Scotland reminded it is still in contention for a quarterfinal place at the Rugby World Cup with a bonus-point 45-17 win over Tonga on Sunday to advance its hopes in a pool shaded by the seismic Ireland-South Africa showdown, and presumptions that those two will be the ones going through.
Scotland ticked off the first of three big tasks on its to-do list if it is to make a late surge into the knockouts with its seven tries against the Tongans in Nice.
Scotland hadn't been seen since its opening-weekend loss to South Africa, but seemed to have put its two weeks off to good use as its backs came out running against Tonga, with playmaker Finn Russell pulling the strings in a masterly display at No. 10. Russell shot bullet passes to his outside backs to regularly break open Tonga's defense.
Scotland wing Duhan van der Merwe bounced back from a couple of juddering hits on him by Tonga to throw his own considerable weight around. Replacement Darcy Graham zoomed away for the seventh try from 55 meters out in the last play of the game. Hooker George Turner was at the back of a Scotland maul that traveled nearly 20 meters for the first try in the fifth.
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