- Experimental side score eight tries to wrap up another routine summer tour win
- Kyle Rowe and Jamie Dobie the pick of the bunch with two tries apiece
- Head coach Townsend pleased with his men’s response to early pressure
Gregor Townsend praised an experimental Scotland line-up as they ‘went through the gears’ to eventually overwhelm Chile in Santiago.
The hosts made it difficult in a competitive opening 20 minutes before Townsend’s men finally found their rhythm to run out comfortable winners, scoring eight tries in the process.
Kyle Rowe and Jamie Dobie both caught the eye with two apiece, while there was a first Scotland score for Matt Currie and a debut off the bench for hooker Patrick Harrison.
Townsend praised a largely inexperienced selection for riding that early storm to eventually show their class and earn a third win on this Americas tour.
The head coach said: ‘It was a pleasing last 60 minutes of the game, especially in that second half when we went through the gears and looked really sharp.
‘It was a proper Test match in terms of the atmosphere and the physicality that Chile brought and the pressure that they put us under early on. But I was really pleased with how we responded and how our accuracy improved as the game went on.
Kyle Steyn goes on the attack again as Scotland eventually made light work of spirited hosts
Dylan Richardson crosses for a late try as he continued his fine form on the Americas tour
Stand-in scrum-half Gus Warr kicks under pressure and caught the eye in an all-action display
‘It was a new team but they gelled on the field. I thought the communication was very good. We showed our fitness in that second half. I thought the bench did well when they came on too. I felt we could have played for another 10 or 20 minutes as well, so our players are looking really sharp close to the end of the season which is a credit to them and what they’ve done so far on tour, too.’
Harrison, the Edinburgh hooker, was the last person on the tour to get some game time and Townsend added: ‘I’m really pleased for Patrick. He’s had to wait three weeks for his game but he’s trained really well and showed a fair bit of what he’s been doing well in training.’
Chile made life difficult initially with two first-half penalties either side of Scotland’s opening try for Josh Bayliss. Rowe and Dobie then both claimed their first scores of the match, dotting down in either corner, to underline the visitors’ growing dominance.
Scotland co-captain Sione Tuipulotu gets his hands on the spoils of victory in Santiago
After Dobie had opened up the second period with his second, Chile claimed a deserved try of their own through Diego Escobar before Currie landed try number five for Scotland.
Escobar was then sent to the sin bin and Scotland touched down three more times through Rowe, Dylan Richardson and Kyle Steyn.
SCORERS; Chile — Try: Escobar. Cons: None. Pens: Videla, Salas. Scotland — Tries: Bayliss, Rowe (2), Dobie (2), Currie, Richardson, Steyn. Cons: Healy (3), Hastings (3). Pens: None.
