Scotland stretched their winning run to five games in all competitions yesterday thanks to a powerful display in defence - and a lethal one in attack - against a United States team who are two places above them in the world rankings.
It was a second bonus-point victory from two outings for the Scots in the WXV2 tournament in South Africa. A win over Japan next Friday would not only equal their best sequence of results this century - they won half a dozen back in 2001 - it would also give them a chance of winning the competition itself.
Their main rivals are Italy, who beat the hosts 36-18 in yesterday’s later game. The Italians are now level with Scotland at the top of the six-team table with 10 points, but are ahead thanks to a slightly better points differential: 31 compared to 24. Italy play the USA on Saturday, so will have the advantage of knowing precisely what they will have to do.
After beating the South Africans in a scrappy old game last week, Scotland hoped for a more aesthetically pleasing performance at the Athlone Stadium against the States, and that is what they managed to produce. They had to defend for large parts of the game, but did so calmly and confidently. And, while they had few out-and-out scoring opportunities, they took most of the ones on offer.
“I think there’s more in us,” head coach Bryan Easson said. “Attack-wise, the first 20, 25 minutes was excellent. We got some real pace on the wings and some of our decision-making in attack was excellent.
“We pinned them early - we knew there wasn’t a lot of kick attack from them. And when we got ball back I thought we attacked really well. We found some space on the edge when we needed to.
“Second half they came out the traps and put us under a lot of pressure. Defensively we put in a lot of good sets and looked really comfortable.
“So yeah, all round I thought we were really good. There were some real positives on both sides of the ball, and to beat a team who are above us in the world rankings, with a bonus point, is something we’re really proud of.”
The USA, ranked seventh to Scotland’s ninth, began on the front foot. But after holding their opponents at bay, Easson’s side took a stranglehold on the game with three tries in the first quarter.
Francesca McGhie used her pace and an intelligent change of direction to beat the wide defence for the Scots’ first try, and although Helen Nelson’s conversion attempt came back off the post, the fly-half was on target shortly afterwards in the wake of Emma Wassell’s close-range touchdown. Rhona Lloyd scored the third on the right wing in a similar manner to McGhie on the left, feinting inside before going wide again to leave the defence stranded. Nelson converted for a 17-0 lead.
The USA hit back in the last move of the half, with Charli Jacoby finishing off and Gabby Cantorna converting to make it 17-7 at the break. But any hopes of a sustained fightback were quashed in the third quarter, as Scotland’s defence again got on top.
Chloe Rollie scored the bonus-point try after an hour following steady pressure on the US goal line, and replacement stand-off Meryl Smith converted to make it 24-7. The Americans got their second five minutes later after a lineout maul, replacement hooker Paige Stathopoulos getting the try and Tess Feury converting, but they were unable to threaten again.
Scorers -
USA: Tries: Jacoby, Stathopoulos. Cons: Cantorna, Feury.
Scotland: Tries: McGhie, Wassell, Lloyd, Rollie. Cons: Nelson, Smith.
USA: B Mataitoga (A Czaplicki 60); T Feury, K Zackary (captain), M Hingano, C Clapp; G Cantorna (K Howard 49), C Waters (T Tukuafu 49); C Benson (M Tupou 60), K Treder (P Stathopoulos 26), C Jacoby (K Sagapolu 41), H Taufoou, E Jarrell (J Kronish 67), F Tafuna (R Ehrecke 56), T Brody, R Johnson.
Scotland: C Rollie; R Lloyd, E Orr, L Thomson, F McGhie (E Musgrove 80); H Nelson (M Smith 49, Nelson 62-73), M McDonald (C Mattinson 49); L Bartlett (A Young 69), L Skeldon (E Martin 80), C Belisle (L Cockburn 67), E Wassell (E Donaldson 80), L McMillan (E Donaldson 31-40), R Malcolm (captain), R McLachlan (J Konkel-Roberts 49), E Gallagher.
Referee: C Munarini (Italy)
