Scotland 21 Wales 9: Paterson precision sends Wales back to drawing board

As Chris Paterson took aim at the posts for the last time on Saturday and bisected the H with the precision of a latter-day Pythagoras, Frank Hadden stood beaming on the touchline. Gareth Jenkins sat in the stand behind him, displaying the pained expression of a man who had just taken the jab of a geometric compass to the heart.

For Wales and their coach, the damage had been done long before Scotland's captain landed his seventh penalty a minute from time. Still, for Hadden, as Scotland's head coach, it was satisfying to see further confirmation that the limited armoury he has at his disposal happens to include the most potent weapon in European rugby over the past two seasons.

Jonny Wilkinson may be the all-time top points scorer in what used to be known as the International Championship, but he has missed three place kicks out of 15 in his two Six Nations games this season. He has an 80 per cent record. Paterson, having joined Wilkinson in the Championship record books with his seven penalties on Saturday, has kicked 11 out of 12. He has a 91 per cent record - to set alongside the 89 per cent success rate with which he topped the charts last season.

"He's some man," said Simon Taylor, the man of the match in open play, of the match-winner. "We can really rely on him to step up. He's kicking brilliantly."

It would be no real crumb of comfort for the "bread of heaven" brigade to point out that their captain has actually yet to miss a pot at the posts this year. Stephen Jones only had the three opportunities on Saturday, as he did against Ireland the previous Sunday. He took them all. Otherwise, Wales only succeeded in shooting themselves in the foot - and in providing a regular supply of ammunition for Paterson.

Only once did they get close to the Scottish line, Chris Cusiter stopping Ryan Jones two yards short. And never at any stage did they match up to the all-round efficiency of a Scotland pack in which Scott Murray ruled the line-out and Taylor, Kelly Brown and David Callam took a tight hold of the fringes.

All of which, with no wins and no tries, sends Jenkins back to the drawing board ahead of Wales' trip to Paris on Saturday week. The Welsh may have their own particular rugby way, as their coach was at pains to point out on the eve of the Championship, but they are having considerable difficulty in finding it at present.

"I think what we've got to do is refocus ourselves and reorganise," Jenkins said in the Murrayfield aftermath. "Last week Scotland were probably feeling like we feel now. They were comprehensively beaten by England and they had to make big changes to re-energise their team."

The Welsh drawing board may feature big changes too - perhaps even, with Gareth Thomas still under suspension, a return from the wilderness for the prodigal Gavin Henson. If nothing else, the luminous tan would bring a little dazzle to a seriously off-colour back division.

Scotland do not exactly possess the sharpest of cutting edges behind their pack but they have a more than useful midfield battering ram in Rob Dewey and Paterson and Allan Jacobsen came close to breaking the try-scoring deadlock.

Having seen off England and France last season and done the same to Wales, the Scots have become a force with which to be seriously reckoned on their home ground. They have yet to lose a Six Nations match at Murrayfield under Hadden's shrewd stewardship.

Scotland: H Southwell (Edinburgh); S Lamont (Northampton), M Di Rollo , R Dewey, C Paterson (capt); P Godman (all Edinburgh), C Cusiter; G Kerr (both Borders), D Hall (Edinburgh), E Murray (Glasgow), J Hamilton (Leicester), S Murray, S Taylor (both Edinburgh), K Brown (Borders), D Callam (Edinburgh). Replacements: N Hines (Perpignan) for Hamilton, 50; A Hogg (Edinburgh) for Brown, 55); A Jacobsen (Edinburgh) for Kerr, 55; R Ford (Borders) for Hall, 68; N Walker (Ospreys) for Lamont, 69; S Webster (Edinburgh) for Godman, 70; R Lawson (Gloucester) for Cusiter, 74.

Wales: K Morgan (Newport-Gwent Dragons); M Jones (Llanelli Scarlets), J Robinson (Cardiff Blues), J Hook (Ospreys), C Czekaj (Blues); S Jones (capt), D Peel (both Scarlets); D Jones (Ospreys), R Thomas (Blues), A Jones (Ospreys), R Sidoli (Blues), A Wyn Jones (Ospreys), A Popham (Scarlets), M Williams (Blues), R Jones (Ospreys). Replacements: M Rees (Scarlets) for Williams, 58-68; G Jenkins (Blues) for D Jones, 58; I Gough (Dragons) for Sidoli, 52; J Thomas (Ospreys) for Williams, 68; C Sweeney (Dragons) for Morgan 45-52; T Shanklin (Blues) for Hook, 40.

Referee: A Lewis (Ireland).

Murrayfield details

SCOTLAND WALES

10/0 Scrums won/lost 5/1

16/0 Line-outs won/lost 14/4

8 Pens conceded 15

9 Turnovers won 8

157 Passes completed 113

2 Line breaks 1

28 Possession kicked 22

74 Tackles made 110

4 Missed 6

12 Total errors 19

TOP CARRIES

Lamont (Scotland) 12

Dewey (Scotland) 8

Callam (Scotland) 7

TOP TACKLERS

A W Jones (Wales) 14

Popham (Wales) 14

A R Jones (Wales) 10

MOST OFFLOADS

Cusiter (Scotland) 2

Czekaj (Wales) 2

Dewey (Scotland) 2