Scotland player ratings: Finn Russell magic and Duhan van der Merwe physicality carves open Tonga

Following a 45-17 triumph over Tonga in the Rugby World Cup clash at the Stade de Nice on Sunday, here are the player ratings for Scotland.

15 Blair Kinghorn: Showed some blistering pace to almost score a try early on, only to knock on, before he was rewarded for his efforts late in the game. The Scots don’t miss Stuart Hogg with Kinghorn at full-back. 8

14 Kyle Steyn: Doesn’t get the plaudits of his fellow wing but is very effective in his own way. Always made ground and also scored a fine try. 8

13 Chris Harris: As ever, very solid in defence. Huw Jones – and his combination with Sione Tuipulotu – is still the more effective unit for Scotland though. 6

12 Sione Tuipulotu: Some good surges up the guts of the Tongan defence and his ability to distribute is also a useful tool in his armoury. 7

11 Duhan van der Merwe: Just staggeringly good. It was so disappointing that Scotland couldn’t get him the ball against the Springboks because he showed what he can do in Nice. Tonga just couldn’t handle him. 9

10 Finn Russell: A mesmerising display full of control, creativity and dexterity, Russell continually opened up the ‘Ikale Tahi rearguard. Place-kicking was a bit off in the first half, but that didn’t detract from his performance. 9

9 Ben White: Gave his fly-half slick service from the base, allowing Scotland to play at pace. 7

Solid pack effort

8 Jack Dempsey: A consistent Test performer, who has made the number eight position his own. Pretty much always makes it over the gain line, while he also has a good skill set. 8

7 Rory Darge: Excellent defensively, where he made his tackles, and was an absolute nuisance at the breakdown, stopping the Tongans from getting much quick ball. 7

6 Jamie Ritchie (c): Unfortunately, didn’t return after going for a HIA following Afusipa Taumoepeau’s shocker of a tackle. Up until then Ritchie was going pretty well. 6

5 Scott Cummings: Did well in the set-piece and became increasingly influential as a carrier as the game went on. 7

4 Richie Gray: The go-to man in the lineout and he was a presence in the loose, but his impact there was limited. 6

3 Zander Fagerson: Scrum was a mixed bag but started to get an upper hand in the set-piece before he was replaced in the second period. 6

2 George Turner: Lineout generally went pretty well and he grabbed himself a try after a dominant driving maul. 6

1 Rory Sutherland: Showed up well in the loose, but he didn’t have great success against the gargantuan Ben Tameifuna in the set-piece. 6

Replacements: Some big impact from the front-row, who were excellent in both the loose and tight, while George Horne and Darcy Graham added energy and pace. Impressive overall. 8

READ MORE: Scotland claim maximum points against Tonga to stay in Pool B conversation