Kyle Rowe says he felt like he was making his international debut all over again in Scotland’s “nail-biting” Six Nations victory against Wales.
The Glasgow winger, 25, earned his second cap on his first start, putting in an assured display at full-back.
His Test debut against Argentina in 2022 ended after 12 minutes when Rowe suffered a serious knee injury.
“It kind of felt like my first Test match, obviously with what happened in Argentina,” Rowe told BBC Scotland.
“Pre-game I was thinking, ‘just do the things you’re good at’. One of those things is taking high balls and I felt I did that.
“There were a couple of dropped balls but that’s the nature of the game, mistakes happen in a big Test match.”
Gregor Townsend’s side looked on course for a record victory over Wales, cruising at 27-0 when Duhan van der Merwe crossed for his second try and Scotland’s third.
The lead all but evaporated as Wales came thundering back with four tries though, but the Scots held on for their first win in Cardiff since 2002.
“After conceding 26 unanswered points it was quite nail-biting on the pitch so I can’t imagine what it was like for all the fans,” said Rowe, who was deputising for the injured Blair Kinghorn.
“It was a crazy game to be a part of and I feel very privileged to be a part of it.
“The second half didn’t go the way that we wanted, but in the end we got the win. After not winning there for 22 years, it’s a big deal. I’m delighted.”
Rowe insisted that cool heads prevailed in the Scotland ranks even as they were struggling to hold back the rising Welsh tide.
“There wasn’t mass panic in the huddle behind the posts,” he explained.
“It was more about just keeping the ball, which is easier said than done in a Test match when they’ve got their tails up, but I thought we dug in really well at the end and were close to getting the bonus-point score. I’m just glad we got the win.
“Being 27-0 up we should not have conceded that many points but we have not won there in 22 years so we’re taking real positives from the game.”
