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| - Scotland host Wales in the Six Nations on Saturday, a week after both made winning starts with victories over 2020 champions England and Ireland respectively. Here, AFP Sport picks out three things which could be pivotal in their clash: Scotland have the perfect launchpad in the immense win over England to challenge for a title that has eluded them since Italy came on board in 2000 to make it the Six Nations. The Scots won the final Five Nations title in 1999, but have on four occasions ended up with the unwanted Six Nations wooden spoon. Ordinarily, they should fancy their chances of beating a Wales side that scrapped their way to a 21-16 win over an Irish team reduced to 14 men after only 14 minutes. The Welsh have been decimated by injuries to key players such as centre George North, but they still have plenty of experience in the team. No matter the manner of the win over the Irish, it will have given them a much-needed morale boost following a tough 2020. Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend is too canny an operator to make himself a hostage to fortune, regarding this the year the Scots can end their title drought. The former Scotland playmaker says his team need to be more clinical than they were against the English. He for one, though, does not expect a repeat of the limp performance the Welsh put up in last year's Six Nations clash when the Scots beat them in Cardiff. "I thought they (Wales) played really well last week, they had some experienced players back in the mix, and they have the confidence of an opening win," said Townsend. The match could hinge on who performs better at fly-half, and it should be quite a contest between the hosts' mercurial Finn Russell and Wales' battle-hardened Dan Biggar. Russell will provide the frills, Biggar reliable solidity. However, if Russell lapses as he did against England and is sin-binned, Biggar will hope to be more effective than Owen Farrell was in punishing the Scots. Russell will also be in foreign territory, in that Scotland will be the favourites and that exerts a different type of pressure. The Welsh might be well-advised to watch a replay of last year's European Cup final when the key to Exeter's win over Racing 92 was the outstanding job they did in nullifying Russell and his box of tricks -- picking off one of his passes to run in a score. Biggar, for his part, is unlikely to try anything audacious, especially as his spot is coming under threat from Callum Sheedy, who head coach Wayne Pivac admires and refers to like having "a coach on the pitch". There is the added prize that whoever emerges victorious from the encounter will give their chances of being selected in the British & Irish Lions squad a huge boost and may at the same time have ended the hopes of their opponent. Key to giving Russell enough ball to play with will be the service from the line-out. The Scots will fancy their chances of having the lion's share based on the respective performances in the first games. The Welsh line-out is proving to be a problem area as they have lost 27 on their own throw in their past eight Tests, including four against the Irish. "Clearly it's definitely a work-on for us," said head coach Pivac. "It's a source of possession for us, we need to get well into the 90s if not 100 percent at our lineout. "We need to go away and keep working hard at that and get some answers for next Saturday." Giant lock Adam Beard says several different hookers being selected as starter has not helped and adds, as the caller, it is essential he remains calm. "If you over-think, it can get you in trouble," he said. "Sometimes it's about going back to basics, picking a banker ball and going from there." pi/jc
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