How Scotland overpowered USA as Duhan van der Merwe equals Stuart Hogg record and forward weighs in with hat-trick

Duhan van der Merwe equalled Stuart Hogg’s try record and Ewan Ashman scored a hat-trick as Scotland defeated the USA 42-7 in Washington DC in the second match of their summer tour.

There were six tries in total for the Scots, taking their tally to 17 in two matches in North America following last week’s 73-12 trouncing of Canada. This win, played in heat and humidity, wasn’t as convincing but was handy enough against opponents ranked 18th in the world.

Van der Merwe got the ball rolling with his 27th try for Scotland, drawing him level with Hogg as the country’s all-time top try-scorer. The expectation was that the winger would then go on to break the record but van der Merwe had next to no opportunities to add to his tally and it was Ashman who stole his thunder. The hooker’s treble was completed by half-time and the three tries all came from lineout drives.

Duhan van der Merwe avoids the tackle attempts of USA's Nate Augspurger (11) and Tavite Lopeti (13) at Audi Field in Washington DC to score the try which equalled Stuart Hogg's all-time Scotland try record. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images for Scottish Rugby)

George Horne and Matt Fagerson touched down in the second half for Scotland and there were five conversions from Adam Hastings and one from Ross Thompson on what was a decent night’s work for Gregor Townsend’s side who banished the ghosts of their last visit to the US in 2018 when the hosts beat them 30-29 in Houston.

Van der Merwe took only five minutes to get off the mark, scoring in the corner from a smart pass from Hastings after Scotland had put the ball through the backs from a lineout. Hastings, playing in his first international since the 2022 Test against Fiji, knocked over the first of four first-half conversions.

Scotland were a little careless in the minutes that followed, losing a couple of lineouts then conceding a penalty which the normally reliable AJ MacGinty fluffed. It was a warning for the visitors and one they took on board, reverting to their trusted tactic of kicking to the corner and setting up the lineout maul which yielded two tries for Ashman in quick succession.

The hooker was sharp with the first one, spotting the gap after Jamie Ritchie - winning his 50th cap - had won clean ball. Ashman’s second was more straightforward as he was shoved over by his team-mates. In between the two tries the USA had tighthead prop David Ainu’u yellow-carded for persistent infringements but it didn’t stop them scoring a try of their own. It came as Fagerson coughed up possession after attempting a pick and go off the back of a scrum five metres from his own line. The US pounced and Tommaso Boni, who played for Italy against Scotland in 2017, notched the try which MacGinty converted.

The Scots were penalised at the scrum shortly after, prompting US full-back Luke Carty to have a crack from his own half. It was a valiant effort but went just wide.

It was becoming scrappy, with lots of handling errors caused by the slippy ball, but Scotland managed to get back on top just before half-time. After a series of lineout mauls they were eventually able to get Ashman over for his hat-trick try to give the tourists a 28-7 lead at the interval.

Van der Merwe and Ashman had hogged the first-half limelight and it was only right that others stepped up after the break. An electric burst by Kyle Rowe from a pre-planned move set up Horne to score Scotland’s fifth try and Hastings converted once again.

The game then went into a lull as both sides made a raft of substitutions and the rain combined with the humidity to make conditions even more tricky. The ball was too slippy for Kyle Steyn who dropped it over the line with a try at his mercy after a perfectly measured grubber from the impressive Rowe. Scotland did eventually score a sixth try with seven minutes remaining when Matt Fagerson touched down after a mighty shove from the visitors’ scrum. Thompson, on for Hastings, added the extras.

Townsend’s side will now head to South America to take on Chile and Uruguay.

Scorers: USA: Tries: Boni. Cons: MacGinty. Scotland: Tries: van der Merwe, Ashman 3, Horne, Fagerson. Cons: Hastings 5, Thompson.

Yellow card: Ainu’u (USA, 25min)

USA: L Carty; C Mooneyham, T Lopeti (B Campbell 63), T Boni, N Augspurger (M Wilson 58); AJ MacGinty, JP Smith (E McVeigh 72); J Iscaro (J Turnbull 55), D Fawsitt (K Pifeleti 55), D Ainu’u (P Mullen 55), V Helu (S Uhila 63), G Peterson (B Bonasso), S Golla (P Mullen 30-36), P Ryan, J Fa’anana-Schultz.

Scotland: K Rowe; K Steyn, H Jones (M Currie 67), S Tuipulotu, D van der Merwe; A Hastings (R Thompson 59), G Horne (J Dobie 58); P Schoeman (R Sutherland 52), E Ashman (R Smith 59), M Walker (E Millar Mills 52), A Craig (M Williamson 52), S Cummings, J Ritchie (L Crosbie 63), R Darge, M Fagerson.

Referee: Jordan Way (Australia)