SCOTS GET WAKE-UP CALL AS GRIGG GETS LOST

CREDIT to Conor O’Shea for overseeing Italy’s first win of the year (25-22 over Japan). However, it was a nightmare weekend for Scotland coach Gregor Townsend, who saw his men go down 30-29 to the US, with Irish contributions from John Quill and AJ MacGinty. Townsend may be regretting the decision to use the game to look at a clutch of fringe players. The upside was that Townsend now has info on the players who are, categorically, not up to it as he builds towards the World Cup where Scotland will be pooled with Ireland. ‘It was one of those games where you think: How did that happen?’ said puzzled Kiwi centre Nick Grigg afterwards. A look back at his own display might offer a clue...he was brutal, the worst of a bad lot.