News

Wales scrap to beat Scotland: Wales 20 – Scotland 17

Published

4 years ago

February 14, 2022

THIS was better.
Much, much better.
Scotland’s 20-year wait for a win in Cardiff continues.
Against a Scotland side full of confidence after defeating England the previous week, Wales showed determination and grit to hold off Scotland for a priceless home win.
The Welsh players upped the intensity from their dismal drubbing in Dublin. They defended demonically, especially in a nail-biting final eight minutes.
The Welsh front five performed solidly, pressuring a Scottish pack with two Lions props on the bench at the start of the game and vigorously contesting the breakdown.
The Welsh lineout functioned well against the much-vaunted Scottish jumpers. The rejigged Welsh back row (with much more physical oomph following Ross Moriarty’s return to the starting XV) were abrasive and rugged at the second phase and willing ball carriers in midfield.
Ryan Elias fully deserved his man of the match award for an all-action display. He was a pest in the loose, scrapped for the ball on the ground, and Wales’s improved first phase play owed a lot to him.
So much of what was missing in Dublin was present that it was hard to believe that so few changes had been made to Wales’s core personnel.
The defensive pattern appeared stable after a shaky first couple of minutes. The Welsh line speed and commitment in the tackle were markedly increased from the previous game. Even when scrambling to repel Scottish attacks, Wales looked calm and organised.
That said, Wales did not create much and too seldom got the ball beyond the 13 channel to free Alex Cuthbert and Louis Rees-Zammit.
Welsh pressure forced repeated Scottish errors. The Scottish midfield, strong and threatening in the first half, was closed down by repeated pressure on Scotland’s mercurial outside-half, Finn Russell.
Russell, whose kicking game and distribution are important to Scotland’s recent success, was inconsistent. Lucky to stay on after a knock-on in the first half, he saw yellow for a deliberate knock-on as Wales piled the pressure on the Scottish line with fifteen minutes to go.
His departure capped a day when the Scottish fly-half’s abilities were matched by his failings. A match-winner when things go his way, Welsh pressure increasingly told on him as the game progressed.
With Wales 6-0 ahead thanks to Dan Biggar’s trusty boot, Scotland showed their chops with their first meaningful assault on the Welsh line.
The visitors relentlessly recycled the ball in the Welsh 22. A marvellous 20-yard miss pass from Russell created an opportunity for winger Darcy Graham. With Rees-Zammit having to cover two players out wide, Graham’s footwork and balance told as he forced his way over.
As the first quarter wore on, Scotland began to step it up and managed to force a five-point advantage as Wales conceded a penalty at a rolling maul.
Scottish indiscipline at the breakdown conceded an opportunity for Biggar to slot over another kick. Moments later, Russell kicked Scotland into a 14-9 lead.
Back Wales came; a probing kick by Liam Williams put Wales in a good attacking position. That rarest of Welsh beasts – a successful catch and driving maul from the lineout – resulted in a fine Tomas Francis try.
With it 14-a-piece at the half, the Scottish still looked more threatening with ball in hand.
After a cagey start, a strong surge by centre Sione Tuiplotu led to a Welsh infringement at the breakdown, allowing Russell to regain the lead.
Dan Biggar, the roundhead to Russell’s cavalier, was impressive in his 100th international match. The Welsh fly-half asserted increasing influence on the game by marshalling the Welsh midfield and making hard yards when it mattered.
His fourth kick at goal restored parity, and Wales came close to scoring through the willing Cuthbert when a fifth penalty attempt rebounded back into play.
With ten minutes to go, the Welsh pack recycled the ball smartly to Biggar waiting in the pocket, and he coolly slotted over a drop goal to give Wales a slender lead.
As Scotland ran through phase after phase trying to seize the win, Welsh players stymied them with skill and composure in a situation where the slightest disciplinary slip would have cost them dearly.
Speaking on BBC Wales’s coverage, former England skipper Martin Johnson summed up the Welsh performance: “Twenty minutes in, you feared for Wales. But they just battled and battled. They turned the game into a street fight.
“Scotland didn’t back off, but they got involved in something they probably didn’t want to get involved with.”
As spot-on assessments go, you can’t get more on target than that.
Now Wales have the chance to rest and reset before taking on England and Twickenham in a fortnight.
To compete against England, Wales must, as a bare minimum, maintain the intensity shown against Scotland and reduce the penalty count.
Keep England close, and, as Scotland showed in the opening round of fixtures, anything can happen.

News

Parties make final push as Wales prepares to vote in historic Senedd election

Published

2 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Campaign leaders criss-cross country in last-minute battle for crucial votes

WALES heads to the polls tomorrow (Thursday, May 7) after a frenetic final day of campaigning that saw party leaders, candidates and activists make one last push to win over undecided voters in what is being described as the most unpredictable Senedd election in modern Welsh history.

With polling stations due to open at 7:00am, parties spent Wednesday targeting key battleground constituencies across the country, including the new Ceredigion Penfro seat, amid growing expectations of a fragmented Senedd and a dramatic shake-up in Welsh politics.

The election is the first to be held under Wales’ new expanded Senedd system, with 96 Members of the Senedd being elected across 16 large constituencies using a proportional closed-list voting system.

Reform UK appeared to finish the campaign with significant momentum following a major rally on Tuesday attended by party leader Nigel Farage. The event drew large crowds and considerable online attention as Reform attempted to convert strong polling figures into seats in Cardiff Bay for the first time.

Farage used the rally to attack both Labour and Plaid Cymru, while positioning Reform as the party of “change” for disillusioned voters. Reform campaigners have focused heavily on immigration, cost of living pressures and opposition to what they describe as “wasteful government spending.”

Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth spent the final day presenting his party as the main alternative to both Labour and Reform UK, insisting Plaid could “build a fairer Wales” while warning against what he described as “divisive politics.”

Labour figures, including First Minister Eluned Morgan and deputy leader Huw Irranca-Davies, urged voters not to “take risks” with public services, arguing only Welsh Labour could protect the NHS and local councils during a period of economic uncertainty.

Labour activists were heavily focused on turnout operations in traditional strongholds, amid polling suggesting the party could lose ground after decades as the dominant force in Welsh politics.

The Conservatives attempted to rally core voters with warnings about both Labour and Reform, while also focusing on farming, the rural economy and healthcare waiting lists.

In west Wales, Conservative candidates Paul Davies and Sam Kurtz spent the day meeting voters and carrying out final campaign visits across Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion, arguing their experience and local knowledge would be important under the new electoral system.

The Liberal Democrats and Green Party also maintained visible campaigns in several areas, hoping tactical voting and the proportional voting system could help them secure representation.

Across Wales, campaign teams handed out leaflets outside transport hubs, supermarkets and town centres, while social media campaigning intensified throughout the day.

Political analysts believe turnout could prove decisive, particularly because the new voting system means relatively small shifts in support could determine the allocation of the fifth and sixth seats in many constituencies.

The campaign has been dominated by debates over the NHS, farming, the economy, transport, tourism and the rising cost of living, alongside concerns about the future direction of Welsh devolution.

Polling stations open across Wales from 7:00am until 10:00pm on Thursday, with counting due to begin on Friday morning.

The Herald will provide live election coverage online throughout polling day and count day, including updates from count centres, candidate interviews and reaction as results emerge from across west Wales and the rest of the country.

News

Plaid Cymru projected to lead Senedd as Labour faces historic collapse

Published

2 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Final poll suggests Welsh politics could be on the brink of a major realignment

PLAID CYMRU is on course to become the largest party in the Senedd, according to the final YouGov MRP projection for ITV Cymru Wales before polling day.

The model suggests Labour’s century-long dominance of Welsh elections could be coming to an end, with Plaid projected to win 43 seats in the newly expanded 96-member Senedd.

Reform UK is forecast to finish second on 34 seats, while Labour is projected to fall to just 12.

The poll, based on responses from more than 4,600 adults between April 25 and May 4, puts Plaid Cymru on 33% of the vote, ahead of Reform UK on 29%. Labour is on 12%, the Conservatives on 9%, the Greens on 8% and the Liberal Democrats on 6%.

Labour facing major losses

The projection points to a dramatic collapse in Labour support across Wales.

YouGov’s central estimate would represent a notional loss of 32 seats for Labour compared with the 2021 result under the new electoral system.

It would also be Labour’s worst result at any major Welsh election since 1906.

The model suggests Labour may fail to top the poll in any of the 16 new Senedd constituencies, and could return no members at all in four of them.

In west Wales, Labour’s support is projected to have fallen into single figures in some areas.

First Minister Eluned Morgan, who leads Labour’s list in Ceredigion Penfro, could also be at risk if the projection proves accurate.

Reform surge

Reform UK is projected to make major gains, rising from just 1% of the vote in 2021 to 29% in the final pre-election model.

The party’s support appears to be spread widely across Wales, though it is weaker in Cardiff and strongest in parts of the south Wales valleys.

One of the most striking projections is in Pontypridd Cynon Merthyr, which includes the Merthyr Tydfil area where Keir Hardie was elected as Wales’s first Labour MP in 1900.

There, YouGov’s central estimate puts Reform UK narrowly ahead on 34%, Plaid Cymru on 33%, and Labour on 14%.

Smaller parties

The Conservatives are projected to win just four seats, which would be their weakest devolved election result.

That would leave them one short of the five members needed to form an official political group in the Senedd.

The Greens are forecast to enter the Senedd for the first time, winning two seats in Cardiff.

The Liberal Democrats are projected to win one seat in Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd, keeping Jane Dodds in the Senedd.

No majority expected

No party is projected to win the 49 seats needed for an outright majority.

YouGov’s modelling suggests Plaid Cymru would be best placed to lead the next Welsh Government, but would probably need support from another party.

Plaid and Labour together reach a majority in most of the model’s simulations, while a Plaid-Green arrangement does so far less often.

A Reform-Conservative majority appears unlikely in the projection.

Under the new D’Hondt voting system, small movements in vote share could still make a significant difference, particularly for the final seats in each constituency.

Polling stations open tomorrow, Thursday, May 7.