Van der Merwe scores try on debut as Scotland hammer Georgia

Scotland overpowered Georgia 48-7 as Finn Russell’s Test exile came to an end at Murrayfield on Friday.

The Scots ran in eight tries as they warmed-up for their coronavirus-delayed Six Nations finale away to Wales in Llanelli next week with a comfortable victory.

Fly-half Russell came off the bench for his first international since last year’s World Cup with 25 minutes left and immediately gave Scotland a fresh cutting edge with his crisp passing after the forwards’ driving play proved too much for Georgia.

Fellow stand-off Adam Hastings stayed on the field during a match where he landed just four conversions.

Scotland captain Fraser Brown, in the hooker’s first match as skipper, and wing Darcy Graham both scored two tries apiece.

Hamish Watson, Stuart McInally, and debutant wing Duhan Van der Merwe also crossed Georgia’s line before full-back Blair Kinghorn completed the rout late on.

Georgia wing Akaki Tabutsadze went over early in the second half for a converted try.

“It was certainly a good work out for the forwards,” Scotland coach Gregor Townsend told ITV 4.

“There are certainly areas to improve on, but it’s a first game for a while.”

Scotland were without several first-choice players, including regular skipper Stuart Hogg, set to play for double-hunting Exeter in Saturday’s English Premiership final at Twickenham.

The Scots are currently third in the Six Nations, with the Welsh fourth.

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Townsend, asked if he would make changes against Wales – who have a warm-up of their own away to France on Saturday – replied: “We’ll see on Sunday night where we are physically and with a good review of the game and how our players have played, what squad and team we’ll go to Wales next week with.”

Georgia, often starved of matches against leading nations outside of World Cups, can now look forward to fixtures against England, Wales and Ireland next month as part of the new Autumn Nations Cup.

Russell did not feature during this year’s Six Nations before it was halted by the coronavirus outbreak after he breached team discipline by going for a late night drink ahead of Scotland’s opener with Ireland.

He later gave a newspaper interview in which he detailed the breakdown of his relationship with Townsend but the pair have now resolved their differences.

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