Record-setting Scotland left in pink after excruciating mismatch as Gregor Townsend given selection issues
So many highlights against America but the real stuff starts next week
Murrayfield is celebrating its centenary this year and in its 100-year history it has surely never witnessed a Scotland game quite as one-sided as this.
It was a mismatch of almost excruciating proportions for the USA who conceded 85 points and 13 tries across a harrowing 80 minutes for the visitors.
Gregor Townsend’s side never let up and the records tumbled. The final scoreline of 85-0 was the biggest victory ever by the Scotland men’s side at Murrayfield, eclipsing the 48-0 win over Spain in 1999.
It was Scotland’s third biggest win of all time and also the biggest of the Townsend era, beating by a point the 84-0 World Cup thrashing of Romania in Lille two years ago.
It fell short of the 100-8 triumph over Japan in Perth in 2004 and the 89-0 trouncing of Côte d'Ivoire at the 1995 World Cup in South Africa but no-one will lose sleep over that. This was close to perfection from the Scots. They played with verve but were also clinical and did the simple things right.
How much it serves as preparation for taking on the All Blacks is less obvious.
Scotland’s two star men
The headline-grabbers were Jamie Dobie and Darcy Graham who each scored a hat-trick. Dobie in particular was outstanding, continuing the excellent form he has been in for Glasgow Warriors. He started the game at scrum-half and finished it on the wing and was a worthy recipient of the man-of-the-match medal.
He has also given Townsend something to think about when he sits down to pick his side for next Saturday’s blockbuster with New Zealand. Ben White has been his go-to scrum-half but, on this form, it will be hard to leave out Dobie.
Liam McConnell had a debut to remember. The Edinburgh flanker was lively, athletic and confident. As early as the seventh minute he had created a try for Duhan van der Merwe, flying down the left flank before showing great awareness to pick out the winger with a one-handed basketball pass.
This was supposed to be van der Merwe’s day but, on the occasion of his 50th cap, he had his thunder stolen by Graham on the opposite wing. The Hawick flyer outscored his Edinburgh team-mate by three tries to two. The pair are now level as the all-time top try-scorers for Scotland men, on 34 each.
Twelve of the 13 tries were scored by backs, with the only the opener from Dylan Richardson coming from a forward. Kyle Rowe, Stafford McDowall, George Horne and Ollie Smith also crossed the whitewash on an evening when the 56,589 supporters inside the old stadium certainly got value for money.
Adam Hastings landed five conversions in the first half before departing at the break for an HIA. Horne took over kicking duties and added another five.
For Lee Radford, it was a satisfying evening in his first game as Scotland’s new defence coach.
Other highlights included a debut off the bench for Edinburgh hooker Harri Morris and a solid 40 minutes for Jack Dempsey in the No 8’s first international match since the Six Nations.
No-one tried to be a hero
Scotland were dominant at the breakdown and that was to be expected but what really shone through was the relentlessness of the home side. There was no let up and they played with commendable unselfishness. No-one tried to be a hero.
Resplendent in their new pink change kit, the Scots scored seven tries in the first half and six in the second. It was team composed of home-based players only but the exiles were not required against opponents who were sadly short of what was required.
Scotland butchered their first chance after 90 seconds but they hardly put a foot wrong thereafter. Richardson got the ball rolling, picking up at the back of the scrum and scurrying across the line for his fourth try in seven Test appearances.
Van der Merwe got his first soon after thanks to McConnell’s great work. Graham then got in on the act and the Scots were 21-0 ahead with the clock on 10 minutes. Dobie and Graham combined superbly for the fourth try and then van der Merwe got his second.
It was doubles all round, with Dobie nabbing his second on the 27th minute after McDowall powered through the middle, Graham also bagging a brace before the break after Rowe had cleverly shipped on a Hastings pass.
It was 45-0 at half-time and Graham brought up the half century four minutes into the second half with his hat-trick score after good work by Rowe and Smith.
The US were ragged and replacement Makeen Alikhan literally lost his shirt following a tussle with Nathan McBeth. He played on topless for a while before recovering his jersey and his dignity.
Scotland had almost emptied the bench, bringing on five subs at half-time and another two on 50 minutes but there was no let-up. Rowe scored the ninth try - made by Dobie - and then McConnell rampaged down the left flank and had the tryline in his sights only to be clobbered five metres short. In truth, he should have passed outside to Horne but you could forgive his youthful exuberance.
Four ties in the final 10 minutes from McDowall, Horne, Dobie and Smith completed the rout, leaving Scotland in the pink.
Teams and scorers
Scorers: Scotland: Tries: Richardson, van der Merwe 2, Graham 3, Dobie 3, Rowe, McDowall, Horne, Smith. Cons: Hastings 5, Horne 5.
Scotland: K Rowe; D Graham (G Horne 50), O Smith, S McDowall, D van der Merwe; A Hastings , J Dobie; R Sutherland (17. N McBeth h-t), P Harrison (H Morris 62), D Rae (M Walker h-t), S Cummings (A Samuel h-t), M Sykes (M Williamson 50), L McConnell, D Richardson, J Dempsey (M Bradbury h-t).
USA: E Storti (T Lopeti 29); M Wilson, D Besag (E McVeigh 71) , T Boni, T Fricker; C Hilsenbeck (L Carty 54), R de Haas; E Lindenmuth (P Telea-Ilalio 46), K Geiger (S McNulty 33), P Davis (M Niuafe 55), M Redelinghuys, J Damm, V Helu (T Naqali 67), C Daniel (M Alikhan 46), P Ryan.
Referee: Damian Schneider (Arg).
Attendance: 56,589.
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