Head coach Gregor Townsend warned Scotland to clean up their act after a bruising 29-14 defeat to Fiji dented their hopes of a favourable World Cup draw.
The Scots went into the game with high hopes of easing themselves into world rugby’s top six, an achievement which would give them a kinder group in Australia in 2027.
However, they emerged from it having learned a harsh lesson as winger Darcy Graham was given a red card after picking up two of three yellows – the other went to hooker Ewan Ashman – to make positive starts to both halves largely irrelevant.
Asked what lessons could be learned, Townsend said: “Discipline, clearly. There were 14 penalties and three yellow cards and I would imagine most of them are in our control, so that’s unusual for us to give away so many penalties and yellow cards.
“That fatigues us when we’re a man down, but also gives the opposition opportunities in our 22 and eventually those opportunities told for Fiji and they got the tries.”
Scotland got off to the perfect start when Graham sent full-back Kyle Rowe over with just four minutes gone and debutant Fergus Burke added the conversion.
But first-half yellow cards for Ashman and Graham, who was adjudged to have tackled his man before the ball arrived, either side of a Caleb Muntz penalty for the hosts left the Scots fighting an uphill battle, and tries from Tevita Ikanivere and Kalaveti Ravouvou sent Fiji in at the break with a 15-7 lead.
Tom Jordan crossed within four minutes of the restart and Burke’s conversion made it a single-point game, but Jiuta Wainiqolo’s touch-down and a penalty try, which also resulted in Graham’s exit, proved decisive.
Townsend said: “I think Fiji deserved to win. They had a lot of opportunities to put us under pressure in our 22. They were physical and obviously they’re a quality team, and they showed that last week.
“But we’re disappointed in our own performance, that we gave them so many opportunities to put pressure on us. The penalty count was too high, three yellow cards, it makes it very tough to win any Test match. Up against a quality side at home, it’s going to be really difficult.”
Townsend was able to take positives from some aspects of his side’s play, but admitted their failure to build upon good starts to both halves had proved costly.
He said: “We felt up front with our scrum and our maul, that was creating go forward. Maybe we could have got more penalties out of it, because we were certainly the dominant team on scrum and maul.
“Outside of that, our defence at times looked really in control. Some very good tackles going in, a lot of effort, and then we just had an offside penalty, a breakdown penalty, and then the three yellow cards in our own 22.
“They have a big effect on what you can do in the next 10 minutes, because you’re having to change things around line-out and personnel.”
