Scotland coach Gregor Townsend warns team to beware wounded Wales

If talk in Edinburgh’s overflowing bars on Saturday evening was turning to thoughts of a long-overdue Six Nations title tilt, those tasked with guiding the next stage of Scotland’s journey were understandably keen to sound a note of caution.

It is only 12 months since the Scots enjoyed a similarly giddy opening-day triumph against England at Twickenham, a far more comprehensive win than the 11-6 scoreline suggested.

A week later Gregor Towsend’s charges led Wales 17-3 at Murrayfield before a combination of a disallowed try, a red card for Zander Fagerson and Louis Rees-Zammitt’s sensational finishing punctured all that early optimism in an agonising one-point defeat.

After the helter-skelter Calcutta Cup victory on Saturday a wounded Wales, thoroughly outclassed by a dominant Ireland in Dublin, again provide the next hurdle to those ambitions of a credible challenge.

Scotland may have won at an empty Parc y Scarlets in Llanelli during the Covid-delayed conclusion to the 2020 championship to end an 18-year losing run in Wales, but they have not won on their past 10 visits to the Principality Stadium – including eight in the Championship.

“It’s one of the best places to play in the world and I hope there are some Scots booking trains and tickets because we could do with a few thousand supporters cheering us on,” said Townsend, who was part of the last Scotland side to win at the Cardiff citadel in 2002.

“We know the atmosphere will be immense and for the Welsh team, and Ireland haven’t done us any favours by getting them fired up. Wales are a great Six Nations team, they will learn a lot from their first game and they will be up for it, like we will. We just have to deliver a better performance and we know we will need to