Scotland coach Gregor Townsend feels there is “more to come from the group” after claiming a sensational 35-7 win over Wales at Murrayfield.
It is the first time since 1996 that Scotland has won both games in the first two rounds of Rugby’s Greatest Championship, making the performance against Wales a memorable one.
The side played incredibly well, fueled by an outstanding Finn Russell, who was pulling strings all game long.
Keep improving
When asked if the performance was a statement win, Townsend chose to focus on continuously improving.
“No. It feels like an improved performance,” Townsend said.
“It did not feel like that at half-time, but the second half was improved.
“If it was a seven out of 10 last week, it has moved up to an eight out of 10 and we will have to improve again.
“The next two teams we play (France and Ireland) are ranked one and two in the world and we have to get up to nine out of 10 to beat them.
“The internal focus was on playing better than we did last week. We did in the end do that but there is more to come from the group.”
Townsend was full of praise for Russell’s performance on the night on both sides of the ball.
“Very good,” said Townsend. “The threats that Finn has around him set up opportunities. He made very good decisions on what opportunities to take.
“In November, he played really well against New Zealand and Argentina. Against England he built into the game, and today was something similar.
“I thought he was really good defensively today. He’s a really competitive player and that comes out in different ways. It often comes out in his defence, his contact clears – things that won’t get spotted.
“The things that will get spotted are his offloads and kicks which were excellent, but when he’s at that level of focus and competitiveness, he’ll deliver a very good performance like he did today.”
🧙♂️ A mesmeric performance from Finn Russell.#GuinnessSixNations #SCOvWAL pic.twitter.com/4PLNo4y6pq
— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) February 11, 2023
Doddie Weir Cup
Scotland won the Doddie Weir Cup in memory of the great man, a former teammate of Townsend, who used to message him before a game.
“I’m sure he would have been proud,” said Townsend. “He used to message me before and after games.
“He would always wish us all the best before the game and I’d picture him having a Guinness or a red wine sitting at home.
“If we won, he would say after the game that it was all down to the coaches, and if we lost he would say it was nothing to do with the coaches.
“It was always a nice text to receive from him, and Cathy (his wife) has continued that tradition.
“It was a big day for Cathy and the boys and for them to feel that love that everyone has for them. And for Doddie’s legacy to continue with the fundraising, today was a special day.
“It was brilliant that we were able to win for them.”
Meanwhile, Wales head coach Warren Gatland was disappointed with his team’s performance and was frustrated with his team not being clinical.
“We’ve given away 17 penalties in the game which is not acceptable at this level, and we’ve created opportunities and haven’t been clinical enough to take them,” he said.
“It is pretty disappointing because we could have gone in at half-time ahead and once they took their opportunities well we ended up chasing the game.”
READ MORE: Six Nations: Five takeaways from Scotland v Wales as Finn Russell turns on the style in second half
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