Scotland won away at Wales for the first time in 18 years as Stuart McInally’s second-half try secured a narrow victory at Parc y Scarlets.
Replacement hooker McInally powered over off the back of a rolling maul mid-way through the second half for their only try of a cagey game.
Rhys Carre scored Wales’ sole try in the first half, planting the ball down from just a metre out, but they could not breach Scotland’s stubborn defence in the second half.
It completes an excellent finish to the 2020 Guinness Six Nations for Gregor Townsend’s side, who have finished with three straight wins and could end up as high as second in the table.
CAGEY START
This marked Wales’ first match in Llanelli since 1998 and it was a memorable one for captain Alun Wyn Jones, who celebrated a world record 149th Test appearance.
However, this was also a day for remembrance, as players from both sides paused for a minute’s silence to pay tribute to Wales great JJ Williams, who died on Thursday aged 72.
Scotland made the faster start by turning Wales over and drawing a penalty inside the first minute, but recalled fly-half Finn Russell missed from the tee.
Luckily for him, Wales coughed up four penalties inside the first 14 minutes and the second of those was close enough for him to make amends and kick the first points of the match.
Both teams struggled to adjust to strong winds and it took until the 20th minute for the first chance of a try, when Scotland made their way into Wales’ 22.
Stuart Hogg picked a great line and received an inside pass from Chris Harris, who carried on his run on Hogg’s shoulder. The Scotland captain returned the ball to the centre but he dropped it with the try-line in sight.
Despite being on the backfoot for much of the first 30 minutes, Wales struck first when Scotland’s Fraser Brown overthrew a line-out metres from his own line. Ryan Elias caught it and, several phases later, prop Carre burrowed over for his first Test try.
To rub salt into the wound, the visitors lost Russell to a suspected groin injury but replacement Adam Hastings reduced Wales’ lead to 7-6 with a penalty on the stroke of half time.
MAGIC MCINALLY
Wales lost their own fly-half minutes after the break as Dan Biggar limped down the tunnel, replaced by Rhys Patchell.
Scotland continued to control possession and territory but struggled to make it count, while they were excellent in defence and turned Wales over near their own line.
Eventually, Townsend’s side managed to breach Wales’ stubborn rearguard – and in some style.
A McInally lineout turned into a rolling maul and Scotland’s forwards drove Wales all the way back to the try-line from ten metres out, McInally with the honour of dotting down for his 10th international score.
Hastings missed the conversion, leaving Scotland 11-7 ahead, and Wales reduced that to just a point thanks to a Leigh Halfpenny penalty.
However, Scotland controlled the ball for the final five minutes and finished it with a Hogg penalty, just as the clock ticked into the red.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH
In a game where industry dominated flair, Scotland’s Jamie Ritchie shone.
The blindside flanker was disruptive at the breakdown and made life incredibly uncomfortable for Wales, hounding them in the loose and strong in the tackle.
KEY MOMENT
It could only be McInally’s score.
With the wind blowing hard, lineouts were hard to control – so it was fitting that one of the ones that went right ended with the decisive moment.
Scotland’s forwards kept Wales guessing as they started to push them back and the hosts could not recover, with McInally planting the ball down.
AWS STATS
