Following Scotland’s 57-17 victory over Fiji at Murrayfield, here are our five takeaways from the Autumn Nations Series stunner.
Top line
The Murrayfield faithful got full value and some for their entrance fee as they were treated to eight tries – and three disallowed scores – from their stars in the iconic navy while their guests impressed too despite crossing just three times.
Darcy Graham marked his 13-long month return to international rugby with a glorious quadruple, cantering in for two tries in either half, while his fellow winger Duhan van der Merwe grabbed one of his own with Huw Jones snatching a brace after Kyle Rowe kicked off the Autumn Nations Series epic.
With this Test match taking place outside of the official international window, Scotland were without Finn Russell but Adam Hastings rose to the occasion, adding 17 points as he kept the scorekeepers busy.
The Flying Fijians were void of their French and international-based stars for the match as the Fijian Drua took centre stage with Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula, Meli Derenalagi and Tevita Ikanivere all crossing for tries.
Scotland show a ruthless edge
In a wonderful purple patch, they put Fiji to the sword as Rowe got the scoreboard ticking with Graham marking his return with a wonderful brace and Jones cantered away after picking off a loose pass.
That passage of about 10 minutes showed all the glitz and glam of a Gregor Townsend-coached team as an innovative lineout play saw Graham crash the ball up – a player Fiji would have least expected – before slick hands got Rowe in space and the full-back put on his best dancing shoes on to find the smallest of holes in the defence to score.
Graham was at the centre of Fiji’s downfall moments later as a clever set move from the back of a maul saw Rory Darge dummy a pass before sending the livewire speedster tearing into space, he linked up with hooker Ewan Ashman who produced a stunning offload which the winger latched on to round off a beauty of a try. It’s a real shame that Graham had not played any rugby since the World Cup last year before tonight but boy did he make up for lost time as he followed the golden rule of playing to the whistle and finished off his second try with a fortunate kick to double his tally.
Jones then perfectly read a loose pass to open his Autumn Nations Series account with a try that we have seen so many times from the clever centre. Hastings’ conversion pushed the Scots into a 26-0 lead as they ruthlessly punished the Fijians, who were down a man during that period.
It was a wonderful showing from Townsend’s crew as they entertained those in attendance with their trademark flair and the kind of ruthless edge that few can replicate.
Soft Scottish underbelly remains
However, what followed is what will concern the Scotland boss most as the young Fijian team put the hosts under immense pressure in their own half and they conceded a plethora of penalties resulting in Ashman taking a 10-minute breather.
Scotland’s tempo was unsustainable during that period where they scored four rapid tries but the game management was not quite there as they failed to contain the pressure and clear their lines.
This led to a profitable 10 minutes for the Fijians, who ran in two tries through Armstrong-Ravula and Derenalagi to close the gap to a far more respectable 19-point deficit at the break. It continued into the second half as Ikanivere snuck over the line after a slow start from both teams after the break.
The Fijians’ fightback during this period mattered little in the grand scheme of the Test match but it is somewhat of a trend in the Scotland game and one they simply cannot afford to replicate against the Springboks.
Townsend and co. will hope that the pocket rocket can fire them next week against the Boks as Graham proved to be the spark that kicked the side back into life as grabbed his hat-trick in style before adding one more before being forced off to undergo an HIA. Then, there was a ludicrous pass from Hastings that led to Van der Merwe’s score.
Fiji prove the old cliches, good and bad
Always regarded as everyone’s second favourite team, the Fijians have been one of the game’s greatest entertainers for decades now and they did not disappoint in that regard at Murrayfield.
Last year, they did however look as if they bolted on more than just being eye-catching on attack with Simon Raiwalui instilling serious discipline, tactical nous and a strong set-piece as they progressed into the World Cup quarter-finals. But the ugly cliches returned today as Fiji’s ill-discipline proved incredibly costly and was ultimately their downfall. The two yellow cards swung momentum squarely into the hosts’ favour and Graham in particular made them pay dearly. Their scrum also went pear-shaped against the powerful Scottish front-row as did their lineout.
It wasn’t just their discipline in regards to their penalty count but also in their defensive responsibilities as the younger team lost the plot as the game went on.
Looking ahead
Scotland stay up as they prepare for a mighty showdown with the Springboks with revenge from the 2023 World Cup in mind. The Scots will feel rather confident that they can challenge the Boks, particularly after a stunning showing in their first home game this November as they managed to tick key boxes, especially at the breakdown, scrum and lineout.
The Scots last beat South Africa back in 2010 but, with the firepower of Russell and co. returning off the back of this marvellous performance, they may just believe that this is their golden opportunity. They can also empty the tank against the world champions as they will be able to rotate for Portugal as they go all in on beating Rassie Erasmus’ charges.
As for the Fijians, they will also be out for revenge from the World Cup as they aim to add more misery to Warren Gatland’s Wales in Cardiff after falling oh-so short in France last year. They will also get a massive boost as their European-based contingent of stars are released from their clubs.
There were patches of brilliance today but they simply just did not have the experience to match the Scots.
