Scotland recorded their second win of the Autumn Nations Series despite an unconvincing display in the 59-21 win over Portugal.
It was a scrappy first half with a lack of cohesion but Gregor Townsend’s men still racked up five tries to hold a 33-7 lead at the interval. Will Hurd, Stafford McDowall, Josh Bayliss and Darcy Graham all crossed the line with Scotland also awarded a penalty try. Graham brought up his 29th try for Scotland, which moved him level again with Edinburgh teammate Duhan van der Merwe.
Portugal caused Scotland problems in the second half and it was far from a vintage display from the hosts despite racking up nine tries.
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But it’s imperative to remember that it was very much a second-string Scotland side but few players truly staked their claim to be involved against Australia.
It was a somewhat frustrating display from Scotland at points and they will need to improve considerably when they face Australia in their final Autumn test next Sunday. Here’s how the players rated at Murrayfield.
15. Tom Jordan
Growing into full-back role and covered diligently in the opening ten minutes to thwart a Portuguese attack. Jordan’s kicking game from 15 is a real bonus to Scotland and he already looks assured at international level after just three caps. Cruelly denied his first international try. 7
14. Darcy Graham
His mesmeric footwork was on display early on and showcased his killer instinct with an excellent finish for his first try of the afternoon. Graham was very fortunate to avoid a yellow card for a deliberate knock-on in the second half. 6
13. Rory Hutchinson
Relatively quiet first half but produced an exquisite offload for Bayliss to score Scotland’s fifth try. Hutchison possesses a varied skillset and adds depth to Townsend’s options at centre without really threatening for a starting berth. 6
12. Stafford McDowall
Capatilised on a loose offload to intercept before easing home for his second Scotland try. Adds a different dimension to Scotland’s midfield with his left-footed kicking and provides a reliable back-up option for Townsend. 6
11. Arron Reed
Plenty of ball in the early stages and looked eager to impress on a rare start. Reed possesses incredible pace, which he demonstrated on several occasions in the first half. The Sale winger prospered as the game opened up in the second with his lightning pace and nimble footwork leading to two tries. 7
10. Adam Hastings
Poor early kick sparked a dangerous Portuguese counter-attack but produced several lovely flat passes to get Scotland’s backs firing. Hastings was impressive against Fiji and he has comfortably secured his billing as Finn Russell’s deputy during these tests. 6
9. George Horne
Handed the chance to showcase his qualities after his surprise omission against Fiji but had a couple of loose kicks in the first half. Horne embarked on a trademark scurrying run as he was just denied from scoring before being replaced by Glasgow teammate Jamie Dobie. 6
1. Jamie Bhatti
The scrum collapsed several times in the first-half but Bhatti was relatively blameless. Bhatti worked tirelessly and he was rewarded with his maiden Scotland try when he bundled over at the start of the second half. 6
2. Paddy Harrison
His missed first line-out throw was his first error in 12 attempts at hooker for Scotland and wasted a good opportunity with another poor throw later in the first half. 5
3. Will Hurd
Bustled over the line for his first Scotland try to open the scoring after four minutes and impressively charged down minutes later. Scrum didn’t function effectively but in contention for the bench against Australia next week. 6
4. Alex Craig
Carried well and his withdrawal on 50 minutes indicated Townsend is planning on naming him on the bench against Australia. It was a relatively low-key performance from Craig but he got through the power of work and he’s a dependable lock. 6
5. Alex Samuel
Impressive on debut as he brought his Glasgow form to the international stage. Carried well on occasions and showed impressive handling skills when under pressure. 6
6. Luke Crosbie
The Edinburgh flanker was the experienced head in Scotland’s back row and went about his business professionally. Crosbie was busy at the breakdown and carried out a lot of unseen work before he departed proceedings. 6
7. Ben Muncaster
Rewarded for his impressive recent form for Edinburgh with Scotland debut. The 23-year-old constantly tried to disrupt at the breakdown and made a couple of good hits. Muncaster didn’t fully grab his opportunity to impress but he’s an exciting talent for the future. 6
8. Josh Bayliss
Capped a free-flowing Scotland move by collecting Hutchison’s sublime offload to score in the corner. Bayliss is a solid performer but probably didn’t do enough to convince Townsend that he should start at No.8 against Australia in Jack Dempsey’s absence. 7
Replacements:
16. Johnny Matthews
Drafted into the squad and his introduction received a huge cheer from the Murrayfield crowd. 5
17. Rory Sutherland
Handed the final half hour but faced some difficulties against the Portuguese pack. 5
18. Elliot Millar Mills
Afforded 30 minutes off the bench but Scotland’s scrum struggled immediately with Portugal adding their second try. 5
19. Ewan Johnson
Replaced Craig on 50 minutes but didn’t really make a notable impression. 5
20. Freddy Douglas
Douglas became the youngest Scotland debutant after being labelled ‘world-class’ by coach John Dalziel in the build-up and looked busy. 6
21. Jamie Dobie
Dobie appears to be Townsend’s second-choice scrum-half with his ability to play wing a major contributing factor and he injected some energy after his introduction - scored 9th try. 6
22. Matt Currie
Replaced Hutchison and made a couple of good carries. 5
23. Kyle Rowe
Returned from hamstring injury and pushing for a bench role next week. 5
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