Player ratings for the Six Nations clash between Scotland and Wales

Andrew Baldock, PA Rugby Union Correspondent

Tom Jordan and Blair Kinghorn both scored doubles in Scotland’s five-try 35-29 victory over Wales at Murrayfield as the visitors went down to a 16th consecutive Test defeat and a 10th straight loss in the Six Nations.

With their own hopes of contending for the title already over after losing their previous two matches against Ireland and England, the Scots needed a strong response against a struggling Welsh side intent on backing up a heartening display against Ireland in Matt Sherratt’s first game in interim charge.

For the most part, Gregor Townsend’s side delivered as they ran in four tries before the break to lead by 20 points before opening up a 35-8 lead by the hour, leaving them on course to eclipse their record 28-point victory over the Welsh two years ago.

However, as the Scots suffered one of their trademark flaky periods in the final quarter, Wales – who scored in the first half through Blair Murray – made the scoreline far more respectable with tries from Ben Thomas, Teddy Williams and Max Llewellyn.

WALES

15 Blair Murray: Scored a try and was an attacking threat, but also threw out a wild pass that indirectly led to a Scotland touchdown. 6

14 Tom Rogers: A try-scorer against Ireland last time out, the Scarlets wing lasted just nine minutes before he was forced off by what looked to be a wrist injury. 4

13 Max Llewellyn: Claimed Wales’ bonus-point try in the final play of a game that saw Wales fight back strongly. 6

12 Ben Thomas: Looked to make his presence felt with ball in hand, but it proved mostly to no avail, although he scored a second half try. 6

11 Ellis Mee: Could not get into the game as he had done on Test debut against Ireland, but a learning experience. 5

10 Gareth Anscombe: Started brightly, kicking a penalty and creating a try for Murray before Wales had to play second fiddle. 6

9 Tomos Williams: Had his hands full with opposite number White, but tried to mix and match his game. 6

1 Nicky Smith: A frustrating afternoon for the Leicester prop, with Wales unable to exert scrum dominance. 5

2 Elliot Dee: Made way for Dewi Lake early in the second period as Wales summoned reinforcements. 5

3 WillGriff John: Yellow-carded in the first half following cynical foul play when he stuck his leg out to try and halt a Scotland attack. Needless. 4

4 Will Rowlands: The Racing 92 lock made some important contributions in the tight and loose exchanges. 6

5 Dafydd Jenkins: A hard-working shift from Wales’ Six Nations skipper last season, who is a consistent performer at Test level. 6

6 Jac Morgan: The Wales captain was a tower of strength in adversity, excelling at the breakdown and maintaining outstanding form. 8

7 Tommy Reffell: A breakdown threat for Wales in the first half, but the team faced a long way back once the Scotland tries started flowing. 6

8 Taulupe Faletau: Not far behind Morgan in terms of work-rate. Getting back to his best after long-term injuries. 7

Replacements: Teddy Williams led the way with a third Wales try 13 minutes from time, and Lake shone on his return from injury, while Joe Roberts also impressed. 7

SCOTLAND

15 Blair Kinghorn: Collected his 15th Test try just five minutes into the contest and scored again after the break. Outstanding. 9 (out of 10)

14 Darcy Graham: Claimed Scotland try number 30 of his career during a dominant first-half performance full of attacking menace. 7

13 Huw Jones: Maintained impressive form that could take him all the way to the British and Irish Lions Test team in Australia this summer. 7

12 Tom Jordan: Touched down twice during the first half and looked a class apart at times. Highly impressive. 8

11 Duhan van der Merwe: Had few opportunities to showcase his finishing power but was still at the heart of Scotland’s attacking game. 7

10 Finn Russell: Effortlessly navigated his way through the game. Kicked well and tormented Wales with ball in hand. 8

9 Ben White: A terrier-like display from Scotland’s scrum-half, who could prove a Lions selection bolter. 7

1 Pierre Schoeman: Encountered few problems from the Wales scrum as Scotland posted a bonus-point win. 6

2 Dave Cherry: Solid contribution from the Scotland hooker in all areas. 6

3 Zander Fagerson: Strong set-piece work and carried well as Scotland maintained momentum for most of the contest. 7

4 Jonny Gray: Managed the lineout well and helped ensure that Scotland had little to worry about overall from the Wales pack. 6

5 Grant Gilchrist: Matched Gray’s work-rate and was similarly solid in all areas. 6

6 Jamie Ritchie: Battled hard in the breakdown area, where Wales had a degree of domination during the first half. 7

7 Rory Darge: The Scotland openside went off injured as half-time approached, but his team had control through a 20-point lead when he departed. 6

8 Jack Dempsey: Got through his work without fuss or bother as Scotland bounced back from their Calcutta Cup heartache. 7

Replacements: A solid collective impact by the substitutes, although Wales had dominance during the final quarter. 6