Graham equals record as nine-try Scotland see off tenacious Portugal / Photo: ANDY BUCHANAN - AFP
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Graham equals record as nine-try Scotland see off tenacious Portugal
Darcy Graham equalled Duhan van der Merwe's Scotland try-scoring record as the home side registered nine tries in a 59-21 win over Portugal at Murrayfield on Saturday.
Coach Gregor Townsend made 14 changes to the team that started the defeat by world champions South Africa last weekend against the 15th-ranked visitors.
Leicester prop Will Hurd scored an early try for the hosts before Stafford McDowall, captain for the day, added a second.
Portugal conceded a penalty try in the 27th minute after Duarte Torgal was penalised for deliberately collapsing a maul. The second-rower was sent to the sin-bin.
Scotland capitalised by scoring two further tries in Torgal's absence.
Edinburgh winger Graham scored his 29th try for Scotland in the 34th minute as he waltzed effortlessly past three opponents to move level with Van der Merwe.
Josh Bayliss then breezed over on the right for Scotland's fifth try of the match.
Portugal eventually got off the mark in the last action of the first half when hooker Luka Begic scored off the back of a maul.
Loosehead Jamie Bhatti pushed over to reassert Scotland's authority four minutes into the second half but Portugal refused to capitulate and Samuel Marques wriggled his way over off the back of a scrum in the 55th minute and then added the conversion himself.
Arron Reed put daylight between the teams with two quickfire scores on the left, either side of the hour mark.
There was a notable substitution in the 66th minute when 19-year-old Edinburgh back-rower Freddy Douglas came on to become Scotland's youngest debutant since 1963, despite never having made a competitive appearance at club level.
Portugal scored their third try moments later when Raffaele Storti found a gap on the right and darted over.
But Scotland flexed their muscles again in the 73rd minute as replacement back Jamie Dobie went over the line.
"We're pleased with the result," Townsend told the BBC. "There'll be areas where we can improve but credit to Portugal for being a tough opponent today.
"We had to work out what the defence was doing, and it worked our way. We worked hard, created extra numbers."
Scotland host Australia next week in the final match of their November programme.
E.Steiner--HHA
