Insistent two years ago that their game be played “au naturel”, Scotland have changed tack and are asking that the Millennium Stadium roof be closed for Sunday’s RBS 6 Nations clash with Wales.
Andy Robinson was strident in asking that the roof be open for the game two years ago, which turned out to be one of the most exciting in championship history with Wales winning deep in injury-time through another try by the now-retired Shane Williams.
However, overhead conditions were perfect for mid-February in that game and the same is not forecast for Sunday. Skipper Ross Ford revealed that, as a result, they had asked for the roof to be shut.
If the visiting team want the roof to be open then protocol says it must be, but Wales generally prefer to play with it closed and will likely agree.
“You saw last week the way we tried to play and dry conditions are far better for that. You can still create the chaos in dry weather. We know what we’re trying to achieve. A dry ball’s better for us,” said Ford.
”It was different in 2010 because the weather was really good. For me, the team’s trying to play rugby and we’ll be looking for that on Sunday.”
Robinson’s reasoning last time was that Wales had an advantage with a closed roof, but Scotland are discarding that complaint this time.
”You’d be hard pushed to find any player who likes to play in wind and rain,” added Ford. ”It’ll suit Wales as well but we’re going down to do a job and it suits us to play in the dry.
”They’ll be full of confidence after a good win last week but we’ve a point to prove, we let ourselves down last week, and we still have a confidence and belief in the way we want to play.”
Since they first visited in 1998 Scotland have played twice under the roof and lost on both occasions.
With it open the record is scarcely better, with the sole win in 2002 and three other defeats.