Scotland's two decade winless run in Cardiff continues after one other defeat in Wales took the wind from the sails of our Six Nations marketing campaign.
A late Dan Biggar drop objective was sufficient to edge the competition 20-17 for the Dragons regardless of the Darkish Blues main via Darcy Graham's first-half attempt.
After the euphoria of final weekend's Calcutta Cup win over England, the come-down arrived at a packed Principality Stadium which noticed playmaker Finn Russell sin-binned within the essential closing levels.
Now all eyes flip to a gathering with France at Murrayfield in a fortnight's time in a bid to salvage a means again into the Championship reckoning.
A assured Scottish begin had the Welsh underneath strain throughout an electrifying opening but it surely was the Welsh who made the primary break with Owen Watkin threatening to burst clear solely to be dropped at the deck.
It was benefit Wales within the fourth minute because the guests collapsed a scrum and Biggar fired a penalty between the posts to place first factors on the board.
Three factors grew to become six for the Welsh moments later as Scotland have been once more penalised for indiscipline and one other Biggar penalty edged the hosts additional forward.
Scotland's reply was instantaneous and sometimes sensational as Russell's excellent lengthy throw extensive allowed Darcy Graham to dive into the nook for the attempt however Russell's conversion try was fired extensive but it surely was Townsend's aspect at their most scintillating.
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The restoration was full with simply minutes on the clock as Russell made no mistake by arrowing a penalty heading in the right direction and it was 8-6 to a Scottish aspect refusing to buckle from the bodily method by the wounded Dragons in entrance of their residence crowd.
One other routine Russell penalty pushed Scotland 11-6 forward with Wales being punished but once more for a scarcity of self-discipline on the breakdown.
Then it was the Welsh who had a flip at exerting some sustained strain of their very own and it led to Biggar blasting over one other penalty to squeeze the rating to simply two factors.
Penalties continued to be traded briefly order and Russell's twenty eighth minute three pointer restored Scotland's 5 level lead.
Wales then began to get their arms on the ball because the half drew to a detailed and it got here with a attempt of their very own as Tomas Francis bulldozed his means over from a driving maul and the rating was tied after Greater failed so as to add the extras.
A show of relentless attacking enterprise from each groups was dropped at a detailed with nothing to separate them, clearly the afternoon can be considered one of nervous stress and nervousness in a contest taking place to the wire.
The frenzied depth of the primary half dipped on the restart with conservative kicking being deployed however Scotland have been gaining territory slowly however absolutely because the half progressed as Gregor Townsend made wholesale adjustments within the front-row so as to add extra bodily edge to his aspect. It paid dividends within the fiftieth minute as Russell bagged one other penalty to edge Scotland three factors forward.
Primary errors continued to be the undoing of the Welsh who lastly sparked into life within the 56th minute as Louis Rees-Zammit solely simply failed to the touch down within the nook earlier than Biggar levelled the sport with a penalty on the hour mark.
Then a possible nightmare second arrived and it was a two of horrible misfortune for Biggar's long-range penalty to bounce off the woodwork and into Welsh arms as Alex Cutbert was inches away from scoring within the nook and it required a TMO to get Scotland off the hook.
Russell's deliberate knock-out noticed him yellow carded and Townsend's males have been a person down going into the ultimate ten minutes.
It proved a decisive turning level as Biggar's drop-goal put Wales into a 3 level lead. It was all wanting ominous for a tiring Scottish aspect and so it was to show as Wales noticed out their win to carry the Doddie Weir Cup.