Wales will field an unchanged starting XV for the first time in 66 Tests when they take on Scotland at Murrayfield on Saturday. Interim head coach Matt Sherratt has opted to stick with the same team that pushed Six Nations title contenders Ireland in their previous match.
Sherratt expressed confidence in his side and emphasized the importance of continuity, marking the first time since 2019 that Wales have named an unchanged lineup.
“Firstly, I thought the performance was decent,” Sherratt said. “I thought it was as cohesive as we could ask for with the amount of preparation time we had. It’s a reward for that really. Across the board, there were some strong performances. I was keen to let them go again.”
Wales showed promise in their 27-18 defeat to Ireland, despite their ongoing struggles in the tournament. The team is aiming to build on that performance as they face Scotland, followed by their final Six Nations match against England. Historically, Wales have performed well at Murrayfield, winning six of their last eight visits.
Sherratt acknowledged the challenge of maintaining momentum, especially with the emotional intensity of the Ireland match now behind them. “I am not naive. I knew there would be an emotional response for Ireland. This week was always going to be the test of the squad. But what I sense from the players is a determination to lift that emotion from the Principality Stadium and take it to Murrayfield.”
There are two changes among the replacements, with hooker Dewi Lake returning after recovering from biceps surgery and prop Keiron Assiratti earning a spot on the bench.
Scotland, meanwhile, have made just one change to their starting lineup, with winger Darcy Graham returning after missing the 16-15 victory over England due to concussion. Graham, Scotland’s second-highest try-scorer of all time, replaces Kyle Rowe on the wing after successfully coming through training this week.
Head coach Gregor Townsend has also made adjustments to his bench, reverting to a 5-3 split between forwards and backs after opting for a 6-2 balance against England. Sam Skinner and Jamie Dobie drop out, with George Horne and Rowe named among the replacements.
Scotland will be looking to bounce back from consecutive defeats to Ireland and England while aiming to secure three successive wins over Wales in the Six Nations for the first time.
