Despite much promise in their Autumn campaign, Scotland started Townsend's first Six Nations Championship with a 34–7 defeat to Wales. Scotland returned to winning ways in round 2, defeating France 32–26. In round 3, Townsend led Scotland to their first victory over England since 2010, winning 25–13, their largest winning victory over England in a Six Nations game. That victory meant they extended their home victories in the Championship out to 6, something they hadn't achieved since their home wins between the 1989 and 1991 Five Nations Championships. Despite creating chances against Ireland, Scotland were unable to come away with the victory, losing 28–8. In the final round, it came down to a last minute penalty from Greig Laidlaw to secure a 29–27 win over Italy, to finish third on the table, their highest positioning since 2013. The 2018 June tests saw a young and inexperienced side travel to the Americas. The first game ended in a 48–10 victory over Canada, however the second test saw the United States claim a 30–29 win to see them earn their first victory over Scotland and a Tier 1 nation in the professional era. Despite this, Scotland went on to claim a record victory over Argentina, winning 44–15.