Scotland run up their second-highest win at a World Cup in Romania rout, ending simply 5 factors shy of the 89-0 victory they loved towards Ivory Coast in 1995; they subsequent face No 1 facet Eire in a World Cup shootout subsequent Saturday night time
Final Up to date: 30/09/23 11:03pm
Darcy Graham scored 4 tries in a convincing 84-0 victory over Romania on Saturday
Darcy Graham climbed from sixth to joint-second on Scotland’s all-time try-scorer listing with 4 touchdowns in a convincing 84-0 victory over Romania which units up a mouth-watering World Cup shootout with Eire subsequent weekend.
The Scots ran in six tries in every half in Lille to inflict one other demoralising defeat on their opponents, who had been equally outclassed by each Eire and South Africa of their first two matches in Pool B.
Graham, who began the night on 20 worldwide tries, wreaked probably the most injury on the japanese European minnows as his first-half hat-trick and one other after the break took him forward of each Duhan van der Merwe and Chris Paterson and as much as 24.
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The prolific Edinburgh wing is now stage with Tony Stanger and Ian Smith, and simply three shy of record-holder and fellow Hawick native Stuart Hogg, who just lately ended his profession on 27.
The Scots had been so assured of getting the end result they required at Stade Pierre Mauroy that they made 13 modifications from the facet that began towards Tonga the earlier Sunday, preserving most of their A-listers for the Eire match in Paris which they need to win with a bonus level or by denying their opponents one to be able to attain the quarter-finals.
There was no hazard of the choice to area so many fringe males back-firing from the second Hamish Watson received the Scots off and operating with the primary strive of the match within the eighth minute.
The skilled Edinburgh flanker – who has misplaced the quantity seven jersey to the burgeoning Rory Darge this yr – marked his return to the beginning line-up by bounding over on the appropriate after Cam Redpath offloaded into his path as he was thwarted on his personal cost in the direction of the road.
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Ali Value – like Watson, one other 2021 British and Irish Lions squad member who has turn out to be a peripheral participant for the nationwide workforce this yr – received the second within the seventeenth minute after being performed in by Graham.
It was Graham’s flip to get on the scoresheet simply 4 minutes later when he touched down following an excellent particular person run, bringing him stage along with his Edinburgh team-mate Van der Merwe, a type of given the night time off.
Romania – already bang up towards it – utterly imploded within the closing 10 minutes of the primary half once they had three gamers sin-binned and conceded an extra three tries.
Hooker Robert Irimescu was yellow-carded for a excessive deal with on Ben Healy and simply a few minutes later they had been lowered to 13, when back-rower Florian Rosu was yellow-carded for collapsing a maul.
Scotland took full benefit as Graham scored his second of the night to maneuver forward of Van der Merwe and stage with Paterson.
Matt Fagerson bulldozed his manner over for the fifth, however solely after Ollie Smith had been the sufferer of a nasty excessive deal with within the build-up from Marius Simionescu, who turned the third Romanian to be sin-binned earlier than the break.
Scotland have misplaced eight instances in a row towards Eire
Scotland have only one win in 13 matches towards Eire
Scotland’s final win away from Murrayfield was 2010 at Croke Park, Dublin
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There was nonetheless time earlier than the interval for Graham to finish his hat-trick because the Edinburgh wing moved forward of Paterson and into fourth place on his personal. All six first-half tries had been transformed by Healy because the Scots went in 42-0 to the nice at half-time.
The scores saved coming after the break, with Chris Harris, Smith, Healy, Johnny Matthews – shortly after approaching for his debut – and Darge all touching down.
Graham then raced over for his fourth of the night time because the Scots ran up their second-highest win at a World Cup, ending simply 5 factors shy of the 89-0 victory they loved towards Ivory Coast in 1995.