Hollow Victory Masks Deepening Crisis for Scottish Rugby
Scotland's comprehensive 56-0 victory over Tonga at Murrayfield on Sunday proved to be the most meaningless of exercises, doing nothing to dispel the growing belief that head coach Gregor Townsend has reached the end of his tenure.
The eight-try rout against utterly hapless opposition provided no answers to the fundamental questions surrounding Scottish rugby following a dismal autumn campaign. Instead, it merely highlighted the gap between crushing weak opponents and competing with rugby's elite nations.
Autumn Campaign Exposes Alarming Regression
The capitulation against Argentina last weekend, where Scotland surrendered a 21-point lead, only reinforced the perception that Townsend's race as head coach is run. This Tonga victory, while statistically impressive, cannot erase the memory of that collapse or the missed opportunity against New Zealand earlier in the series.
Scotland's autumn efforts ultimately amounted to blowing two significant chances for statement victories against top-tier opposition while running up cricket scores against minnows USA and Tonga. The pattern suggests a team that has become flat-track bullies rather than genuine contenders.
Despite mounting evidence of regression, chief executive Alex Williamson is expected to reaffirm his backing for Townsend at Scottish Rugby's annual general meeting this Wednesday. Having prematurely handed the coach a new contract just months ago, Williamson appears determined to cling to the notion that Townsend remains the right man to lead Scotland forward.
Disjointed Performance Raises More Questions
Sunday's match saw Scotland dominate from the outset against second-rate opposition. Tonga's discipline collapsed spectacularly, with Semisi Paea receiving a 20-minute red card after just 11 minutes for a dangerous tackle.
During Tonga's period of numerical disadvantage, Scotland inflicted most of the damage. Jamie Ritchie crashed over for the opening try on 11 minutes, followed by hooker George Turner marking his 50th cap with Scotland's second. Lock Max Williamson powered over for the third, with fly-half Fergus Burke converting all three attempts.
Even after barely 20 minutes, Tonga's fitness levels appeared atrocious, and they were guilty of numerous late hits that French referee Luc Ramos largely ignored. The visitors had two more players sin-binned either side of half-time, with centre Fine Inisi later punished for a deliberate knock-on.
Duhan van der Merwe touched down for Scotland's fourth try, with Ewan Ashman rumbling over for another to add to his brace against Argentina last week. George Horne raced over for two more tries, with Ashman completing his second consecutive double to complete the scoring.
Troubling Statistics Behind the Scoreline
The most damning statistic emerged from the periods when both teams had full complements of 15 players: the score remained 0-0. This revelation exposes how laboured Scotland's performance truly was against such poor opposition.
While Tom Jordan performed decently at full-back and Burke impressed on his first Murrayfield start, the victory provided little indication of progress. The match resembled last year's autumn rout against Portugal - another exercise in boosting statistics rather than developing genuine Test match credentials.
Defiant Coach Faces Growing Criticism
Townsend remained defiant when questioned about his future, telling BBC Scotland: "The door gets opened when we lose for people who want to criticise." This response typifies the coach's tendency to dismiss valid concerns as personal agendas rather than addressing substantive issues.
The prospect of Scotland supporters enduring another two years of this approach until the next World Cup presents a sobering thought for the Murrayfield faithful.
Challenging Six Nations Looms
Despite the overwhelming evidence against him, Townsend remains the SRU's blue-eyed boy and will likely soldier on into next year's Six Nations championship. However, the schedule presents significant challenges.
Scotland begin with a difficult trip to face Italy at the Olimpico in Rome, where they lost on their last visit in 2024. They also face testing away fixtures in Cardiff and Dublin, with home games against France and a revitalised England completing a formidable programme.
As crowds filtered out of Murrayfield into the chilly Edinburgh evening, the cold reality began to bite. While the pubs around Haymarket filled with supporters seeking warmth and cheer, many had already called last orders on Townsend's tenure, regardless of what the official line might be.
