Alarm bell in comfort zone as Scotland side flatters to deceive

Underwhelming win over Fiji raises form questions going into New Zealand Test

Scotland won with some comfort in the end – but again did not impress as they defeated Fiji 28-12 at BT Murrayfield.

The 54,000 crowd saw the Scots struggle with the physique and power of Fiji in the first half.

They were relieved to go in 14-12 ahead at the break.

Scotland held the tiring Islanders scoreless in the second half with a pressure game based on set-piece and structure.

But the result still doesn’t remotely satisfy.

A sizeable improvement in performance will be needed on Sunday to be competitive against the All Blacks – whom Scotland have never beaten.

The Scots scored a halfcentury of points against the Fijians just four years ago and the Islanders had their usual fractured build-up leading up to this Test. But Scotland only pulled clear in full comfort when Ben White strolled over with six minutes left.

The Fijians are definitely better – it could be argued this was not their fullstrength side. They tend to improve through these tours, although Ireland will be a huge test of that.

But you have to say Scotland have definitely regressed. This was only their second win in the last six Tests.

The lack of direction we saw in the spring doesn’t seem to have been sorted.

But for a 20-minute spell in the second Test in Argentina, there’s not really been a time when Scotland have really controlled a game. Not in decisive fashion since the first hour in Rome in March.

Some evidence that the new cohesive gameplan we’re told was built in the summer is a) actually there or b) going to be effective would be reassuring. It seems a game against the All Blacks is an unlikely time to see it, but you never know.

Adam Hastings’ try right on the break was absolutely a key score, giving Scotland a lead they barely deserved on balance.

Although well-taken – equal part his own opportunism and a defender selling himself way too early – it saved a mixed first 40 for him.

He had two awful tactical kicks straight at Kini Murimurivalu, and an attempted tackle on the rampant wing Vinaya Habosi was woeful.

He left after a head knock early in the second half. Blair Kinghorn came on to lead a Scots’ pack now in the ascendancy, but there wasn’t much more bite from 10.

The real lift came largely from his half-back partner Ben White, who added a speed of purpose to the attack. He fully deserved his easy try that sealed the game.

Hastings may now be in the new 12-day protocol for a head knock. The clamour to recall Finn Russell will no doubt be overwhelming.

But given all that Townsend has said this autumn, it’s difficult to imagine anyone but Kinghorn at 10 against New Zealand.

Which will at least be a true test of whether he takes the short long-term or not.

A testing first-half – they were very fortunate to lead by Hastings’ try right on the break – was corrected by Scotland playing a much more structured, controlled game.

That created pressure to force penalties which gave them full control of field position. Credit to the captain Jamie Ritchie for pulling them together.

The disappointment was it only brought two more tries.

The penalty count at half-time was 7-5 against the Scots.

The majority against the home side were for creeping offside too often. In the second half it was 13-5 against Fiji, and the final result inevitable. Twelve penalties and two yellow cards – even though a couple and Darcy Graham’s yellow were when the game was all but over – is still too many.

You can’t say that the discipline issue has been solved yet. But in a fractured game of 30 penalties and five yellows, they at least came out on top here.

The defence was also far better in the second half. Scotland got flanked out wide too often in the first 40 minutes. But they sorted it and Fiji had few scoring opportunities in the remainder of the game.