Darcy Graham notched 4 occasions to briefly transfer joint high of Scotland’s all-time try-scoring listing, just for his fellow Edinburgh wing Duhan van der Merwe to climb again forward of him with a late landing of his personal in a cushty 57-17 victory over Fiji at Murrayfield.
Glasgow centre Sione Tuipulotu kicked off his captaincy of Gregor Townsend’s staff, however it was Graham who stole the present in his first Take a look at outing because the World Cup defeat by Eire in Paris 13 months in the past.
The 27-year-old’s haul took him from joint third in the beginning of the match to stage with Van der Merwe on the 28-try mark earlier than the South Africa-born again reclaimed his place on the high along with his 72nd-minute rating.
Kyle Rowe opened the scoring and Huw Jones added a double because the Scots overcame a wobble both facet of half-time to place the Fijians to the sword earlier than their go to from world champions South Africa subsequent Sunday.
Scotland loved a sustained spell of early stress and it introduced a fourth-minute yellow card for Fiji scrum-half Frank Lomani who was penalised for a deliberate knock-on as he intercepted Adam Hastings’ move.
The hosts thought they’d gone forward within the eighth minute when Ewan Ashman obtained himself in off the again of a maul however it was dominated out after Pierre Schoeman was deemed to have impeded Ponipate Loganimasi as he tried to deal with the hooker.
The Scots needed to wait solely an additional minute to open the scoring, nevertheless, as full-back Rowe completed off a flowing transfer simply left of the posts after being fed by Hastings, who went on so as to add the extras.
Fiji’s chastening begin continued as they had been quickly lowered to 13 males within the thirteenth minute when Apisalome Vota was proven yellow because of his staff’s persistent infringements.
The centre needed to watch on helplessly from the sidelines as Scotland ran in three extra tries throughout his time within the sin-bin.
Graham began it after a one-two on the best with Ashman within the fifteenth minute and added his second of the match simply three minutes later after fastening on to Hastings’ properly weighted kick. There was a component of fortune hooked up to it, nevertheless, with the ball simply skimming the Edinburgh wing’s boot as his tried grubber kick, which despatched him freed from the Fiji defence, nearly went awry.
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Fiji’s calamitous begin continued when Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula’s move was intercepted by Jones, who bolted clear for Scotland’s fourth strive within the opening quarter of the match. Hastings transformed, giving the Scots a 26-0 lead.
Simply because the guests appeared to be imploding, they summoned some resolve within the closing phases of the primary half. Scotland hooker Ashman was despatched to the sin-bin within the 33th minute for going off his ft whereas defending on the road and Fiji instantly took benefit as Armstrong-Ravula bulldozed over on the left. The tryscorer was astray with the conversion and
Scotland appeared to have gotten themselves again on observe with a Hastings penalty
however after Rowe was pressured off injured and changed by the Glasgow again Tom Jordan on his debut, Fiji crossed once more within the final motion of the half as back-rower Ratu Derenalagi obtained away from Tuipulotu. Armstrong-Ravula once more missed the conversion and the Scots went in with a 29-10 interval lead.
Scotland’s benefit was lowered additional within the forty ninth minute when the Fiji hooker Tevita Ikanivere scored from a lineout, with Armstrong-Ravula changing. Graham then dotted over twice both facet of the hour mark and left the sector to rapturous applause within the 66th minute as Scotland’s joint main scorer. Van der Merwe swiftly altered that situation when he bolted clear, and Jones sealed the victory with the house facet’s eighth strive a minute from the top.
