocks.

“Consistency has been the greatest frustration for coaches, players and Scotland’s fan-base for a long, long time.

“Scotland have won six of the last seven against England, but then lost the next game on six of the last seven occasions in the Six Nations. It really shines a light on the inconsistencies.

“We have had too many fourth places, let alone third places. This year coming into it, when you looked at the age profile of the players, the form, the run of games, the opportunity, this was the chance to be up there. They have got themselves back into the championship.”

Key to Scotland’s further progression will be a continued impact of their game-breaking midfield trio – Finn Russell, Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones – that at times shone under the Principality Stadium roof and possesses every ingredient to mix it with the infinitely superior opposition awaiting them.

“You drop Finn Russell into any team and he makes them better. He is a modern-day great and could be the best Scotland has ever had,” Lawson added.

“Huw Jones missed the November Tests, and for me that could have been the difference between Scotland knocking the All Blacks and Argentina over or not. He is that important to the Scotland team.

“He is so dangerous, and that midfield combination of Russell, Tuipulotu and Jones, you are going to struggle to find a better combination than that in world rugby, given any kind of parity of possession.”

Wales can only dream of such riches, and while the 70,000 crowd proved 13,000 more than a Cardiff Six Nations-lowest for France’s comfortable victory last weekend, they at least and at last witnessed a wonderfully spirited display from their team.

A third successive Six Nations wooden spoon beckons, though, with that demoralising prospect running alongside a back-drop of despair and recrimination as the Welsh Rugby Union looks to cut one regional team under contentious restructuring plans.

Head coach Steve Tandy – six defeats in seven games, 328 points and 46 tries conceded – next takes his players to Ireland, where current form suggests that another loss awaits.

For Scotland, though, these are potentially heady days, at last sampling the rarefied atmosphere of a title ascent and seriously challenging rivals who too often in the past were beyond touching distance.

Photography by Nigel French/PA Wire