Scotland took to the humid conditions of Houston for the first test of Vern Cotter’s career as Scotland coach with a team mixing the expected (a back three of Hogg, Visser and Maitland, Gray and Hamilton as the locks) with the unexpected (Finn Russell and Gordy Reid handed starts).
The USA have been a difficult nut to crack for a lot of touring teams, similar to say Argentina, Canada (who the Scots are still to face) who travel poorly but at home with their full team they cause problems.
The game started at a fast pace on the hard surface with both sides – the Scots in particular – looking to go wide at pace. Todd Clever made a few early breaks that troubled the visiting defence (and Stuart Hogg’s face) and as the teams settled under the gaze of referee Pascal Gauzere there was an early exchange of penalties.
Greig Laidlaw, much maligned this season for either a) missing kicks or b) not being Chris Cusiter, missed a kick before he took his penalty then made a break his half-back rival would have been proud of. Spotting an undefended ruck, Laidlaw darted past it before the home side could assemble a defence, and it was the simplest of passes with Visser on his shoulder to put the big winger clear for the tour’s first try.
Fortunes worsened for the USA as they lost their starting hooker and inside centre to injury, just as the Scotland back three (deep three in the US parlance) smelt blood.
From there Scotland became a little headless in the same way as Glasgow can be guilty of, trying to keep the ball alive in a manner that would please Niko Matawalu but possibly not Mr Cotter. You could perhaps feel their pain when try opportunities were coming thick and fast.
Visser almost got his second but for a poor pass from openside Cowan, and Cowan himself suffered at the hands of an iffy delivery from Hogg after the fullback had jinked himself clear of defenders.
Visser and Lamont combined again but the ball was guddled and ended up on the turf flying around like a pinball. The pack took matters into their hands with some strong set piece only for first Strokosch, then Beattie to be held up over the line. Visser spilled the ball in the act of touching down, giving heart to the US team.
Rustiness, or just the same old inability to be clinical?
They were given further assistance when US loosehead Olive Kilifi was binned, unable to cope with the power from the Scots pack. This led to the unlikely site of a Scots pack forcing a penalty try rather than conceding one.
Stung into action, the US Eagles made it over the line on their first trip to the Scottish 22, led as always by the powerful Todd Clever. His lunge for the try line was adjudged – possibly unfairly – as a double movement.
Wyles missed a further penalty attempt as Jim Hamilton left the field with an injury to leave it 3-17 at half time.
HT USA 3-17 Scotland
Scotland were still unstructured in the early stages of the second half, as almost no ball went through Russell and the makeshift midfield. The back three had plenty of ball to work with but in no decent positions, mostly off turnovers or counter-attack ball. It was that typical Scottish illusion of ample possession but little of it effective. Other ball carriers like Beattie were quiet in attack too. Still, at least Cotter could see what he would have to fix.
The home side on the other hand were settled, and perhaps more comfortable with a ten degree drop in temperature having held their camp in the Rockies. Wyles kicked a penalty to close the gap a little with half an hour to play.
Scotland earned a good attacking position having pushed the Americans back over their own line, but the 5m scrum was far less dominant with tired legs and Moray Low than it was with Geoff Cross and the USA were able to clear their lines and play their way into Scotland’s half with some patient phases.
Scotland were also struggling in the lineout in a scrappy game, Richie Gray did a good job to get up and disrupt opposition ball but on his own throw neither Lawson or MacArthur saw a consistent stream of quality ball going through to Laidlaw.
Duncan Taylor left the field injured, like big Jim with some lower leg trouble, having had little opportunity to do anything of note, and Lamont too was largely anonymous.
Hogg though had been bustling all game, some of it effective, some of it less so. But just as the US were pushing for the score that would make the game a contest, he took a high ball beautifully and had the forward momentum when he landed to start him sprinting down the touchline even as the US were lined up to attack going the other way. With Visser in support it was always going to be a score but Hogg’s pace was up to the challenge and went the distance himself. A classic Hogg try, and good to see him with a smile on his face.
After that it became scrappy again as injury, fitness and conditions wore down players on both sides. Maitland continues to impress in defence and Russell did little wrong from scraps, but he also had little to do. Cowan may not be the answer at 7 and Taylor and Lamont are not the answers in the centre, but then we knew that.
One imagines Cotter is shrewd enough to know that too based on the evidence of his eyes, and perhaps bring in the likes of Mark Bennett for the Canada game (which will be shown on BT Sport).
So far Vern is played 1, won 1 – but the tests get sterner from here.
SRBlog Man of the Match: Difficult to say. Stuart Hogg took his try well so edges the nod ahead of Laidlaw who organised things well. Visser had a good first half hour, Maitland was visible but didn’t get any space to play in and no one really stood out in the pack aside from Cross who only played for a half.