EDINBURGH, Scotland (AP) — Portugal conceded nine tries and wasn’t disgraced in a 59-21 loss at Scotland on Saturday in its latest meeting with a top-tier opponent in the wake of its breakthrough performance at last year’s Rugby World Cup.
It was looking ugly for Os Lobos when Scotland flew ahead 33-0 by the 38th minute at Murrayfield.
However, Portugal held its own in the second half and finished with three tries, one coming from scrumhalf Samuel Marques after the Scotland scrum went backward in front of its posts. Marques, 36 next month, came out of retirement for new coach Simon Mannix.
The Portuguese are getting more chances at the top level after a World Cup campaign in which they drew with Georgia and beat Fiji for their first ever win in the sport’s biggest tournament.
They played world champion South Africa in Bloemfontein in July, losing 64-21, and gained more experience against the Scots, who rebounded from a 32-15 loss to the Springboks last weekend.
In a Scots side of 14 changes, Arron Reed scored two of their tries, both through razor-sharp finishes down the left wing in the second half. Will Hurd, Stafford McDowall, Darcy Graham, Josh Bayliss, Jamie Bhatti and Jamie Dobie also went over, while there was a penalty try.
Graham’s try was a beauty as he sidestepped and darted through Portugal’s defensive line and it took him to 29 for Scotland, tying fellow winger Duhan van der Merwe’s national record.
Luka Begic, in first-half stoppage time, and Raffaele Storti were Portugal’s other try-scorers.
Freddy Douglas, 19, came on as a back-row replacement in the second half and became Scotland’s youngest debutant for the men’s team since 1963. It was his first professional match, too.
Scotland opened the autumn campaign by beating Fiji 57-17, while Portugal lost to the United States 21-17 last weekend.
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