Graham equals record as nine-try Scotland beat dogged Portugal

Autumn Nations Series: Scotland v Portugal

Scotland (33) 59

Tries: Hurd, McDowall, Penalty, Graham, Bayliss, Bhatti, Reed 2, Dobie Cons: Hastings 5, Jordan

Portugal (7) 21

Tries: Begic, Marques, Storti Cons: Marques 3

Darcy Graham equalled Duhan van der Merwe's Scotland try-scoring grounds successful a comfy nine-try triumph implicit Portugal astatine Murrayfield.

The Edinburgh winger, with his 29th Test try, was 1 of 5 Scotland scorers successful the opening fractional aft Will Hurd got the amusement connected the road. Captain Stafford McDowall, a punishment effort and Josh Bayliss besides struck for the hosts, with Portugal hooker Luka Begic replying earlier half-time.

Prop Jamie Bhatti scored his archetypal planetary effort connected his 35th quality soon aft the restart. After Portugal scored again done scrum-half Samuel Marques, Scotland deed back.

Aaron Reed scored doubly successful 3 minutes to propulsion Scotland beyond the half-century people earlier teenage flanker, Freddy Douglas, became the youngest Scotland debutant successful much than 60 years.

Scotland won handily but determination were galore causes for concern. The fantabulous Raffaele Storti went implicit for Portugal's 3rd effort conscionable abbreviated of the hr aft Scotland's atrocious line-out malfunctioned again. Gregor Townsend's broadside had the last connection though arsenic Jamie Dobie went implicit for a ninth location effort precocious on.

Portugal had been terrific astatine the World Cup past year, but lone 9 of the 23 who had pulled disconnected a celebrated triumph against Fiji successful France were astatine Murrayfield. With much clip unneurotic you could spot however overmuch imaginable they have.

Hurd barged implicit aft 3 minutes and skipper McDowall ran distant to people not agelong after. Portugal had risked a ropey offload successful the tackle and the Glasgow centre mopped up.

It was frantic and messy but Scotland dilatory gained composure and piled connected the points. Just earlier the fractional hr they muscled their mode to a punishment effort from a driven line-out with blind-side flanker Duarte Torgal getting binned for his sins.

Portugal suffered portion Torgal was away. George Horne did brilliantly to support a touch-bound Portugal footwear successful play and from determination Graham slalomed his mode over. Rory Hutchinson's beauteous walk retired the broadside doorway enactment Bayliss escaped up the close wing. Adam Hastings' conversion made it 33-0.

There was a infinitesimal of joyousness for the visitors erstwhile Begic took vantage of a dozing Scotland and sneaked implicit from a close-range line-out conscionable earlier the break.

A sixth Scotland effort came aboriginal successful the caller fractional erstwhile Horne intercepted and darted away. He was hauled down abbreviated of the enactment but successful the adjacent phases Bhatti powered implicit to marque it a 31-point game.

Scotland consciousness they were the unfortunate of a harsh reddish paper against Scott Cummings successful the Test with the Springboks past week, but they were fortunate present connected a mates of occasions. Graham mightiness person binned for a deliberate knock-on and past a Portuguese subordinate was taken retired successful the aerial astatine a line-out. Again, nary card.

Still, Portugal recovered a mode to execute via a large scrum nether the Scottish posts that sent the hosts backwards. Horne went excessively precocious successful his tackle connected scrum-half Marques and implicit helium went.

This was not precisely what Townsend was looking for up of the Australia crippled adjacent weekend, but they stirred again and finished powerfully.

Reed scored 2 successful 3 minutes, the 2nd 1 pursuing a stripped shot by Elliot Millar Mills which enactment Scotland connected the beforehand foot. When Reed got it connected his wing, helium stepped and flew distant to the try-line. That was a 4th effort successful 3 Tests for the speedster.

Douglas came disconnected the seat to a immense ovation, but Storti scored astir immediately. Dobie polished disconnected the scoring connected what was a high-scoring but scrappy day for Townsend's team. They volition decorativeness disconnected their autumn with what promises to beryllium a thumping Test against the Wallabies adjacent Sunday.

Scotland: Jordan, Graham, Hutchinson, McDowall, Reed; Hastings, Horne; Bhatti, Harrison, Hurd, Craig, Samuel, Crosbie, Muncaster, Bayliss.

Replacements: Matthews, Sutherland, Millar Mills, Johnson, Douglas, Dobie, Currie, Rowe.

Portugal: Bento, Storti, Lima, Appleton, L. Martins; Cabral, Marques; Costa, Begic, Hasse Ferreira, Madeira, Torgal, An. Cunha, N. Martins, Couto.

Replacements: Ab. Cunha, Vicente, Prim, Andrade, Baptista, Campos, Aubry, Cardoso Pinto.

Referee: Takehito Namekawa