Wales were remarkable and disastrous against Scotland in a game that ultimately offers hope

Wales fall just short as Scotland claim a 27-26 victory in Cardiff

Wales very nearly pulled off one of the greatest comebacks in Six Nations history but were ultimately made to pay for a terrible start as they slipped to their first defeat to Scotland in Cardiff since 2002.

This was a pulsating Test match from start to finish as Scotland raced into a 27-point lead with Duhan van der Merwe (twice) and Pierre Schoeman crossing for tries. But Wales refused to throw in the towel and roared into life with four second-half tries from James Botham, Rio Dyer, Aaron Wainwright, and Alex Mann.

It's safe to say it wasn't the start Warren Gatland would have wanted, after all this is a results based business, but his young side also showed evidence there may be some good times ahead. Rugby correspondent Steffan Thomas gives his verdict on a titanic battle in Cardiff. Get the latest rugby news sent straight to your inbox for free with our daily newsletter.

Bags of character

The Wales management would have been seething with the first 42 minutes of this Test match as the hosts found themselves 27-0 behind. At one stage it looked as if it could be a 40 or 50 point hammering but to be fair Wales showed tremendous resilience to get back into the game.

They say you learn a lot about people in the face of adversity, and Gatland will have been delighted with the character of his side. This is a very young Wales squad and the likes of Cam Winnett, Dafydd Jenkins, Alex Mann, and Ioan Lloyd will be far better for this experience.

Gatland knows he has the makings of a very good side, and yes it was far from a perfect performance, but the second-half showing was evidence of what could be achieved over the next four years.

Slow start and unforced errors

In the lead up to the match Gatland would have hammered home the importance of not conceding soft penalties but within the first 10 minutes Wales transgressed three times. This gave the Scots field position which allowed them to build their attack, and put Wales under pressure.

The New Zealander would have also stressed the need to start quickly but it was the visitors who had the bit between their teeth in the early stages. Before Wales could blink an eyelid they were 13-0 down with no answers.

Wales did enjoy some possession in the Scotland half but on one occasion the ball was spilt forward by Dafydd Jenkins just metres from the line. Just minutes before half-time Wales won a penalty, and had an opportunity to build some pressure in the Scotland 22, but replacement outside-half Ioan Lloyd failed to find touch.

This summed up Wales' first-half display.

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Front foot ball is everything

Front foot ball is everything in international rugby. During the first-half Wales did have periods of possession but got knocked back time and time again.

This was a vicious circle from there on in because it forced the hosts into making uncharacteristic errors, and they were better off without the ball. During the second-half there was a complete role reversal as Wales' forwards got onto the front foot, and as a result Wales came within a whisker of winning the game.

The likes of Aaron Wainwright, Corey Domachowski, and Dafydd Jenkins carried hard and as a result Wales got quick front foot ball which allowed the hosts to run Scotland ragged.

Lineout woes

You simply have to secure your own lineout ball at this level. In the final 10 minutes of the first-half Wales made a mess of three of their own throws.

Once, with just five minutes left of the first-half Wales butchered a lineout deep in the Scotland 22, while they also got turned over a couple of minutes later. Yes, Ryan Elias has to take some of the responsibility as the hooker but the lineout is a collective effort, and this is one area of the game Wales just didn't function as they should.

It was much better during the second-half when Elliot Dee had taken the field with the lineout directly responsible for two of Wales' tries after the break.

Signs of hope moving forward

Realistically Wales left themselves with too much to do at half-time. There are very few sides who can overturn a 27-point deficit but Wales very nearly did.

Ioan Lloyd in particular was outstanding after the break with the maverick Scarlets playmaker giving Wales a different dimension in attack, while Alex Mann also did very well off from the replacements bench.

But there was nobody more impressive than Dragons No 8 Aaron Wainwright who was totemic throughout, dragging Wales back into the game with his dynamic carrying. For many years Taulupe Faletau has been Wales' most important player but Wainwright may just have made the No 8 shirt his own.

If he carries on in this vein of form he will be a strong contender to tour with the British & Irish Lions in 2025. Corey Domachowski also showed up very well after the break while Cam Winnett was relatively solid at full-back.