Scotland beat Tonga to finish disappointing autumn with a flourish

Duhan van der Merwe moved back in front of Darcy Graham at the top of Scotland’s all-time try-scoring charts as Gregor Townsend’s side rounded off a disappointing autumn with an eight-try 56-0 win over indisciplined Tonga at Murrayfield.

The Scots’ series was always going to be defined by results against New Zealand and Argentina, so back-to-back losses in those two Tests meant the visit of a Tonga side ranked 19th in the world would be largely irrelevant in the final analysis – unless Townsend’s men suffered another defeat.

That scenario never looked likely once the hosts – with 14 changes from the side that started against the Pumas a week earlier – eased into a 21-0 interval lead through converted tries from forwards Jamie Ritchie, George Turner and Max Williamson, all scored at a time when Semisi Paea was serving a 20-minute red card.

Tonga had three other players yellow-carded before Van der Merwe’s 35th international try just before the hour took him back ahead of Edinburgh team-mate Graham. Substitutes Ewan Ashman and George Horne both scored doubles in the final quarter to add gloss to the scoreline.

The visitors were on the back foot from the start and their hopes of building their way into the game were dented when Paea was yellow carded in the fifth minute for a dangerous clearout. Following a bunker review, the back-rower’s infringement was deemed worthy of a 20-minute red card.

Scotland capitalised by scoring their first three tries in his absence. The first came in the 10th minute when Perpignan back-rower Ritchie, on his first appearance of the autumn, powered his way through two Tongans to open the scoring.

Hooker Turner then marked his 50th cap finish with a try when he charged through a gap to score next to the posts after being fed by Ritchie.

The third came in the 23rd minute when second-rower Max Williamson wriggled his way over from close range. Fergus Burke added the extras for all three.

When Tonga returned to their full complement of 15, they managed to stem the flow for the remainder of the half before lock Harison Mataele was yellow carded for a cynical offside right on half-time.

The Scots would have been mindful that they also led 21-0 a week previously against Argentina before capitulating to a 33-24 defeat.

Any prospect of the limited Tongans mounting a comeback, however, was effectively killed by their own indiscipline as they had Taniela Filimone and Fine Inisi yellow-carded for deliberate knock-ons in the third quarter.

After a period of resistance from the visitors, Van der Merwe eventually ran clear to score the Scots’ fourth try in the 59th after good work by Horne to set him up.

Beleaguered Tonga fell apart in the closing stages as Ashman and Horne both helped themselves to doubles in the final quarter.