Scotland player ratings: Gregor Townsend’s men on fire against hapless Romania
Scotland wing Darcy Graham launches an attack against Romania in Lille.
After their 84-0 Rugby World Cup victory against Romania at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille, here’s how the Scotland team performed on Saturday.
15 Ollie Smith: The Glasgow Warrior was brilliant on attack and gave his side momentum from the back as he finished with 131 metres gained from 18 runs and crossed for a deserved try. 9
Perfect 10
14 Darcy Graham: Scotland‘s undoubted star. The Edinburgh flyer proved difficult to stop on attack as he ran for a 211 whopping metres gained from a match-high 22 runs and was rewarded with four tries for his efforts. Also shone on defence with eight tackles made. 10
13 Chris Harris: The Gloucester man is renowned for his defensive duties but he was hardly troubled in that department as he too enjoyed some excellent attacking moments. Went over for a try and finished with 101 metres gained from 17 runs. 8
12 Cameron Redpath: The 23-year-old caught the eye with a superb performance in midfield as he impressed with excellent distribution to his team-mates and set up several tries. 8
11 Kyle Steyn: Surprisingly he did not cross the whitewash but, like the rest of his backline team-mates, he was lively on attack and finished with 98 metres gained from 14 runs. 7
10 Ben Healy: Delivered a polished display as Scotland’s chief playmaker and finished with a 27-point haul after crossing for a well-taken score and converting 11 tries. 9
9 Ali Price: Impressed with slick service to his outside backs but also varied his play well as he kept his opponents on their toes with some fine line breaks. Replaced by George Horne in the 55th minute. 8
8 Matt Fagerson: The hard running back-row did well with ball in hand as he gained 45 metres but also made his mark with a strong defensive effort as he finished with 12 tackles made. 8
7 Hamish Watson: The experienced tearaway returned to the run-on side and gave a good account of himself as he shone on attack and defence. Made 54 metres from 16 carries and also made eight tackles. 8
6 Luke Crosbie: The 26-year-old was a willing ball carrier and was competitive at the breakdowns but his biggest contribution came on defence where made 11 tackles without missing one. 7
5 Grant Gilchrist (c): Thrived in the leadership role as he led his troops well but also did well in the lineouts before being replaced by Scott Cummings on the hour-mark. 7
Strong all-round performance
4 Sam Skinner: The 28-year-old second-row was in the thick of the action from the outset and finished with 35 metres gained from 12 carries while he put in a big defensive shift in which he completed a team-high 13 hits. 8
3 Javan Sebastian: The Edinburgh-bound tighthead prop did what was expected of him in the scrums but also impressed with ball in hand as he gained 17 metres from seven carries. 7
2 Ewan Ashman: The Edinburgh hooker was lively throughout as he gained 30 attacking metres from nine carries while also shining in the execution of his core duties. 8
1 Jamie Bhatti: The 30-year-old was unlucky not to score his first Test try when he lost the ball while crossing the whitewash but was solid otherwise with his scrummaging fine throughout. Replaced by Rory Sutherland in the 59th minute. 7
Replacements: While the opposition were weak, Scotland showed them no mercy as the players who came off the bench continued to maintain the high standards of the starting line-up. Johnny Matthews, Rory Darge and Blair Kinghorn all caught the eye with fine performances. 8
READ MORE: Darcy Graham stars as Scotland hammer Romania to set up decisive clash with Ireland