Sadly, a match played in heavenly weather - and an almost uninhibited spirit - was bound to contain a depressing element. There was a Confucian certainty about the logic: when both teams are grasping at straws the one who comes out straw-less faces much sadness.
In the end that was Wales. Spectators who had been celebrating with a Mexican Wave as a see-sawing last 20 minutes seemed to be favouring the home side - just - left at the end spitting venomous comment into the press area.
Penalties had done for them in the end, as play became desperate and error-prone. But the last offence, which Brendan Laney punished from straight in front, was for the plainest mistake: Gavin Thomas tried to run out of defence, was surrounded, and hung on.
So Wales were condemned to fifth place and their new coach Steve Hansen to a record that reads played three, lost two. While Scotland salvage a second win - and a second on the road.
It was a difficult match to make much sense of, though. Bill McLaren in his last Six Nations commentary will have thrilled to the pulsating action, but very little was created by either side. Both of Scotland's tries came from the mauling of line-outs - not a bad achievement against Wales - and the solitary Welsh touchdown was made out of a moment of individual brilliance.
Iestyn Harris provided that touch, almost as soon as he came on and, although on paper he replaced inside centre Andy Marinos, he spent much of the last 20 minutes effectively in the No 10 shirt, with Stephen Jones standing wider out. One or two more touches from Harris might well have won it.
Wales began well, their energy and speed in seizing on the loose ball prompted a number of hectic moments. No one was more alive than Rob Howley in his fifty-ninth and last appearance. Of two clean breaks, when Scotland dropped their guard at rucks, the first came extremely close to delivering.
There is something about the enclosed, still stadium and the lushness of the grass that can make penalty kicking look like putting, and Jones's opening attempt, though it was from fully 50 metres, looked the rugby equivalent of a straight six-footer so easily did he bisect the posts. With Charvis and Howley in the van, bringing Scotland's defences to near panic, penalties were forced that enabled Jones to add further from 35 and 30 metres, and with barely 15 minutes gone Wales led 9-0.
Scotland, given the chance to get three points back, elected instead to kick to the corner, and with their reliable line-out possession, set up the drive for the line. They were strongly resisted, but a secondary surge resulted in hooker Gordon Bulloch being adjudged by the video referee to have squeezed the ball down between defenders' bodies. Brendan Laney's conversion was wide, but within 10 minutes Scotland had done it again.
This time the line-out set up by the penalty was a little further than five metres out, but the Scots' mauling was exemplary, standing tall and staying tightly bound to minimise the possibility of being deflected from their course. This time their momentum was stronger, the crash of bodies over the line more emphatic. And Bulloch was again the scorer.
On the counter a long kick went 60 metres to the far corner, but, although this was another exciting moment for the Welsh crowd, the shouts of anticipation died rapidly as Scotland's winning of the defensive line-out was conclusive. The half ended with Laney, who had converted the second try from wide out, nailing a penalty from 52 metres, wide on the left, to send the visitors to the interval 15-9 ahead.
The visitors looked like scoring again as the second half opened. Marinos was caught as his attempt to run out of defence met two tacklers, producing a turnover, and as Scotland passed wide to the right a pass from lock Scott Murray just failed to put free his winger. Worse for Wales, Jones suffered a terri fying moment as a wayward pass to him in front of his posts skated around at his finger tips, Scotland pounced and Wales were fortunate not to yield a try.
It was a surprise, therefore, when Wales regained the lead. They had recycled the ball several times and seemed to be going nowhere, when Harris got the ball on the left side of the ruck some 40 metres out. A hint to his left and then swerving acceleration created dramatic space.
As Ireland's coach Eddie O'Sullivan has said, the three most important attributes are pace, pace and pace. In a couple of seconds Harris demonstrated that, and his transfer sent wing Rhys Williams unopposed to the posts.
The lead was to change five times more. In the end, errors like handling in the ruck were being committed in front of both posts. Any sense of this being a Six Nations match had long departed. It was simply a giddy, noisy, game in a great stadium. But with an empty ending for some.
Man of the match: Bryan Redpath
With all the Howleys, Brackens, Dawsons, Stringers and Nicols of this world, it has been easy in recent years to forget that the British Isles and Scotland also boast another world-class operator at scrum-half in Bryan Redpath. At 30, he's no up-and-coming youngster, but connoisseurs of Scottish rugby have long appreciated his sharp talents. And now he seems to have won his long-running battle with Andy Nicol for the Scotland No. 9 shirt, in the process winning the captaincy off him via Budge Pountney. The captaincy sits easily with him, apparently inspiring him rather than oppressing him. He was eternally looking for and often finding gaps in the Welsh defence yesterday, his renowned service kept Scotland on the move and a couple of clearance kicks did much to dig Scotland out of a few holes. Rob Howley couldn't have asked for a worthier adversary in his last international. Michael Aylwin
Wales:
Try: R Williams; Con: Jones; Pens: Jones 5
Morgan; R Williams, Taylor, Marinos (Harris 44), Morgan; Jones, Howley (Peel 66); I Thomas (John 56), B Williams (McBryde 44), Anthony, Gough, Moore (Wyatt 12), Budgett, M Williams, Charvis (capt).
Scotland:
Tries: Bulloch (2); Con: Laney; Pens: Laney 5
Laney; Logan (Metcalfe 59), McLaren, J Leslie, Paterson; Townsend, Redpath (capt); Smith, Bulloch (Russell 69), Stewart, Murray, White (Grimes 58), M Leslie (Petrie 65), Pountney, Taylor.
Referee: J Jutge (France).
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