Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

While the question for Scotland is whether they can back up the England win, the dilemma for Wales is if they can stop conceding points.

Steve Tandy's work as defence coach for Scotland impressed enough to earn the same role with the British and Irish Lions.

So he was expected to tighten things up for Wales when he took the reins last September.

Yet there has been little case for the defence with Wales.

In his first six games in charge - albeit including the world's top four teams in their last four Tests - Tandy's Wales have conceded a staggering 302 points and 42 tries.

The latest battering, Sunday's 54-12 mauling by France in Cardiff, leaves Wales bottom of the Six Nations having already shipped 102 points. No team has conceded more in the opening two rounds of the competition in 25 years.

Tandy has confirmed Wales will have a specialist defence coach by the summer but the timing of that appointment - and who makes it - has been questioned.

Read more: Tandy 'needs help' - Wales' hunt for defence coach

It is 40 years since Paul Thorburn stunned world rugby and wrote his name in the record books with his 'kick of the age'.

Wales were awarded a penalty inside their own half during the 1986 Five Nations Championship game against Scotland in Cardiff.

Everyone watching fully expected them to kick the ball to touch.

But Wales' young full-back had other ideas and what followed shocked everyone.

Image source, SNS

Scotland's incredible dismantling of England prompted joyous scenes among their fans, but also left a familiar question hanging in the air - can they back it up?

Following six of their last eight triumphs over the auld enemy, Scotland have lost their next match.

Which brings us to Principality Stadium and an opportunity for Scotland to properly put themselves in the title mix.

The emotional and physical energy expended in delivering these incredible Calcutta Cup victories has proved hard for Scotland to recover from and then replicate.

Scotland bounced back brilliantly from the gut punch of defeat to Italy to dispatch England but the memories of Rome will serving as a cautionary tale.

"We'll obviously be sitting there with Italy in the back of our mind and that performance," Scotland second row Scott Cummings said.

"We know that we can't let our performance dip to that point again. We know that we can push on and we believe we can push on. But the weekend was just a start for us, now we need to back it up.

"In the nicest way possible, we've beaten England before. We've done this before in the Six Nations quite a few times and we probably haven't backed it up after that, so that's definitely a big focus for us."

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

When Joe Hawkins agreed to return to Wales last summer it was for moments today when he could lock horns with a trio of Scottish Lions at the Principality Stadium.

The 23-year-old Scarlets centre wins his ninth cap today having last week made his first Six Nations appearance since 2023.

That last appearance was the win against Italy in Rome - it was also the last time Wales enjoyed a victory in the championship.

The centre moved from Ospreys to Exeter at the end of that season and fell victim of the Welsh Rugby Union's cap selection policy.

"A big part in me coming back to Wales was to try and be part of the Welsh squad and to play in competitions like this," said Hawkins, who missed the 2023 World Cup after his move to the Chiefs.

"I don't think there is a better international competition than the Six Nations. It's amazing being back involved."

Hawkins returned to Wales with Scarlets last year and started against New Zealand and South Africa in the autumn.

Now he takes on a well-oiled Scotland trio of Finn Russell, Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones.

"They've got quite a settled centre partnership, so whoever gets the chance this is a good test," said Hawkins.

"Tuipulotu's obviously a powerful ball carrier, but he's got nice subtle skills as well. Huw Jones has got a bit of gas and some nice running lines, so they complement each other well."

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Wales head coach Steve Tandy is looking forward to reunite with his old Scotland friends at the Principality Stadium.

Tandy spent almost six years as the Scottish defence coach before taking over the Wales job in September 2025.

"Every game is emotional, and I've got a lot of friends and players who I've gone through a lot with after six years of coaching them," said Tandy.

"I'm grateful for that time in Scotland – the people, the fans, everything was outstanding.

"It will be a huge game for me, but no different to any other game we want to win.

"We want to put a performance in and it will be a special day because there are a lot of amazing memories from Scotland.

"We are ready to create memories in Wales now. It's my home nation so it has the potential to be even better."

Image source, SNS

British and Irish Lions pair Blair Kinghorn and Duhan van der Merwe are both re-called by Scotland for their first appearance of the Six Nations.

Kinghorn's return at full-back and Scotland's record try scorer Van der Merwe's place on the wing are two of five changes made by Gregor Townsend from last Saturday's victory over England.

In the pack, Dave Cherry is in at hooker, Max Williamson takes up a place in the second row and Matt Fagerson joins the back row, with Gregor Brown moving from four to six.

"Blair was back playing on Sunday night for Toulouse and played really well," said Townsend.

"He's recovered quickly and Duhan has trained really well. There will be a freshness around both of them and a huge determination to do well.

Neither Kinghorn, with 146 points from 60 caps, nor fellow British and Irish Lions cap Van der Merwe with 170 points in 50 appearances, featured in the first two Tests.

"It will have been tough for them to take, but they backed the team and understood the reasons why we had different selections in the first two games," explained Townsend

"Now they have an opportunity."

Scotland: Kinghorn; Steyn, Jones, Tuipulotu (capt), van der Merwe; Russell, White; McBeth, Cherry, Fagerson, Williamson, Cummings, Brown, Darge, Fagerson.

Replacements: Turner, Schoeman, Millar Mills, Gilchrist, Bayliss, Horne, Jordan, Graham.

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Steve Tandy hands Leicester wing Gabriel Hamer-Webb his international debut amid four changes to the Wales team.

Tandy has also brought back Scarlets fly-half Sam Costelow and given starts to Dragons lock Ben Carter and Scarlets flanker Taine Plumtree.

There is also a positional switch with Aaron Wainwright who moves from blind-side flanker to number eight.

Wing Ellis Mee, fly-half Dan Edwards, lock Adam Beard and number eight Olly Cracknell drop out of the squad.

Gloucester lock Freddie Thomas, Cardiff flanker James Botham and Scarlets full-back Blair Murray come onto the replacements bench for the first time in the tournament.

"We feel this is the best team to take on Scotland," said Tandy.

"With a six-day turnaround, you want some freshness as well going into the game."

Wales: Rees-Zammit; Hamer-Webb, James, Hawkins, Adams; Costelow, T Williams; Carre, Lake (capt), Francis, Jenkins, Carter, Plumtree, Mann, Wainwright.

Replacements: Elias, Smith, Griffin, F Thomas, Botham, Hardy, J Evans, Murray.

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Welcome to the Principality Stadium for the second game of round three - and it's a curious one.

There are so many questions around Wales against Scotland.

Can Scotland back up their Calcutta Cup heroics over England?

Are Wales right to have the roof closed?

And can Wales find a way to stop opponents scoring big?

We will look at all these issues in the build up to today's kick-off at 16:40 (GMT).

But first of all, let's take a look at the two teams.