6N: Wales loses to Scotland 14-10, drops to 5th-place finish

By Associated Press 01 November 2020, 12:00AM

LLANELLI, Wales (AP) — Wales slumped to a fifth-place finish in a disappointing defense of its Six Nations title after losing to Scotland 14-10 in an attritional battle in Llanelli on Saturday.

Replacement hooker Stuart McInally drove over at the base of a rolling maul in the 61st minute for what proved to be the clinching try for Scotland, consigning the Welsh to a fifth straight loss that marks a huge comedown since they won the Grand Slam in 2019 and reached the Rugby World Cup semifinals later in the year.

The latest defeat ratchets up the pressure on Wales coach Wayne Pivac, who replaced Warren Gatland after the World Cup in Japan.

A try by prop Rhys Carre -- his first at international level - after Scotland overthrew a lineout gave Wales a 7-6 lead at halftime at Parc y Scarlets, which was hosting Wales for the first time in 17 years.

Penalties by Finn Russell and Adam Hastings, a replacement for the injured Russell, either side of Carre’s try kept Scotland close to the Welsh and it was another penalty by captain Stuart Hogg with the final kick of the game that sealed a fourth straight win for the Scots.

They must wait to see where they finish in the standings after winning three of their five matches in the pandemic-extended championship.

Wales won only once, against perennial last-place finisher Italy.

Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones became rugby’s most capped test player when he earned his 149th cap.

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More AP sports: https://apnews.com/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

By Associated Press 01 November 2020, 12:00AM

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