EDINBURGH, Scotland — In a challenging contest on Saturday, Portugal faced Scotland and ended up on the losing side with a score of 59-21, marking another tough match against a top-tier team after their impressive showing at the previous Rugby World Cup.
The early stages of the match revealed a difficult situation for the Portuguese team, as Scotland surged ahead 33-0 by the 38th minute at Murrayfield.
Yet, Portugal managed to put up a fight during the second half, demonstrating resilience and finishing strong with three tries. One notable try came from scrumhalf Samuel Marques, who, after recently coming out of retirement to join new coach Simon Mannix, managed to score following a scrum that went backward in a precarious position for Scotland. Marques is set to turn 36 next month.
Following their recent performances during the World Cup—where they drew with Georgia and achieved their maiden victory against Fiji—Portugal has been granted more opportunities at the international level.
In their journey to gain experience, they faced off against the South African team, the reigning world champions, in Bloemfontein in July, where they suffered a 64-21 defeat. This match against Scotland served as another chance for development, especially considering Scotland’s recent 32-15 loss to the Springboks the previous weekend.
Scotland made a significant number of changes, presenting a new lineup with 14 substitutions, which included Arron Reed, who scored two tries during the second half with impressive runs down the left side. Other players who crossed the try line included Will Hurd, Stafford McDowall, Darcy Graham, Josh Bayliss, Jamie Bhatti, and Jamie Dobie, alongside a penalty try.
Graham’s try was particularly noteworthy; he evaded defenders with skillful sidesteps, marking his 29th try for Scotland, which ties him with fellow winger Duhan van der Merwe for the national record.
For Portugal, Luka Begic made a mark by scoring during first-half stoppage time, while Raffaele Storti also added to their total with a try.
Additionally, Freddy Douglas, at just 19 years old, made his debut as a back-row replacement in the second half—marking him as the youngest player to debut for Scotland’s men’s team since 1963, and it was also his first appearance in a professional match.
Scotland kicked off their autumn series with a convincing win over Fiji, finishing that match 57-17, while Portugal faced a narrow loss to the United States by 21-17 just the week before.