Source: Reuters

Scotland went some way to making up for disappointing losses over the last fortnight by completing their November test schedule with a one-sided 56-0 romp over Tonga at Murrayfield on Sunday.

Scotland scored eight tries as Jamie Ritchie, George Turner, Max Williamson went over in first half tries and Duhan van der Merwe, Ewan Ashman (2) and George Horne (2) added five more after the break.

Fergus Burke put over five conversions and Horne added three more while Van der Merwe’s try was a record 35th for Scotland.

Scotland were looking for some redemption after losing narrowly to New Zealand earlier this month, before last Sunday letting a 21-0 lead over Argentina slip to suffer another disappointing defeat.

They were quickly into the lead, helped by Tonga being down to 14 men as early as the fifth minute when flanker Semisi Paea was yellow carded for a dangerous cleanout, that was later upgraded to red.

Scotland took full advantage of their numerical superiority with all three tries coming as the forwards pounded away at the depleted Tongan line.

Ritchie scored the first try after 10 minutes, Turner three minutes later and Williamson did well to twist his body and dot down in the 22nd minute.

Scotland captain Sione Tuipulotu should have had the first try as early as the eighth minute but was blown up for a double movement.

It was a harsh decision from French referee Luc Ramos, who also got in the way of Ben White’s dart for the line on the stroke of halftime, impeding the scrumhalf as he looked odds-on to score a fourth try for the home side before the break.

In the first 15 minutes of the second half, Scotland looked underwhelming despite Tonga picking up more cautions, but Murrayfield found its voice again in the 59th minute as Van der Merwe burst through a gap in the Tonga line to score.

Ashman’s 65th minute try came at the end of a lineout maul and Horne finished off an expansive backline move as tired Tonga failed to handle the home pressure.

There was time for Horne and Ashman to score one more try each as Scotland enjoyed the run of the field in the closing stages. The result should take the pressure off coach Gregor Townsend, whose future with Scotland dominated headlines this week.

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