‘Scotch Mist’

Meaning: The phrase ‘Scotch mist’ is used humorously to refer to something that is hard to find or doesn’t exist – something imagined.

There have been more reported sightings of the Loch Ness Monster this century than those of Scottish victories in Wales, in fact success on the green green grass of our home has been rarer than scotch mist.

Scotland had not beaten Wales in Cardiff since 2002. However they were victorious in Wales during the covid disrupted 2020 Six Nations tournament, but that match that had to be rescheduled and was eventually played in Llanelli, at Parc y Scarlets, on 31 October of that year, whilst the Principality Stadium was being used as a field hospital.

This time around with the mercurial in-form Finn Russell conducting matters, there were hopes, and no little expectation, that 2024 would be the year when finally the tartan hordes would not be sent homeward to think again.

Of all the teams in this year’s championship Scotland are without doubt the most settled and it appeared to be a case of now or never for the boys in blue up against a young and inexperienced Welsh outfit decimated by retirements and injuries.

Yesterday in the Welsh capital it was a day of contrasting emotions, the inevitable excitement at the start of a new Guinness Six Nations tournament, but also the deep sadness of paying tribute to one of Wales’ favourite sons who left us far too young last month.

JPR Williams had many a battle against the Scots on this wonderful patch of green in the heart of the capital, and his immense presence quite rightly hung over this game like a nostalgic warm blanket. The emotional pre match tribute was a fitting farewell to the great man, there were plenty of moist misty eyes amongst the 75,000 in attendance.

Wales had a dismal first half, everything that could possibly go wrong came to pass, and at the break Scotland led 20-0. The second half didn’t start much better when Van Der Merwe was ushered through for his second try of the match with 42 mins on the clock, and the 27-0 lead looked unassailable.

What transpired from that moment on would have put Lazarus to shame, Wales awoke from their winter hibernation and scored 4 tries in twenty minutes to take them within one point of the Scots (26-27)

The transformation had the crowd ramped up to fever pitch, and with “Living on a prayer” blasting out of the stadium’s PA system Wales were Desperately seeking one more score of any description. That Scotch mist was beginning to form, but time was running out for the men in red and Scotland managed to regroup in the final minutes to hang on to victory.

So after twenty-two years of waiting, that old familiar feeling of heading homeward tae think again had finally dissipated, along with the scotch mist. It will be put to the test when a wounded France visit Murrayfield next Saturday, and a case of collective amnesia may well be on the cards to avoid it, but for now the young inexperienced Wales side are the ones who have to do all the thinking.

They will take heart from the positive running rugby they displayed in the second half, and the character they showed to launch an astonishing comeback.

A trip up the M4 to Twickenham looms in a week’s time and team selection for that game will be extremely interesting.

An exhausting, exhilarating nerve jangling start to the Guinness Six Nations, we expected nothing less from this wonderful tournament.