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Publication Date<br />

Headline<br />

Outlet<br />

URL<br />

Snippet<br />

05-Feb-2018<br />

Wales were better team: McInally<br />

Belfast Telegraph (Online)<br />

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BelfastTelegraph.co.uk<br />

Stuart McInally says Scotland's NatWest 6 Nations capitulation in Cardiff was "a bitter pill to<br />

swallow".<br />

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/rugby/six-nations/wales-were-better-team-mcinally-<br />

36566522.html<br />

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/rugby/article36566942.ece/4d7c0/AUTOCROP/h34<br />

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Stuart McInally says Scotland's NatWest 6 Nations capitulation in Cardiff was "a bitter pill to<br />

swallow".<br />

Scotland arrived at the Principality Stadium scenting a first victory in the Welsh capital since<br />

2002, having crushed Australia earlier this season and ran world champions New Zealand<br />

close.<br />

But optimism was quickly replaced by damage limitation as Wales scored two converted<br />

tries during the opening 12 minutes and then ran out 34-7 victors, with Scotland restricted to<br />

a late Peter Horne try that Finn Russell converted for their only scoring contribution.<br />

France head to Murrayfield next Sunday, and the Scots have to regroup quickly or their Six<br />

Nations campaign could collapse into a complete state of disrepair.<br />

"We spoke so much during the week about coming down (to Cardiff) and winning," Scotland<br />

hooker McInally said.<br />

"It is a bitter pill to swallow. A lot of the points they scored were our doing, our errors, so that<br />

is something we need to look at.<br />

"It was 14-0 after 14 minutes - something like that - but the tries they got were two errors<br />

from us. They didn't have to work too hard for them. They got an intercept where we just set<br />

up our carrier really wide, and then (Gareth) Davies picked that off.<br />

Scotland prevented any further Wales points before half-time, but two quickfire Leigh<br />

Halfpenny penalties shortly after the break left McInally and company 20 points adrift and<br />

with no hope of a comeback.<br />

"We didn't seem able to string more than a few phases together, and their defence was<br />

excellent," McInally added. "They just played better than us.<br />

Belfast Telegraph

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