​Second Scotland rugby cap for Patrick Harrison v Uruguay as Stuart Hogg’s try record broken

Hooker Harrison scored with his first touch of the ball from a lineout maul after being brought on as a replacement for his Edinburgh team-mate Ewan Ashman shortly after the hour mark.

The 22-year-old’s try, putting the tourists back in front after having been pegged back to 19-19 by their hosts in Montevideo, was one of five touched down by the tourists, with fly-half Ben Healy converting two and his replacement Adam Hastings adding another for a final scoreline of 31-19.

The Scots’ other try-scorers were Ashman, blindside flanker Luke Crosbie, replacement loosehead prop Pierre Schoeman and left-winger Duhan van der Merwe.

South African-born van der Merwe, 29, is now Scotland’s top try-scorer of all time, with 28, having edged past the record of 27 he’d previously held jointly with Borderer Stuart Hogg.

Harrison also set a new record at the weekend as, seven days on from making his international debut as a 47th-minute substitute during the Scots’ 52-11 victory against Chile in Santiago, he’s now the most-capped former Peebles player ever.

Harrison, at United Rugby Championship side Edinburgh since 2020, is only the third player in the 101-year history of the Gytes club to have represented their country as well and both his predecessors, Scott Nichol and Steve Ferguson, were one-off internationalists.

Selkirk-born Nichol, 54, was handed his only senior cap as a substitute during a 19-17 loss to Argentina in Buenos Aires in June 1994, also making nine appearances for Scotland A between 1993 and 1997, and Ferguson, 59, was awarded a retrospective cap last year for helping the Scots to a 21-10 tour win against Fiji in Suva in May 1993.

Harrison was one of two representatives of the region in head coach Gregor Townsend’s match-day squad of 23 against Uruguay, Hawick’s Rory Sutherland having started at loosehead prop for his 33rd cap prior to being replaced by Schoeman with 53 minutes on the clock.

The pair were the only Borderers left in ex-Gala stalwart Townsend’s travelling squad after Jedburgh’s Glen Young having been was ruled out of the remainder of the tour by a chest injury sustained in training after being given his first start and fourth cap for the Scots’ 73-12 victory over Canada on Saturday, July 6.

Hawick’s Sutherland, 31, was in Scotland’s starting XV against the Canadians too, his first start since the preceding September, going off just ahead of the 50-minute mark, and the new Glasgow Warriors signing also played in their 42-7 win versus the USA in Washington DC on Friday, July 12, coming on as a 51st-minute substitute for Schoeman.

Saturday’s result kept up the Scots’ 100% record for this year’s summer tour and was the first time they’ve notched up four consecutive away wins for three years short of a century.

The Uruguayans’ tries were scored by Santiago Alvarez, Felipe Etcheverry and Manuel Diana, with Etcheverry adding two conversions.

Former Southern Knights openside flanker Rory Darge skippered Saturday’s squad, playing for the full 80 minutes, and that was the 24-year-old’s 22nd cap.

Looking back over his team’s tour finale, Townsend, 51, said afterwards: “It was a real challenge for us.

“Uruguay came with a lot of physicality. They were winning penalties and put us under pressure, but I thought the team responded well in the first half and then responded well again in the second half, but in the bits between, we were put under pressure and Uruguay deserved their points on the board.

“This has been our biggest test and that’s one of the reasons why we came here, to see how the team reacts when they are under pressure, and they came through, so I am very proud of them.

“The togetherness was on show straight after that try we conceded. We had an excellent set, we had a good kick-chase to put Uruguay under pressure and we got our reward, and I felt the bench did well too, so it was a squad effort, as test match rugby always is.

“While there are some areas to improve, there were pleasing aspects and individual performances throughout the tour and in the game today.”

Townsend is backing van der Merwe to go on to extend his try-scoring record, adding: “You don’t get that sort of try-scoring record if you are not someone who works hard for the team, if you are just hanging on the wing waiting for the game to come to you.

“He works really hard to get in those positions. He is obviously very competitive and wants to beat the person in front of him and then can show his strength to finish.

“We just love him for the player he is but also the person he is. He’s integrated with the squad, doesn’t take himself too seriously and he’s easy to get on with.

“What an achievement to break that record. I remember when I was playing, Tony Stanger jointly held it with Ian Smith from the 1920s, so that shows how hard it has been to break.

“Then Hoggy broke it, now Duhan is breaking it, and we have guys in our squad like Kyle Steyn, Huw Jones and Darcy Graham, who obviously missed last season through injury, hot on his heels.

“It is really exciting that we have guys with great try-scoring records who can maybe challenge Duhan but I am sure Duhan is going to extend that record over the next few seasons.”