Wales go down fighting...

There was heartbreak at the Principality Stadium today as Wales national rugby union team came agonisingly close to ending their long losing run, only to see victory slip away late against Scotland national rugby union team.

For much of the afternoon it felt like something had finally clicked. From the opening whistle Wales played with an intensity and clarity that has been missing in recent months. The early try from Rhys Carre set the tone and the red shirts dominated large periods of the contest, controlling possession, winning the physical battle and asking serious questions of a Scottish side that looked rattled.

Captain Dewi Lake summed up the mood perfectly after the match, describing the defeat as gut wrenching. It was hard to disagree. Wales delivered on the plans they had spoken about all week. The first half in particular showed a team playing with confidence, patience and belief, applying pressure and attacking with purpose. It felt like a turning point was finally within reach.

Even after the break, Wales continued to build. They led comfortably at times and for the first time in a long while looked like a side in control of their own destiny. But rugby has a cruel habit of punishing small lapses, and Wales were unable to stay locked into the moment for the full eighty minutes. Scotland stayed in touch and eventually found the late score that broke Welsh hearts.