Scotland 84-0 Romania: Gregor Townsend’s facet rating 12 tries in important bonus level victory after first-half hat trick from Darcy Graham

There are occasions when Darcy Graham makes a rugby area appear like a dancefloor. On this World Cup waltz towards Romania, Scotland’s twinkle-toed magician lit it up in Lille by scoring 4 of his group’s 12 tries.

It was dazzling stuff from Graham. Beginning the evening on 20 tries for the nationwide group, he has now motored previous Chris Paterson and sits joint second with Ian Smith and Tony Stanger within the all-time standings.

To attain 24 tries in simply 38 caps is an astonishing strike-rate. Graham solely turned 26 years outdated in June. He gained’t simply beat Stuart Hogg’s document of 27 tries; he’ll obliterate it.

When Graham has his dancing footwear on, there aren’t many wingers in world rugby who can get close to him by way of his ending prowess.

The place so many powerhouse wingers within the fashionable sport appear like they play rugby in steel-toe caps, Graham performs the sport in stilettos.

This was a rout of Romania, who did nothing to decrease their standing as Pool B whipping boys, with Scotland’s second string turning on the model and operating riot on the Stade Pierre-Mauroy.

Hamish Watson was again to his damaging finest. A rampaging pressure of nature, particularly within the first half, this was classic Watson and a reminder of simply how massive an asset he’s to Scotland.

Rory Darge has had the openside jersey beneath lock-and-key not too long ago, however Townsend would possibly effectively have a call to make for the showdown towards Eire in Paris subsequent Saturday evening.

Graham, after all, doesn’t fall into the second-string class. He was one of many few first-choice gamers picked by Townsend for this match.

There’s no query he’ll be within the group for the win-or-bust conflict with the Irish on the Stade de France and it’ll hearten Townsend to see Scotland’s pocket-rocket winger in such electrical type.

The maths are a bit clearer now for Scotland. To extricate themselves from this pool of dying and attain the knockout phases, they should beat Eire while denying them a dropping bonus level.

If Eire decide up a dropping bonus level, Scotland want 5 factors and a bonus-point win to progress on the head-to-head document.

There’s little doubt it’s nonetheless a tall order towards the world’s No 1 group, however Townsend have given themselves a puncher’s likelihood and will likely be in assured temper after this crushing victory.

Certainly, the Scots solely simply fell in need of their document World Cup win, the 89-0 overcome the Ivory Coast in 1995. However, nonetheless, it was a satisfying evening’s work. All roads now result in Paris.

Having made a whopping 13 adjustments to his group from final week’s victory over Tonga in Good, Townsend billed this match as an opportunity for Scotland’s fringe gamers to step up.

They couldn’t have wished for extra obliging opposition, provided that Romania had been pummelled by Eire and South Africa of their opening two video games and shipped over 150 factors within the course of.

Chris Harris and Kyle Steyn have been the one two gamers who saved their locations from the Tonga sport, with Finn Russell, Duhan van der Merwe and a lot of the different massive weapons given the evening off.

Provided that Lille is located in northern France and is well accessible from each Paris and Brussels, it was no shock that Scotland have been backed by a big travelling assist contained in the Stade Pierre-Mauroy.

It nearly felt like a house sport and, clearly, the expectation amongst supporters was for Scotland to placed on a present and switch this right into a demolition job on Romania. They duly delivered.

They have been on the entrance foot from the off, making good floor and getting over the gainline close to sufficient each time they carried the ball into contact.

Making his first begin of the World Cup, Watson regarded like a person possessed in these early phases, smashing via a collection of Romanian tacklers.

After some terrific work from Cam Redpath, it was Watson who profited by accumulating the ball from a stunning offload to attain within the nook on eight minutes.

Ali Worth scored Scotland’s second strive on 17 minutes when the electrical determine of Graham darted via a niche and fed the scrum-half to run in unchallenged.

By no means one to overlook out on the enjoyable, Graham then scored an impressive solo effort himself simply a few minutes later, turning on the fuel and jinking previous a collection of tackles.

We had solely performed 20 minutes, but, already, you felt like Romania’s spirit had been damaged. The Pool B minnows regarded completely out their depth as soon as once more, simply as they did towards Eire and the Springboks.

Romania have been diminished to 13 males simply after the half-hour mark when hooker Robert Irimescu was binned for a excessive shot on Ben Healy and flanker Florian Rosu adopted him for collapsing a maul.

Graham scored his second – and Scotland’s fourth – strive of the evening on 35 minutes to make sure that the bonus level was wrapped up earlier than half-time, with Matt Fagerson swiftly including one other.

Extremely, Romania have been then diminished to 12 males when full-back Marius Simionescu was sin-binned for a excessive shot on his reverse quantity Ollie Smith. Their self-discipline was atrocious.

Graham accomplished his hat-trick on the cusp of half-time as Scotland ripped via the Romanian defence as soon as once more.

Main 42-0 on the interval, the second half grew to become a coaching train for Scotland and a case of making an attempt to minimise the danger of any accidents.

Because the second half obtained beneath method, Scotland’s heel was nonetheless pressed firmly on Romania’s throat, with Chris Harris scoring within the nook on 46 minutes.

Scotland have been beginning to run the ball from all angles and all areas of the sphere. They regarded like they might rating any time they discovered even a yard of area.

Full-back Smith tore via the Romanian defence to attain on 53 minutes. That was Scotland’s eighth strive of the evening, however you knew they weren’t completed there.

Making simply his second Take a look at begin, fly-half Healy obtained in on the act when he raced beneath the posts after some good play from Graham within the build-up.

Some of the common scorers of the evening, Johnny Matthews ran in after some nice work by Blair Kinghorn and George Horne.

Glasgow Warriors man Matthews had solely been given a late call-up this week because of the damage disaster at hooker.

Darge obtained Scotland’s eleventh strive of the evening, earlier than Graham accomplished the rout by getting his fourth of the evening. The demolition job was full.