Tuipulotu on red alert as Scotland face wounded Welsh — and more

It is said that the bookmakers are never wrong. It is a fallacy, of course. They have been wrong about Scotland twice in a row now.

They made Gregor Townsend's team warm favourites against Italy in round one and made them clear underdogs against England in round two. Bookies are human, some of the time.

The Scots have won the past three against Wales - two hairy experiences and one landslide.

They have not won four-in-a-row against the Welsh since the 1920s, but they are screaming hot favourites.

It is doubtful they have ever been so fancied going into a Six Nations match - or a Five Nations match, for that matter.

• Van der Merwe returns from Scotland wilderness with a point to prove
• Friends reunited as Tandy prepares to face Scotland
• Costelow and Hamer-Webb start for Wales v Scotland

The best price available on Scotland is 1-10, with Wales on offer at 9-1 for anybody brave enough to accept. Business is reported as being slow on that front.

Other firms are making Scotland 1-16 and even 1-18. Basically, the odds-layers are saying the Scots cannot lose, which is a theory that will sit very uneasily with the away fans.

Sione Tuipulotu does not strike you as the kind of captain who places much store in what these people are predicting. Speaking on the eve of the game, he said the dejection of losing to Italy still lives with him and he is reluctant to let it go.

"That feeling still lingers," the centre said, before once again mentioning the desperation his players felt going into the Calcutta Cup and the need to tap into those same emotions in Cardiff.

"I put pressure on the group to be desperate out there and show desperation," he added.

"It also makes me a little bit frustrated because the week before we couldn't against Italy for a lot of reasons. So that feeling is still there for me and I hope it stays with me for the rest of the tournament, because I think it's needed.

"I'm still very desperate. I just know you can't lose two games in this tournament and think you're going to be there at the back end for anything.

"In order for us to stay in this tournament, we've got to be just as desperate, just as emotional, just as clinical as we were last week."

We are in new territory here with the super soaraway Scots. Or, to be more precise, the weak and weary Welsh.

More than Scotland's systematic and thrilling defeat of England, those odds are a reflection of where Steve Tandy's team are at.

Thirteen consecutive losses in the Six Nations, 23 defeats in their past 25 games (they beat Japan twice), an average of 51 points conceded in their first two games of the championship after losing 73-0 to the Springboks in the autumn and shipping 52 to the All Blacks.

Everything points to an away win. Everything.

Scotland are classier, more dangerous, more cohesive, more confident. They have a backline to die for - 111 Test tries between them, with another 49 from their three backs on the bench - and a pack of forwards that should be more than good enough to tame any Welsh fire.

Tuipulotu said that the returning Blair Kinghorn and Duhan van der Merwe are "war ready".

You get the impression Scotland's in-house messaging has been all about keeping the foot on the accelerator rather than coasting, as they have done in the past, most notably in 2022 when - after beating England - they were insipid in defeat in Cardiff next time out.

Tuipulotu is on red alert. As he must be. He knows that the hunger they felt last week is not the exclusive preserve of the Scotland team.

"I always felt that Welsh people and Scottish people are actually quite similar and they carry the same underdog story," he said.

"My instruction to the boys is that, if you feel like we were desperate last week, they're going to be on a whole other level of desperation tomorrow.

"And that's what I'm expecting from them. I'm expecting them to be really fired-up and want to play in front of their fans. And our preparation has shown that we really respect this side because we know how desperate they are, know how well coached they are.

"And as people, they're going to front-up for their country. So we're prepared."

Tuipulotu had kind words for Tandy, his former defence coach with Scotland and a man he says he owes much to.

"He was the first coach I had a personal relationship with when I moved a long way away from home [from Australia]," he said.

"I know you guys probably don't believe me, but if I'm around people I don't know, I'm very shy. I'm not shy now. But, when I first came over here, I was really shy.

"And he was one of the first coaches to put his arm around me. That had a massive effect on my rugby because I trusted him a lot and I confided in him a lot on stuff outside of rugby as well. He played a massive part of bringing me out of my shell.

"He saw the leader in me that maybe I didn't even see at that time. And he encouraged that side as well. So I owe a lot to him."

There is a limit to his gratitude, of course. He thinks the world of Tandy but is also, well, desperate to beat him.

It would be a seismic shock if Scotland were to fall over in Cardiff, but the hard-bitten visitors are keeping their guard up.

A few of them gathered outside a hostelry on St Mary Street in the early evening on Friday. Their mood? "Very, very confident," said one, "but at the same time very, very nervous."

As a study in Scottish rugby psyche, it was spot-on. As the saying goes, when you know, you know.

Related internet links

• Scottish Rugby Union

Hammarby var dunderfavorit i sin första tävlingsmatch 2026 – mot Brage hemma i cupen. Och höll för trycket utan att imponera – där Nahir Besara var den stora segerorganisatören.

Liverpool will clash heads with Nottingham Forest at the City Ground this Sunday as they look to secure a good result on the road in the Premier League. The Reds managed to earn a solid 3-0 win over Brighton and Hove Albion recently, which should keep them in good spirits going into this game.

Arne Slot will set his players up in a 4-2-3-1 formation and is expected to make some changes to his first team for this clash. Ryan Gravenberch and Hugo Ekitike could both play from the start of this game.

4-2-3-1 Liverpool Predicted Lineup To Face Nottingham Forest

Defence

Alisson Becker will feature in between the sticks for the Merseyside club after he kept a clean sheet in his last outing. Ibrahima Konate will operate alongside Virgil Van Dijk at the centre of the Liverpool backline as they look to keep things solid at the back during the game.

Dominik Szoboszlai will once again fill in as the right-back, while Milos Kerkez looks to give a good account of himself on the other side as the left-back. Both of them will get the license to go forward and express themselves in the final third.

Joe Gomez will provide cover for the defensive positions on the bench.

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 14: Alisson Becker of Liverpool looks on during the Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round match between Liverpool and Brighton & Hove Albion on February 14, 2026 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Lewis Storey/Getty Images)

Midfield

Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch will anchor the midfield for Liverpool as they look to establish their dominance over the home side in the middle of the park.

The talented trio of Cody Gakpo, Florian Wirtz and Mohamed Salah will play just ahead of them as part of Slot’s attack. All three of them need to combine well if the Reds are to secure a convincing win this weekend.

Curtis Jones and Rio Ngumoha will be named on the bench as they wait for their chance to make an impact in the second 45 minutes if needed.

Attack

Hugo Ekitike will spearhead Liverpool’s attack up top. He has to find a way to be a constant menace in the final third.

Federico Chiesa will have to settle for a spot on the bench and might come on to influence the game in the latter stages if the Reds are in need of a goal by then. However, Alexander Isak remain sidelined with a long-term injury.

Landholders call for a proposed 500-megawatt battery energy storage project to be moved amid concerns it will impact on housing developments in South Australia's second largest city.