However, there was no stopping the Scots’ surge and Nel was next to get a pat on the head from his team-mates for their third try meaning the U.S. have now conceded 6,000 points in test match rugby since 1912.
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But Stuart Hogg admits the luxury of a slow start won’t be available against South Africa on Saturday when the adventure continues at England 2015. “We need to have a full 360 on these players and have a look to see where we’re at”. It’s about starting well, it’s a massive match for us. We pride ourselves on our lineout efficiency and technical ability.
“We weren’t particularly accurate in the first 40 but the score early in the second half got us back on track and we managed to build through what was a reasonably hard day of rugby with a win”.
“The (tier two nations) are getting better and better every year, there are a few things to juggle up and try to get right, but luckily we dodged a banana skin and now we can build towards South Africa“.
Amid all the mistakes, another five tries provided evidence of a side that has discovered a killer touch and Hogg believes the rugby world is sitting up to take notice.
Scottish woes continued as Russell shanked a penalty, Takudzwa Ngwenya crunched Peter Horne amid a number of ferocious American tackles and MacGinty capitalised on an offside to extend his side’s lead to seven points by half-time. We know what we’re capable of and I think a lot more people now realise that too.
By then, Scotland – sitting top of the pool with a maximum 10 points – may have sealed its spot in the quarterfinals, though that will require a victory over the Springboks in six days. But their resources are thin and this game against the Americans revealed just how thin. Russell this time converted to give Scotland an 18-13 advantage.
Captaining Australia for the very first time in the absence of Stephen Moore, Dean Mumm was the next to score and his effort was swiftly followed by another from Henry Speight as Australia showed no mercy against a team made up mostly of amateur players. By that stage reinforcements were already on in the same of the props Willem Nel and Alasdair Dickinson but Russell missed the conversion and still the US led by two.
But Tim Swinson hunted down replacement scrum-half Shalom Suniula upon the restart and though the Americans kept Strauss out from close range, Nel burrowed his way to the base of the post.
Mark Bennett then sliced his way through the U.S. with a thrilling break that brought a penalty but Russell kicked wide. A mixture of stern Scottish defence and white line fever meant Scotland could clear their lines and launch one more attack. Scotland were suddenly within two points of the Americans. There was some irony in the combination as the pair bungled what might have been the try of the match from a similar position in the first half, when Hogg passed to Visser’s knees with the tryline begging.
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Russell was again the puppeteer minutes later, his neat inside ball sending wing Sean Maitland over unchallenged.
