Scotland 18 Wales 28
WALES kept alive their hopes of back-to-back Six Nations titles with victory in a match dominated by the boot and the whistle of South African referee Craig Joubert.
Full-back Leigh Halfpenny kicked seven penalties and a conversion to add to a first-half try by hooker Richard Hibbard, but Scotland were able to hang on to their coat-tails thanks to six successes from scrum-half Greig Laidlaw.
It was a strong effort from Wales, spearheaded again by a powerful scrum and marauding displays from lock Alun Wyn Jones and man-of-the-match Sam Warburton, who took over the captaincy following a shoulder injury to Ryan Jones in the second period.
And while England remain hot favourites to lift the championship silverware, Wales will go into their final match in Cardiff next week still with a chance of upsetting the odds and claiming the crown on points difference.
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Rob Howley's side had gone into the game looking for their third successive away triumph in the tournament, while the Scots had their eyes on a hat-trick of back-to-back wins – a feat they hadn't achieved since the Five Nations became six.
As usual, thousands of Welsh fans had made the journey north and added plenty of colour and voice to a sold-out Murrayfield.
The Scottish media had suggested that Wales were going into the game as favourites, but there was little to choose between the form of both sides who felt they had yet to showcase their best during the opening three rounds of this campaign.
It was Wales who served an early statement of intent, gaining a penalty from a powerful scrum surge.
Halfpenny slotted the simple kick, but the full-back – widely touted as the favourite for the Lions No.15 jersey - uncharacteristically, then missed with three further attempts.
As for Laidlaw, he was proving dead-eyed again, nudging his side into a 6-3 lead, before Wales struck for the game's opening try on 21 minutes.
Scarlets wing George North had been a menacing presence in the early exchanges and his surging break from halfway ended with blue jerseys desperately scrambling back to their own line.
Wales pounded away to try to break down the defensive wall and it was Ospreys hooker Hibbard who eventually plunged over for his first try for his country. Halfpenny added the extras from wide out.
With Joubert sharp on the whistle throughout, any flow to the game was being punctuated by penalties and two more from Laidlaw's unerring boot looked like giving the hosts a half-time advantage,
But a needless offside infringement from Scotland lock Jim Hamilton allowed Halfpenny to restore Wales's lead, albeit a slender one-point one at the interval.
A strong start to the second half by Wales saw Halfpenny push his side 16-12 ahead, only for Laidlaw to respond with three points for the home side.
Wales lost skipper Ryan Jones on 48 minutes with a shoulder problem and he was replaced in the back row by Ospreys team-mate Justin Tipuric, who again made his mark on proceedings.
The penalties continued to flow as Laidlaw and Haflpenny battled it out in their own personal kicking duel and with 20 minutes remaining, Wales led 22-18.
That became 25-18 and then 28-18 following two more successes from the Gorseinon full-back.
In the final minutes, Scotland threatened to claim a late score, but even though prop Paul James saw yellow, some outstanding defence kept the Welsh line intact.
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