Kyle Steyn imitated Gavin Hastings 1995 four-try haul
Autumn Nations Series: Scotland and Tonga Scotland (36) 60 Try: McLean 2, Steyn4, Schoeman, Turner. Haining Kebble Cons : Kinghorn 3, Thompson 2. Tonga (9) 14 TRY: Lolohea pens: Faiva
Kyle Steyn became 26 year's first player from Scotland to score four tries in a match. Gregor Townsend's team opened their autumn series against Tonga with a 10-try loss.
Pierre Schoeman and Rufus McLean scored twice on their debuts, while George Turner, Nick Haining, and Oli Kebble scored for the hosts.
David Lolohea scored Tonga while the hosts had only 14 men. Rob Harley sin-binned and the tourist's Aisea Halo yellow carded.
Steyn's first international appearance was a copy of Gavin Hastings, who scored four goals against Ivory Coast in the 1995 World Cup.
Luke Crosbie and Ross Thompson, Marshall Sykes, Jamie Dobie and Sione Tuipulotu were among the Scots' debutants. They were playing in front a Murrayfield crowd, which was their first appearance in 19 months.
Townsend's team will be hosting Australia, South Africa, and Japan over three weekends. England-based players will also be available for those matches.
It's a shame Tonga. It was a humiliating experience. It was not as painful as the 100-pointer they received from the All Blacks in summer, but it was still very difficult. They didn't stand a chance, quite honestly.
They couldn't answer McLean's quick feet or Steyn's amazing finishing. Scotland was relentless.
This was not the team who performed so admirably at World Cup 2012; this was the promising group that gave England an entertaining game and Argentina a solid one. They took France to the wire, and lost only two points before comfortably taking out the USA.
This time, there were only a few survivors of that team, and none from their historic win over the Scots at Aberdeen in 2012.
Their physicality and uncontrollable desire to kill people at the tackle will not change. They did some of that earlier on, Darcy Graham received a few dunts from their heavy mob, but Scotland scored every time it entered vaguely threatening territory. Although they were very slick, Tonga's defense was soft butter and continued to melt as the game progressed.
McLean was admirable, even if you consider the one-sided nature. Tonga was astonished by McLean's speed and footwork. He is a star in the making.
After Jamie Ritchie had been kicked in the tackle, McLean got his first (without the ball it must be said). McLean grabbed the ball, accelerated away and bounced Sonatane Takulua, the scrum-half, out of his way, scoring.
Blair Kinghorn converted the Finn Russell 10 jersey, warming it with his hand. James Faiva made it 7-3, but McLean scored again in just minutes. Tonga was more upset than an agitated baby, but he did not have to worry about as many dummies. McLean climbed up his left wing, taking Faiva with him, before moving on.
Faiva kicked over another penalty to slow Scotland’s strike rate, but it was only temporary resistance. In midfield, Tonga lost their way again. For the first of his four, Tuipulotu provided the cover and passed the ball to Steyn. Steyn is now fully fit and can play at this level.
With just 24 minutes remaining, it was 19-6. Faiva again reduced the gap to three with a penalty from far, but everyone knew what was next. Tonga was hurried in dealing with the restart, and when they did get it back they conceded again. Schoeman scored another goal for the debut boys. No McLean-esque gas required. It was a grunt at close range. All of them count.
Kinghorn's extras made it 26-9. It quickly turned into 31-9 when Steyn performed a routine move from a lineout, where he swatted away Vaea Vaea as he headed to the posts. Steyn completed his hat trick before the half was over.
McLean was again heavily involved, breaking free from defence and finding Graham on his shoulders. Kinghorn attempted a crossfield kick with Tonga out of bounds, but it bounced in favor of his winger. Steyn scored three goals and Scotland six. They looked like broken men.
Although it had little relevance to the November battles, it was brutal nonetheless. The seventh victory for Scotland came in the second period when Turner was killed in a lineout maul. Kinghorn missed the target with the conversion. It was three out of seven for the fly half.
Tonga was able to find some solace in Harley's sin-binning, which they did when Lolohea came barreling over.
The game was stale, the crowd was quiet, and the try-count dwindled for a while. Haining, Kebble, and then the 50-pointer, made it eight and nine attempts respectively. Steyn was then able to get through for number 10, and his fourth. It was a great day for him.
Everyone then focused their attention on the Wallabies' arrival and the return to action of Dave Rennie, the former coach of Glasgow. Townsend was pleased with Townsend's main talkers, McLean and Steyn.
But, the real stuff of autumn is starting now. Next week, there will be a completely different animal in town.
Scotland: Graham, Steyn, Tuipulotu, Johnson, McLean, Kinghorn, Price (co-capt); Schoeman, Turner, Z Fagerson; Hodgson, Harley, Ritchie (co-capt), Watson, M Fagerson.
McInally and Bhatti, Kebble, Sykes. Crosbie, Haining. Thompson.
Tonga: Faiva, Manu, Hingano, Vaea, W Fifita, Morath, Takulua (captain); Uhila, Ngauamo, Lolohea, H Fifita, Funaki, Halaifonua, Lokotui, Mapapalangi.
Substitutes: Maile, Felemi, Taufa, Faleaf, Havili, Kafatolu, Halo, Haisila.
Referee: Nic Berberry
