One hundred years from their first game at the famous venue, Scotland were given the freedom of Murrayfield last Saturday as they ran amok against the shell-shocked USA.
All manner of records fell in a Quilter Nations series mismatch that brought Scotland 13 tries – three short of their all-time best against Japan in Perth in 2004.
Scotland scored at a rate of more than a point a minute in the first half to lead 45-0 – the most points they have scored in the opening 40 of a Test, beating the 42 they scored in the first half against Romania at RWC 2023.
The final scoreline of 85-0 in their favour was comfortably their biggest-ever win at Murrayfield, while on an individual level, half-centurion Duhan van der Merwe and Darcy Graham finished the match on 34 tries, extending Scotland’s all-time try-scoring record in the process.
While those records are now well-known publicly, we can now reveal that Scotland created another bit of history by having six players who gained more than 100 metres in the match.
From the top, rampaging flanker Liam McConnell led the way on his Scotland Test debut with 139 metres gained. Jamie Dobie, the official Player of the Match and a hat-trick scorer, was the next best with 124.
Dobie then switched from scrum-half to wing when Darcy Graham left the scorched turf, not long into the second half, having gained 105 metres, which was bettered by fellow try-scorers, full-back Kyle Rowe (115), centre Ollie Smith (109) and van der Merwe (107).
Player Carries
1
Kyle Rowe
16
2
Ollie Smith
13
3
Stafford McDowall
11
Previously, New Zealand and Argentina had shared the record for most centurions of this type, with five players apiece in wins over Tonga (2021) and Uruguay (2024), respectively, gaining 100+ metres.
McConnell’s debut, which had everything but a try, was ranked as one of the best first-cap performances that his Edinburgh captain, Magnus Bradbury had ever seen, and rightly so.
Only All Blacks great, Ardie Savea, has gained more metres in a match since Opta’s record began in 2010. The back-rower set the record of 163 metres against Tonga on the eve of RWC 2019.
While the strength of the opposition obviously has to be taken into consideration, McConnell can be proud to have eclipsed the likes of Louis Picamoles (131 metres v England in 2017), Sergio Parisse 130 v Argentina in 2010 and Siya Kolisi (129 v France in 2017).
As a collective, Scotland fell short of their team record of of 1,153 metres gained against Romania at RWC 2023, despite the contribution of the ‘super six’. Their tally of 916 metres is the second-highest they have managed in a Test.