Darcy Graham was despatched off as Scotland’s hopes of a kinder World Cup draw had been dealt a blow by a 29-14 defeat in Fiji.
The Edinburgh winger departed with 23 minutes remaining on the HFC Financial institution Stadium in Suva after a second yellow card offence on a irritating afternoon for Gregor Townsend’s males.
They’d gone into the sport sitting seventh on the earth rankings and concentrating on a spot within the prime six which might imply a extra beneficial draw for the 2027 World Cup in Australia, however they ended it licking their wounds after a bruising reverse.
The Scots led 7-0 after simply 4 minutes when Graham put full-back Kyle Rowe by and he went over with debutant fly-half Fergus Burke changing.
Nonetheless, ill-discipline was to hamper their efforts to realize revenge for his or her 27-22 defeat in Suva in 2017.
Hooker Ewan Ashman’s eighth-minute yellow card after the ninth-ranked Fijians had pushed the guests again in direction of their very own line and prompted a sequence of infringements did his facet few favours, however the 14 males survived punishment in his absence and he was again on the pitch by the point Caleb Muntz diminished the deficit with a penalty.
However Graham’s departure to the sin-bin 9 minutes earlier than the break for tackling a participant with out the ball was punished severely.
First Tevita Ikanivere touched down after Fiji had breached the Scottish defence from a line-out, after which Kalaveti Ravouvou was the beneficiary after his facet had spun the ball out from one other set-piece, with Muntz changing the latter effort to ship them in on the break with a 15-7 lead.
Scotland dragged themselves proper again into it inside 4 minutes of the restart when Bristol centre Tom Jordan crossed after an Ashman break and Burke added the 2 factors to ease Townsend’s males to inside a degree of the hosts.
Nonetheless, Toulon winger Jiuta Wainiqolo’s high-quality 59th-minute attempt, which was once more transformed by Muntz, restored Fiji’s lead and once they had been awarded a penalty attempt which noticed the offside Graham gather a second yellow card and due to this fact a purple, the vacationers’ day was performed.
Sky Sports activities will completely present the 2025 British and Irish Lions tour of Australia, with all three Exams towards the Wallabies and 6 warm-up matches to be proven completely stay.
Please use Chrome browser for a extra accessible video participant
Watch the British and Irish Lions’ tour of Australia completely stay on Sky Sports activities this summer time
