Scotland Rugby flirted with absolute disaster in Edinburgh, playing a ‘home’ game against Fiji, as a massive crowd of 55,215 witnessed Gregor Townsend’s squad get absolutely monstered in the first half. Fiji dominated them at every turn, from try-count to physicality, digging Scotland into a deep hole they almost did not escape.
The Bench Saves The Day, For Now
Fiji was absolutely outstanding in that first half, no doubt about it, and Scotland looked like they were in real trouble. But Townsend made some crucial changes, bringing in the heavy-hitters from the bench, and it made all the difference. Pierre Schoeman, Scott Cummings, Sione Tuipulotu, and Jamie Dobie combined for four second-half tries between them. Not for the first time this summer, the bench had a mighty impact, clawing Scotland back from the brink of defeat.
Looking at the overall summer Tests, Scotland finished with two wins and one defeat, even grabbing a four-try bonus point against an under-strength world champion side in Pretoria. They are sitting second in the northern table, right behind France, heading into the autumn. They’ve scored 16 tries and conceded 14, so there are definitely some forward steps happening. But, honestly, how many times have we heard about “momentum” with Scotland and it not amount to anything tangible?
Is “Top Three” A Dream, Or A Delusion?
This is where it gets interesting. After the South Africa game, Rassie Erasmus, always a provocateur, called Scotland a “top-three nation” in the world. Now, whether you trust Rassie’s comments is another story, but it definitely raised some eyebrows. Then, after the Fiji game, Schoeman, who scored two tries this summer, basically echoed that sentiment. When asked if Scotland was closing the gap on the world’s best, he said, “No, I don’t feel we’re closing the gap. I feel we are a top-three, top-five team in the world. We’ve proven that – Argentina away, France, England, we play the top dogs.”
However, Schoeman also admitted, “South Africa, Ireland, All Blacks, we haven’t had too much love there. That’s maybe the games we want to target, to go against the best. Just to go full toe-to-toe with them for a full 80-minute performance.” You gotta love the honesty, but the truth is, claiming “top three” feels like a huge stretch right now. While there are moments in games where they look like they could beat anyone, these summer performances, however fun and try-laden, have always been an unreliable guide to Scotland’s true worth. The real battles, the ones that truly measure progress, are the Six Nations and the World Cup.
Tuipulotu Is Pure Influence
Amidst all the ups and downs, one player consistently shines: captain Sione Tuipulotu. When things got hairy against Fiji, Townsend brought him on from the bench, and he was an absolute force. There are some incredible 12s in the world game right now, and Tuipulotu is right up there, described as “as good as all of them and better than most of them.” He is influence on legs: pure power, direction, leadership, intelligence, and unrelenting effort. That’s the kind of player you build around.
Scotland will get their crack at the Kiwis in the autumn and then face Ireland in the spring, both at Murrayfield. Those are the games that will truly tell us if they are heading in the right direction, or if this “momentum” is just another false dawn. Let’s see if they can finally lay those ghosts to rest.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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