Duhan van der Merwe regained the lead in the Scotland’s top try scorer table, surpassing Darcy Graham, in a match where Gregor Townsend’s team defeated Tonga with a resounding score of 56-0. The match, which closed an autumn with ups and downs for the Scots, was characterized by the indiscipline of the Tongan team, which suffered several cards.
The Scotland series of matches focused on the results against New Zealand and Argentina. After consecutive defeats, the match against Tonga, ranked 19th in the world, gained relevance, especially to avoid another defeat.
The Scottish dominance was evident from the start. With 14 changes in the starting lineup compared to the match against Argentina, the home side took a 21-0 lead at halftime with tries from Jamie Ritchie, George Turner, and Max Williamson, all converted while Semisi Paea was serving a 20-minute red card.
Tonga suffered three more yellow cards before Van der Merwe scored his 35th try for Scotland, surpassing Graham, his Edinburgh teammate. Replacements Ewan Ashman and George Horne contributed doubles in the final quarter, extending the lead.
Scotland took advantage of Paea’s absence to score their first three tries. Ritchie, in his first appearance of the autumn, opened the scoring in the 10th minute. Turner, in his 50th match, scored a try after an assist from Ritchie. Williamson scored the third try in the 23rd minute. Fergus Burke converted all three.
Tonga managed to stop the Scottish attack until the end of the first half, but Mataele received a yellow card for an intentional offside just before halftime. Scotland, aware of its 21-0 advantage against Argentina in the previous match, sought to maintain control. Tonga’s indiscipline, with yellow cards for Taniela Filimone and Fine Inisi, hindered their comeback attempt. After a period of resistance, Van der Merwe scored Scotland’s fourth try in the 59th minute, thanks to Horne’s assistance. Ashman and Horne completed the score with doubles in the last quarter.
