New Wales journey aims for Scottish trip success

Men's Six Nations: Scotland v Wales

Venue: Murrayfield, Edinburgh Date: Saturday, 8 March Kick-off: 16:45 GMT

Coverage: Watch connected BBC One, BBC Sport website and app. Text commentary and highlights connected BBC Sport website and app. Listen unrecorded connected BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru, BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra.

Welsh rugby has ever had a typical affinity pinch nan Scottish trip.

It has been nan juncture wherever Wales' rugby clubs each different twelvemonth person travelled northbound towards Edinburgh by immoderate intends possible.

As scrum coach Adam Jones pointed retired this week a opus was written astir nan bi-annual juncture by Welsh singer-songwriter Max Boyce.

Never, however, has that travel travel connected nan backmost of specified a losing tally pinch 15 Test defeats and counting for nan nationalist side.

Yet somehow, location has emerged an optimism among nan Welsh masses that their broadside tin defy nan likelihood and yet retrieve that elusive winning feeling.

It is not based connected immense constituent pinch this Scotland broadside patient favourites to triumph astatine Murrayfield this weekend. But location is astatine past immoderate hope.

Whatever optimism is being projected from Wales, nan stark statistic remain.

Wales person not won a Test lucifer since they defeated Georgia successful Nantes successful October 2023 astatine nan World Cup.

More than 500 days aliases 17 months person passed but location remains dream - stemming from nan sizeable betterment nether interim caput coach Matt Sherratt against title favourites Ireland 2 weeks ago.

Wales person been revitalised nether Sherratt aft giving nan Grand Slam chasing tourney favourites a monumental fright earlier losing 27-18.

The hosts produced their champion capacity for almost 18 months and Sherratt and his players will beryllium eager to show nan Ireland crippled was not a one-off.

Sherratt's broadside began life aft Warren Gatland successful a measurement fewer group thought imaginable arsenic long-suffering supporters yet had thing to outcry about.

There was an ambition, productivity and freshness astir Wales' play, whereas for overmuch of nan 14-Test tally earlier it, desolation and despair were nan overriding emotions.

The squad person spoken astir that showing being much than a fleeting glimmer - and nan situation now is to not only build connected that show but find a measurement crossed nan finishing line.

Sherratt has 2 games near earlier he returns to his time occupation arsenic Cardiff caput coach and he has fixed Wales dream wherever antecedently location seemed none.

If Wales return to nan section pinch nan unchanged starting broadside that has been named, it will beryllium for nan first clip that has happened since nan 2019 World Cup games against Georgia and Australia successful Japan.

That was 66 Test matches agone and Sherratt will person achieved a feat successful 1 crippled that Wayne Pivac and Gatland could not negociate successful their 'Tinkermen' tenures.

This weekend's action though is almost all-change from 13 months agone and nan erstwhile gathering betwixt these 2 sides.

Flanker Tommy Reffell and fastener Dafydd Jenkins are nan only starting survivors from Wales' melodramatic 27-26 conclusion against Scotland successful Cardiff past year.

Wales will beryllium hoping that much-needed stableness brings its rewards.

With Ireland and France battling it retired successful a imaginable Six Nations decider early connected Saturday afternoon, Scotland and Wales is very overmuch nan aft show pursuing nan main event.

That should not diminish nan value of this brushwood for some sides but nan low-key build-up has required immoderate spice.

After erstwhile Scotland scrum-half Rory Lawson said losing to Wales would beryllium 'incomprehensible', location person been murmurings from wrong and extracurricular of nan Wales campy this week astir their opponents.

Scrum coach Jones volunteered his sentiment that each nan unit was connected Scotland, labelling Gregor Townsend's existent squad arsenic favourites and 1 of nan champion sides successful their history.

And Dan Biggar doubled down connected his words from 2 years agone erstwhile he was still Wales' outside-half.

In nan 2023 build-up, Biggar accused Scotland of being hyped up by nan media contempt ne'er winning anything.

It did not extremity good connected that juncture erstwhile Scotland produced a grounds 35-7 triumph but Biggar has not been deterred.

He has stated this week Wales' hosts "have a aureate procreation of players that has won perfectly thing and this Six Nations has been nan aforesaid aged communicative and they person to judge wherever they are", adding "he was tired of Scotland being praised erstwhile they triumph nan quadrate guidelines of diddly squat each year".

Former Wales scrum-half Mike Phillips besides caused ripples by labelling Scotland arsenic arrogant.

These claims are vehemently denied by Scottish supporters who are bemused by nan accusations.

What Biggar and Phillips are referring to are anticipation surrounding Scotland astatine nan opening of Six Nations tournaments only for nan anticipation to autumn flat.

Since winning nan past Five Nations tourney successful 1999, Scotland person not vanished higher than 3rd successful nan Six Nations era.

This twelvemonth has been nary different. Townsend's squad went into nan Six Nations rated by galore arsenic title acheronian horses, but person truthful acold proved to beryllium respective furlongs disconnected nan pace.

After a workmanlike location triumph against Italy, losses against Ireland and England person followed.

Scotland tin declare a first hat-trick of Six Nations wins against Wales if they triumph, pinch their only erstwhile post-war treble being successful Five Nations format from 1989-1991.

But If Wales declare a seventh triumph from nan past 9 Murrayfield visits, it will inevitably inquire searching questions of Townsend.

So this lucifer is important for nan Scotland coach and his side, while seen arsenic almost a free deed for their opponents.

You mightiness not deliberation truthful because of nan grounds conclusion Wales suffered connected their erstwhile Edinburgh sojourn 2 years ago, but Murrayfield has proved a happy hunting crushed successful caller times for this weekend's visitors.

Wales person won six of their erstwhile 8 Edinburgh encounters, including a tally of 4 successive distant victories that saw nan Scots stiff retired betwixt 2009 and 2015.

There person been memorable moments erstwhile up to 40,000 Welsh fans invaded Edinburgh to watch nan demolition of Scotland successful 2005 connected nan measurement to a first Grand Slam successful 27 years.

And fewer who witnessed it will hide Jamie Roberts' demolition of nan Scots 4 years later.

Those heady days look a distant representation presently but Wales' wide Six Nations grounds successful nan fixture shows a occurrence complaint approaching 70%.

Those memories should promote nan thousands of supporters travelling northbound by planes, trains and automobiles.

Whether Wales' 2025 Scottish travel evokes past glories aliases continues nan losing misery remains to beryllium seen.