Scotland welcome Wales to BT Murrayfield in Round Four of the 2019 Six Nations as Gregor Townsend’s side look to rewrite the fixture’s history books with a win.
In last year’s clash Wales enjoyed a comfortable 34-7 victory at the Principality Stadium, with Leigh Halfpenny grabbing 19 of the hosts’ points.
It was a sharp turnaround from the season before where Scotland sealed a 29-13 victory – their first win against the Welsh since 2007. IN THE RED CORNER
Wales have had the better of the fixture since the turn of the century, including a nine-game unbeaten run between 2008 and 2016.
It encompassed a record win for Wales when they romped to a 51-3 victory in 2014.
Recent form for the two sides has followed those portents – after 123 games played, Wales have 69 wins compared to 45 for the Scots.
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When the game kicks off at 2.15pm on Saturday, March 9, the hosts will be looking to get the better of Warren Gatland’s side, who took the honours this autumn with a 21-10 victory thanks to tries from George North and Jonathan Davies in Cardiff.
Scotland may well look to Finn Russell, whose 19 points provided the backbone of their 2017 victory, to guide them to a victory again.
One of Wales’ most famous victories at BT Murrayfield was back in 2005, a year they won the Grand Slam.
In the penultimate round they travelled to Edinburgh and registered a famous 46-22 win, the most points they’ve ever scored at the home of Scottish rugby.
Rhys Williams and Kevin Morgan both dotted down twice while Shane Williams and Ryan Jones added tries as they surged to victory, Steven Jones adding 16 points with his boot.
Warren Gatland’s men will hope to be in a similar position when round four comes around in 2019.
EXCITING EDINBURGH
The Scottish capital is split by Edinburgh Castle, and its fortifications, into two parts – the bustling, historic Old Town and the elegant New Town.
To the south of the castle is the Old Town made up of a network of picturesque medieval streets while the New Town sprawls to the north.
Leith is well worth a visit to those intrepid rugby travellers with time on their hands – the suburb’s attractions including the Royal Yacht Britannica, the former floating residence of the Queen.
There are a range of whisky tours available throughout the city, giving people a chance to warm the cockles and sample the country’s most famous export.
Many of the eateries will be serving some of the classic dishes of Scotland – including haggis and deep fried Mars Bars if you’re brave.
But there is plenty of choice for the fine diner, as well, with Edinburgh sporting four of Scotland’s nine Michelin-starred restaurants.
STUNNING VENUE
The home of Scottish rugby was first used for the sport in 1925, having purchased the land for the ground from Edinburgh Polo Club three years earlier.
To mark the opening Scotland faced off against old foes England, then the back-to-back Five Nations champions, on March 21, 1925.
It was a great day for the home fans, as 70,000 packed in to see a 14-11 victory handing the Scots their first ever Grand Slam.
The stadium as we know it today was opened in December 1995, with new stands built at the north and southern ends added to the ground while the west stand was demolished and rebuilt as part of a three-phase modernisation.
BT Murrayfield is to the west of the city centre and a 20-minute walk from Haymarket Station, known as The Murrayfield Mile.
Waverley station is also nearby and provides links to the stadium by bus, tram or taxi.
The trams run frequently on match days, with services going to BT Murrayfield from Edinburgh Airport, Ingliston Park and Ride, Edinburgh Gateway and Haymarket.
Four bus operators runs services which pass close to the ground.
Options include Lothian Buses’ 1, 2, 22, 30 at Westfield Road, 3, 25, 33, 38 at Gorgie Road, 12, 26, 31 at Corstorphine Road, Airlinks’ 100 at Corstorphine Road, First Bus’ 21A, 22, 38, 38A at Corstorphine Road and Scottish Citylink’s 900 at Corstorphine Road.
Ticket holders wishing to travel by car will find limited parking available near the stadium but it has to be pre-booked.
Otherwise there are park ride locations around the city with easy bus links to the ground.
