Scotland eases to 56-0 win as Tonga pays for ill-discipline in one-sided rugby international

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EDINBURGH, Scotland (AP) — Scotland profited from four yellow cards to Tonga — one of which was upgraded to a red — to run in eight tries in a 56-0 thrashing in a rugby international at Murrayfield on Sunday.

Jamie Ritchie, George Turner and Max Williamson all went over while Tonga flanker Semisi Paea was off the field for a dangerous clear-out in the sixth minute. Paea was initially in the sin bin but it changed to a 20-minute red card after a review, ending his involvement in what proved to be a one-sided game.

Tonga could barely keep 15 players on the field at the same time, with the yellow cards including winger Taniela Filimone in the 48th for a deliberate knock-on and center Fine Inisi in the 58th for the same offense.

Still, it took until the hour mark for Scotland to get its fourth try, through Duhan van der Merwe, who ran onto an offload and burst through a gap in midfield to score a national-record 35th try for the country — edging past fellow winger Darcy Graham in their duel.

Ewan Ashman and George Horne added a further two tries apiece to push Scotland past the half-century mark.

Fergus Burke kicked five conversions and Horne knocked over the other three, two from his own tries.

Scotland ended the autumn series with shutouts of the United States and Tonga, either side of losses to New Zealand and Argentina.

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AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby