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Wales and Scotland will kick off their 2024 Six Nations tournaments at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday.
Scotland enters the tournament on a positive note following impressive performances in the Autumn Nations Series. The previous year saw them achieve a commendable third-place finish, only behind Ireland and France, breaking longstanding Six Nations hoodoos.
This marks a shift from their consistent fourth-place finishes since 2020. Under the leadership of coach Gregor Townsend, there is a palpable sense of upward momentum, notwithstanding their group stage exit at the World Cup, where they were drawn into the "Group of Death" alongside formidable opponents such as South Africa and Ireland.
Wales, meanwhile, have generally improved under Warren Gatland over the last 12 months, and while they finished fifth in last year's edition of this competition, they reminded everyone of their tremendous potential at the World Cup, where they reached the quarter-finals.
But this is very much a team in transition trying to pave their way into a new era without veterans such as Alun Wyn Jones, Dan Biggar, Leigh Halfpenny, Justin Tipuric and Rhys Webb, all of them have bid farewell to international rugby.
The Dragons have also been dealt a major setback just a day ahead of their Six Nations opener when it was announced that Gloucester winger Louis Rees-Zammit would be leaving rugby union to pursue his dream of starring in the NFL.
Wales vs Scotland date and kickoff time
| Date | Saturday, February 3, 2024 |
| Kickoff time | 11:45 a.m. ET/ 10:45 a.m. CT/ 8:45 a.m. PT |
| Venue | Principality Stadium |
| Location | Cardiff, Ireland |
| Referee | Ben O'Keeffe (New Zealand) |
How to watch Wales vs Scotland on TV & stream live online
NBC Sports is the rights holder for the tournament in the USA and will be showing every game of the 2024 Six Nations live, while Six Nations matches will also be available to watch on CNBC (on delay).
With every fixture shown on NBC, the easiest and cheapest option is to invest in a Peacock subscription. The streaming service of NBC costs just $5.99 per month for the Premium Plan, which will allow you to watch all Six Nations fixtures, including Wales versus Scotland.
There's also no contract with this service, meaning you could essentially subscribe for two months while the tournament is on and cancel following it.
Streaming the game with a VPN
- Overview of VPN services that allow access to geo-restricted streams
- How to set up and use a VPN service to stream the match
You can watch the game from wherever you are in the world by using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) service such as NordVPN/ ExpressVPN. A VPN will allow you to create a secure connection online when you are abroad on holiday or for work and you want to stream the game live.
If you are not sure which VPN to use or how to use a VPN, we have taken a look at the best options available out there for watching live sports - check out the best VPN services review here.
Here’s an easy step-by-step guide on how to use a VPN to watch a game when you are overseas:
- Install VPN of your choice - see our reviews here for the best options.
- Select the location you wish to connect to. This is easy - if you are visiting the UK and you wish to continue watching one of your U.S. streaming services, you would select the US.
- Grab the popcorn and get ready to watch!
Wales vs Scotland team news & starting lineup
Wales team news
Louis Rees-Zammit certainly leaves a gaping hole in the Welsh backline, but Gatland has a more than capable replacement in the electric Rio Dyer. The Dragons star possesses the raw talent, speed, and lethal edge to thrive on the international circuit.
Lock Will Rowlands has yet to join the roster due to personal reasons, while centre George North has been ruled out of Saturday’s Six Nations opener against Scotland because of a shoulder injury, joining the likes of Morgan, Dewi Lake, Taulupe Faletau, Christ Tshiunza, and Taine Plumtree on the sidelines.
Owen Watkin and Nick Tompkins will now forge Wales’s midfield partnership, with the Cardiff full-back Cameron Winnett handed a Test debut in a place vacated by Liam Williams' move to Japan.
Wales starting lineup: Winnett; Dyer, Watkin, Tompkins, Adams; Costelow, G Davies; Domachowski, Elias, Brown; D Jenkins (c), Beard; Botham, Reffell, Wainwright
Replacements: Dee, Mathias, Assiratti, Teddy Williams, Mann, Tomos Williams, I Lloyd, Grady
Scotland team news
Scotland will have to make do without the services of full-back Blair Kinghorn (knee) and co-captain Rory Darge due to respective injuries. Kinghorn is anticipated to miss at least the tournament's opening two matches, paving the way for Kyle Rowe to make his first international start against Wales. He will join forces with Kyle Steyn and Duhan van der Merwe in the backline.
In Darge's absence, former captain Jamie Ritchie starts at openside, while promising Luke Crosbie takes over at blindside, and Matt Fagerson completes the Scottish back-row.
Veteran tighthead WP Nel (neck) and Gloucester fly-half Adam Hastings have both been ruled out, with Javan Sebastian and Ross Thompson called up as late replacements. Ollie Smith is also out, while Grant Gilchrist is suspended.
Scotland starting lineup: Rowe; Steyn, Jones, Tuipulotu, Van der Merwe; Russell, White; Schoeman, Turner, Z Fagerson; R Gray, Cummings; Crosbie, Ritchie, M Fagerson
Replacements: Ashman, Hepburn, Millar-Mills, Skinner, Dempsey, Horne, Healy, Redpath
Wales vs Scotland head-to-head record
Scotland defeated a miserable Wales side 35-7 at Murrayfield last year, and their last victory on Welsh territory came in Llanelli in the 2020 Covid season. However, they have a terrible record in Cardiff, having not won in 22 years, losing their past ten assignments.
| Date | Fixture | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| 11/02/23 | Scotland 35-7 Wales | Six Nations |
| 12/02/22 | Wales 20-17 Scotland | Six Nations |
| 13/02/21 | Scotland 24-25 Wales | Six Nations |
| 31/10/20 | Wales 10-14 Scotland | Six Nations |
| 09/03/19 | Scotland 11-18 Wales | Six Nations |