It’s all over at Audi Field in Washington DC, with Scotland running out 42-7 victors. Half of their six tries came through hooker Ewan Ashman, who rumbled his way from a series of line-out mauls, with George Horne, Matt Fagerson and Duhan van der Merwe – tying the men’s natioanl record of 27 tries – adding the others. Adam Hastings converted five of them, Ross Thompson the other.

USA were kept scoreless after the break with Tommaso Boni’s first-half converted try their only spoils in a game played, especially in the latter part, in very tricky conditions.

Next up for Scotland on the Skyscanner Americas tour is a trip to Santiago to face Chile next Saturday 20 July, kick-off 8pm BST). Join us then, and good night!

The hosts sense something doing and get a prime opportunity from a tap penalty five metres out, but are hampered again by a knock-on in the skiddy atmosphere. Scrum to Scotland and you’d think they’ll hoof the ball out for the end of the game if possible.

But the score does come straight after. From a US knock-on, Scotland’s scrum bullies its way towards the hosts’ line and it’s Matt Fagerson who gets the final touch, Thompson converting to make it 7-42.

Both sides feeling the effect of the close conditions but Scotland’s freshened pack looks to have the wood on the US as we enter the final 10. It comes to pass as a scrum sees Dobie find Tuipulotu, to Thompson, to Rowe whose grubber is all but collected by Kyle Steyn, the ball knocked on at the last. Scrum USA.

Matt Currie gets another taste of international action, following on from his debut in Ottawa last Saturday. The centre is on for Huw Jones for the final knockings of this one.

Luke Crosbie, fresh from co-captaining Scotland against Canada last weekend, take the place of 50-capper Jamie Ritchie.

Ross Thompson takes to the field for Adam Hastings, Jamie Dobie replaces the try-scoring George Horne and Robbie Smith is on for the hat-trick hero Ewan Ashman.

That scrappiness, born out of the conditions, is hurting both sides now, although it’s Scotland who are endeavouring to make inroads with ball in hand. USA refusing to buckle though, and win another scrum around 10 metres into white-shirted territory.

Just when it was getting scrappy, the ultimate support line runner comes up with the goods! Kyle Rowe breaks the gain-line and has the presence of mind to pop an inside ball to livewire scrum-half George Horne, who scampers over for Scotland’s fifth. Hastings converts after a potential check for an off-the-ball tackle was dismissed. 7-35 in Washington.

Rory Sutherland, Elliot Millar Mills and Max Williamson, the latter having made his debut last week, come on for Schoeman, Walker and Craig.

Scotland start where they left off with a menacing line-out position, but the chance amounts to nothing and USA end up gobbling up an Adam Hastings cross-field grubber to clear. The play eventually ends with a home scrum on their 22, which turns into a free-kick for a poor Scottish engagement.

Pierre Schoeman knocks on but blame has to be tempered by the oily state of the ball at Audi Field. USA have a scrum inside Scotland’s half, though.

Duhan van der Merwe needed two tries and, after an early score, sits one away from having scored more tries for Scotland than any male player. Can he get to 28 in the second half? We’re underway again in DC.

A half that had five tries, four of which were scored by Scotland, three of which were scored by Ewan Ashman. An early Duhan van der Merwe try was his 27th in international rugby, tying Stuart Hogg’s all-time male record.

Adam Hastings landed four very tidy conversions, the only blot on Scotland’s copybook being the close-range try scored by USA centre Tommaso Boni.

Ewan Ashman, rolling maul, from a line-out, copy and paste. Albeith on the right-hand side of the pitch, the hooker laps up another try, his seventh for Scotland, with Adam Hastings converting yet again. 7-28.

Audi Field is subject to some damp, muggy weather and you can just see before the half-time break that players are struggling a little to keep hold of an ever-slippery ball. Ritchie knocks on and from the scrum, USA get a great shunt on to force a penalty.

MacGinty can’t make inroads into the scoreboard though and the penalty from 40m goes wide to the left.

Ewan Ashman for all the world looks like he’s going to finish off a third rolling maul try, but some stoic defence thwarts the hooker. USA offside though and Scotland are going to try and create another opportunity before the break..

Well, what a response from the hosts in DC. Centre Tommaso Boni hits the line at pace and pouches JP Smith’s pass to crash over, MacGinty clipping over an easy conversion. 7-21 in the American capital.

The referee really had to take action after a multitude of transgressions and it’s the tighthead David Ainu’u who is the recipient of the game’s first yellow card for some breakdown naughtiness.

With that man advantage, Scotland strike in similar fashion, with a similar outcome. Ewan Ashman is on hand from a line-out won by Scott Cummings to again dot down, Adam Hastings landing another very decent conversion to make it 21-0.

Jordan Way just wants to let USA’s Greg Peterson – a former Glasgow Warrior – know that the penalty count is creeping up a little after Kyle Rowe’s tackler is not released. Scotland clear once more to touch, and will go again from the set piece.

For such an accomplished goal kicker with more than 350 international points, AJ MacGinty won’t be happy with that early attempt, his penalty never threatening to come in. It remains 7-0 to the visitors.

Another US penalty for coming in at the side and from the chosen route of a line-out, Scotland score a textbook rolling maul try, with Ewan Ashman going over for his fifth international try! Hastings adds a tidy conversion and it’s 14-0.

.. But Scotland’s line-out goes awry, spolied by Paddy Ryan, with the veteran AJ MacGinty eventually finding a cracking touch, all the way into Scotland’s half.

Scotland then foul at the breakdown and MacGinty will have a crack from a relatively kind angle and distance.

US scrum-half JP Smith tackles in the air and Hastings once more goes for what turns out to be a good touch. USA then piling in at a ruck and referee Way affords another penalty which, again stand-off Hastings launches off the pitch. Another good position for Scotland..

USA respond after winning a penalty for an illegal entry by George Horne at a ruck. They kick to touch but the ball is turned over and after a spot of back-and-forth kicking, USA’s full-back Luke Carty will have a goal-line clearance after Kyle Rowe’s own kick has a little too much on it.

It had to be didn’t it? From the line-out, Adam Hastings waits for Duhan van der Merwe to time his run and from an easy popped ball, the hulking winger coasts over for Scotland’s opener – his 27th and record-tying try. Hastings converts and it’s an early 7-0 lead.

Today’s referee is Jordan Way from Australia and he whistles for the first penalty of the game for an offside. Hastings finds a nice early touch and Scotland will look to attack from a line-out, an aspect they are usually dangerous from..

Flower of Scotland and the Star-Spangled Banner addressed, the second of four Skysanner Americas tour matches is live at Washington DC’s Audi Field as Adam Hastings dinks a short one which Scotland instantly pinch to get on an early front foot.

Scotland fling it about right and then to the left but in the face of an aggressive American defence (defense?), the hosts knock on and our first set of the day is called on halfway.

Scotland’s prolific winger Duhan van der Merwe stands a couple of tries away from becoming the country’s leading male try scorer of all time.

A record 24 tries, that had previously stood since 1925 through the Grand Slam-winning Ian Smith (equalled by 1990 hero Tony Stanger), was broken by Stuart Hogg in 2021, the full-back eventually reaching 27.

With Duhan poised on 26, that record could fall very soon, although with Darcy Graham patiently waiting on 24, the pair could be chasing one another’s coat-tails for a while on this one!

Scotland will be taking to the (Audi) field in their white change kit this evening. The changing room is a picture of tranquil before the sides get to it in around 10 minutes.

 

Ahead of USA hosting Scotland at Audi Field in Washington DC this evening, it was confirmed earlier that the two countries will meet this coming Wednesday at Hive Stadium in the 1v2 play-off to determine who will gain promotion to next year’s World Rugby U20 Championship.

Scotland reached that final by defeating Japan 46-10 this evening, with tries from Geordie Gwynne (2), Andrew McLean, Jack Hocking, Freddy Douglas and Finaly Doyle, McLean adding five conversions.

It’s a special day for Scotland’s Jamie Ritchie, who wins a 50th international cap six years since his debut against Canada on a tour of North America in 2018. Named as one of two vice-captains this evening, alongside Kyle Steyn, Edinburgh Rugby’s Ritchie will take to Audi Field as his country’s latest half-centurion. He’s not changed one bit since 2018 (see below)!

We’re an hour from kick-off in Washington DC as Scotland take on USA in the second match of their Skyscanner Americas tour. Stay tuned for live updates ahead of and during the game!