An astonishing comeback by a novice Wales side fell one point short and allowed Scotland to end a 22-year hoodoo in Cardiff to start the Six Nations.

Scotland prevailed 27-26 after blowing a 27-0 lead and triumphed at Principality Stadium for the first time since 2002.

The Scots were living up to pre-match predictions at 20-0 up for their biggest half-time lead against Wales in 100 years.

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When captain Finn Russell again set up winger Duhan van der Merwe for his too easy second converted try, Scotland were cruising at 27-0 up after 43 minutes.

To that point, Wales’ younger, new look side were making it easy for the visitors with a dismal, error ridden effort.

Then complacency by Scotland and the injection of replacement scrumhalf Tomos Williams sparked life and urgency in Wales, and the home side streaked in four successive tries, carried along by a capacity crowd of 74,000 that had been silenced under the roof.

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In 19 wild minutes, tries to flanker James Botham, playing his first Test in more than two years, winger Rio Dyer, No.8 Aaron Wainwright and debutant backrower Alex Mann – three of them converted by three cap replacement Ioan Lloyd – had Wales within a point with 12 minutes to go.

But Scotland’s experience and recovered poise managed the end better, and it finished on the Wales try line.

The Scots hammered Wales for 14 phases and van der Merwe reached out for a hat trick try but was denied by Dyer’s leg.

Still, the Scots ended a run of 11 consecutive defeats at the home of Welsh rugby.

“It’s a funny one,” Scotland coach Gregor Townsend said.

“A lot of our players are disappointed and we’re trying to say to them this is an important win for the next few weeks of the championship, but also in terms of not winning here for so long.”

Russell, under no pressure from Wales in the first half, was given an easy ride by a dominant pack and conducted his side’s attack professionally.

They were 10-0 up after 11 minutes after prop Pierre Schoeman reached out under a pile of bodies to dot down between the posts.

Russell, five for five off the tee, was gifted three points when Wales wing Josh Adams was penalised for throwing the ball into the crowd.

Big tackles by front rowers Zander Fagerson and George Turner stopped Wales cold, then waves of Scotland attacks finished with van der Merwe’s 22nd try in his 35th Test.

Scotland were 20-0 up and Wales was in utter disorder.

The lineout was a mess, and the kicking was wasteful.

The damage was limited only by Scotland’s creaky scrum and seven penalties conceded.

“I can apologise for the first half, it’s probably the worst first 40 performance in my whole rugby career as a coach,” Wales boss Warren Gatland said.

“We were terrible, shocking. The message at half-time was to do what we wanted to do in the first – bring some tempo, play with a bit of intensity and play some rugby, nothing flashy.

“The players should be disappointed with the first half but proud for the second half that they didn’t throw the towel in and could have won the game.”

Another pointless clearance launched a two pass counterattack by Scotland that gave van der Merwe his second try to start the new half.

But Wales was upgrading around halftime with the introduction of Lloyd, Tomos Williams, and tight five forwards Keiron Assiratti, Elliot Dee and Teddy Williams.

The lineout, unreliable in the first half, suddenly was the launchpad for tries by Botham and Dyer.

Scotland hooker Turner was just back from the sinbin when centre Sione Tuipulotu was sent there for being offside twice amid 16 penalties conceded to Wales’ four.

Dee quick tapped and Wainwright plowed over between the posts.

Another lineout drive sent Mann over and Lloyd’s conversion made it 27-26, but Wales couldn’t arrange one more score to complete a comeback for the ages.

“The win is brilliant but that second half was nowhere near where it needed to be,” Russell said.

“A little bit disappointed to be honest.”

Scotland will host France next weekend while Wales goes to England.

ENGLAND 27, ITALY 24 in Rome

England survived a major scare by Italy to win their Six Nations opener 27-24 at the Stadio Olimpico.

The Azzurri had to console themselves with outscoring England three tries to two, posting their most points ever against England, and losing by the narrowest margin ever.

“We’re growing, but we’re tired of always coming close to the win,” Italy captain Michele Lamaro said.

England ran its unbeaten record against Italy to 31 straight matches but it didn’t take the lead until the 45th minute and held on.

“It looked clunky in bits,” England coach Steve Borthwick told broadcaster ITV.

“It looked like a team which only had three training sessions together.

“We got exposed by an Italian team that moves the ball well. But a winning start with five debutants and the ability to be in a difficult position and find your way out of it is a massive positive.”

New Italy coach Gonzalo Quesada’s reign got off to a promising start as the Azzurri raced 10-0 ahead.

Italy led at halftime 17-14, but England dominated territory in the second half and added 10 points to move in front 27-17 without kicking on.

Italy earned a deserved losing bonus point in the 85th minute when winger Monty Ioane busted past a couple of defenders and scored a converted try.

England under new captain Jamie George got an opening win for the first time since 2019 and debuted five players – their most in one game in 12 years – including starters Fraser Dingwall and flanker Ethan Roots, who was named man of the match.

Their territorial advantage was rewarded by flyhalf George Ford, who kicked five penalties and a conversion to tries by Elliot Daly and Alex Mitchell.

Tommaso Allan became Italy’s leading try scorer and point scorer in Six Nations history with his own converted try in the first half, and surprised when he missed his only goal attempt in the second half.

That was his first missed goal kick since August.

Allan got the scoreboard rolling in the fifth minute with a penalty, his 20th successive goal kick.

England’s rush defence wasn’t perfect and Italy pounced.

Centre Juan Ignacio Brex broke and No.8 Niccolo Cannone roared down the middle to send scrumhalf Alessandro Garbisi to the posts.

Allan’s extras had Italy 10-0 up and the Stadio Olimpico crowd roaring in delight.

England’s first venture into Italy’s 22 in the 14th minute netted a Ford penalty off the post.

Four minutes later, a powerful carry by Roots was finished by Tommy Freeman coming far off his right wing to give Daly a clear run to the left corner.

The Azzurri caught England’s defence too narrow.

Flyhalf Paolo Garbisi doubled round Brex and Allan played a one two with Tommaso Menoncello for a brilliant try from their own half.

His eighth try made Allan Italy’s leading try scorer in the tournament.

His conversion sent him past Diego Dominguez as Italy’s top point scorer in the competition.

But two more Ford penalties cut Italy’s lead to three.

Still, Italy led England at halftime for the first time in seven years.

England took control in the second half.

Mitchell’s solo try through poor defence in the 45th minute gave the visitors the lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

Ford converted and added two more penalties before he was replaced by newcomer Fin Smith.

In between, Allan missed a goal kick after making 22 straight.

The pace of the match slowed from errors and penalties.

England finished with 14 men when Daly was yellow carded for tripping Menoncello but Italy also finished with 14 after captain Lamaro was sinbinned for collapsing a maul.

“We played a good first half,” Lamaro said.

“It was that 20 minutes into the second half when we struggled to get out of our half. It’s not good enough honestly.”

England is at home to Wales next weekend, while Italy goes to title favorite Ireland.

IRELAND 38, FRANCE 17 in Marseille

Ruthless Ireland began its Six Nations title defence by crushing an undisciplined France 38-17 at Stade Velodrome.

France played the second half down a man after lock Paul Willemse’s second yellow card late in the first period.

But even then, France was already trailing 17-3.

Ireland, assured, organised and powerful, scored five tries, all of them converted by flyhalf Jack Crowley, whose polished performance didn’t make the Irish miss retired captain Jonathan Sexton.

Crowley kicked six of seven, including a couple of morale boosters from the sideline.

Tries to scrumhalf Jamison Gibson-Park, lock Tadhg Beirne, new winger Calvin Nash on his tournament debut, hooker Dan Sheehan and his replacement Ronan Kelleher added up to Ireland’s highest score against France in 115 years.

France, whose two year unbeaten run at home was ended only in October by South Africa in the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals, was ragged and off the pace.

It didn’t appear inspired without absent star Antoine Dupont until after Willemse was sent off in the 32nd minute, but trailed at halftime at home for the first time in six years.

Tries by winger Damian Penaud and lock Paul Gabrillagues, in his first Test since the 2019 World Cup, closed France to within seven of Ireland with 27 minutes to go.

But the Irish snuffed out the French hopes with tries from expert lineout mauls to Sheehan and Kelleher for their first win against France in France since 2018 and control of the title race with three home games still to come.

“We’re not going to get carried away here,” new Ireland captain Peter O’Mahony said.

“We’ve certainly got a bit of momentum.”

Willemse was pinged twice in the first half for high tackles.

The first yellow card was for a shoulder hit on prop Andrew Porter’s face.

The second hit on the head of No.8 Caelan Doris earned a second yellow and automatic red card, his second in Test rugby.

Ireland was leading 17-3 after tries to scrumhalf Gibson-Park and lock Beirne from slick offloads by Bundee Aki and Crowley.

Penaud’s 36th Test try on the first half buzzer gave France hope at 17-10 down.

But it took Ireland only six minutes in the new half to restore the 14 point gap when centre Robbie Henshaw crashed through the defence, and Doris fed an unmarked Nash to score a try in his first Six Nations appearance.

O’Mahony praised Ireland’s young guns.

“Guys like Calvin Nash, Jack, big Joe (McCarthy), there was some big performances,” O’Mahony said.

“This whole game is about taking your opportunities. Against sides who are as good as France are, they don’t come around very often.”

Gabrillagues gave France another lifeline when he crossed in the 53rd.

At the same time, O’Mahony was sinbinned for dragging down the maul.

But Ireland scored the bonus point fourth try without him.

“We were comprehensively beaten,” France centre Gael Fickou said.

“We were too loose in the way we played.”

Before the end of the match, as French fans were streaming out, Irish fans were feeling right at home, just was they were during the World Cup last autumn, heartily singing “The Fields of Athenry.”

Ireland hosts Italy next weekend while France travels to Scotland.

“It’s going to be tough in Scotland, we’ll have to prepare for it well,” Fickou said.

“We need to ask ourselves questions. It’s a second straight defeat for us and we’re not used to it.”