Scotland A 25-0 USA Eagles: Scots have to work hard to subdue Eagles

• Scotland A's Stuart McInally bids to break through the USA Eagles defence at Netherdale Picture: PA

SCOTLAND'S second-string claimed a comfortable victory at Netherdale last night, but the 3,000-strong crowd had to wait an hour before seeing them put it to bed.

A try in each half from Lee Jones and one finished by prop Kyle Traynor ensured a heartening home win in the A team's first run-out of the season, but in a game in which they dominated the possession and territory almost wholly against a near second-string American side, they made hard work of it.

Scotland A coach Nick Scrivener said: "It has definitely been a worthwhile match for us. It was a bit of an arm wrestle and took a while for us to crack them open, but we were more direct in the second half and scored some good tries eventually, so we're pleased with that."

A young A team full of potential was forced into a late change by the call-up of Joe Ansbro to the full side, which handed an opportunity to 6ft 5in Bath full-back Jack Cuthbert, shifting Jim Thompson to wing, and John Houston, who was drafted onto the bench, and Cuthbert had some encouraging forays from deep.

With a full international against Georgia next week, the Eagles opted to use many fringe players in a similar line-up to that which lost 20-6 to Saracens 11 days ago, and within three minutes they were in arrears, David Blair converting a penalty from wide on the left after a fine run by Cuthbert.

The Eagles shunned kicking penalties for goal, and charging runs by openside flanker Inaki Bassauri and Chris Biller, the hooker, set the tone for a formidable American pack boasting a big back five and several players of South Sea Island origin. But the Scots soaked up the opening pressure.

Scotland moved ball well in attack, Ben Cairns finding a gap and Blair moving it swiftly, and when it came back infield, Fraser McKenzie's deft footwork took him past the first defender. But it was the first of several attacks that evoked a penalty, which Blair duly turned into another three points.

A mix-up in midfield let powerful lock Samu Manoa escape on a dangerous run into the home half, and had he had support it could have been the game's first try.

The Scottish pack took a grip of the scrummage with fine drives into the visitors' 22, and after giving a dose of penalties against the Eagles scrum, French referee Matthieu Raynal showed loosehead prop Matekitonga Moeakiola the yellow card. If the scrum was not producing the rewards it should, the lineout then did, captain Al Kellock claiming ball, and from the first surge ball was moved wide right and eventually reached Jones, who squeezed into the corner with 20 minutes played.

With almost 90 per cent of possession in the first half, Scotland worked hard to keep the ball alive, and a sweeping Cuthbert run and off-load found Thompson, a fine Cairns break had the Eagles in trouble and Alex Grove punched a hole in midfield, but all enterprise foundered on errors by the Scots or penalties against them.

The second half followed a depressingly similar pattern, with the Scots pulling the Eagles all over their 22, scrum-half Mark McMillan passing well away from contact, but his team-mates failing to find the subtlety to unlock the spirited defensive effort.

Scotland needed some inspiration and there were murmurings of when we might see Duncan Weir, the exciting Glasgow stand-off; 15 minutes in he did appear to replace Blair, while Kyle Traynor also came on for Welsh.

There was little the Scottish team were doing wrong, Kellock soaring in the lineout, the scrum continuing to dominate and the passing largely spot-on, but the Americans matched them in defence. They were then undone, however, with two yellow cards in a matter of minutes, Inaki Basuari, the openside, being sin-binned for lying on ball in the ruck and Paul Emerick being harshly sin-binned for a high tackle on Cuthbert.

But eventually, as Grove and Cairns started to find gaps, the tries came. Traynor grabbed the first of the second half with 17 minutes to go, showing what can happen when passes are well-timed and held. Jones went over for his second to secure the Man of the Match award, after good bursts by Tom Ryder, making his first appearance in a Scotland jersey, and Geoff Cross.

Weir would have finished with a score had he not been flattened by Tuilevuka as he went to touch down a chip ahead, which left the stand-off injured and the French referee bizarrely giving the Eagles a scrum, which they were duly driven off. A bizarre end to a strange match, but one that will provide a first step for many young players.

Scorers: Scotland A: Tries: Jones 2, Traynor. Pens: Blair 2. Cons: Weir 2.

Scotland A: J Cuthbert (Bath); J Thompson, B Cairns, A Grove, L Jones; D Blair (all Edinburgh), M McMillan (Bath); J Welsh (Glasgow), S Lawson (Gloucester), G Cross, F McKenzie (both Edinburgh), A Kellock capt, R Harley (both Glasgow), R Grant, S McInally (both Edinburgh), Subs: K Traynor (Edinburgh) for Welsh, D Weir (Glasgow) for Blair, both 55mins, T Ryder (Saracens) for Kellock 62, J Houston (Edinburgh) for Cairns 67, D Denton (Edinburgh) for McInally 70, H Pyrgos (Glasgow) for McMillan, S Lawrie (Doncaster) for Lawson, both 72, Cairns for Jones 78.

USA Eagles: C Hawley; A Tuilevuka, P Emerick, A Suniula, Z Test; T Enosa, M Petri (capt); M Moeakiola, C Biller, E Fry, S Manoa, H Smith, P Danahy, I Bassauri, J Gagiano. Subs: L Stanfill for Gagiano 46-50, S Lavalla for Manoa 70.