South Africa-born Scotland wing Duhan van der Merwe. Image: AFP.
SA import ignites Scotland: Duhan van der Merwe’s record day
Scotland makes Six Nations history, defeating England for the fourth consecutive time. Duhan van der Merwe’s hat-trick fuels the victory.
South Africa-born Scotland wing Duhan van der Merwe. Image: AFP.
Scotland’s Duhan van der Merwe cemented his place in rugby history on Saturday, becoming the first Scottish player to score a hat-trick in a Six Nations clash against rivals England.
The South African-born winger’s extraordinary performance was a key factor in Scotland’s electrifying 30-21 win, earning praise from coach Gregor Townsend as “really special.”
England’s Early Dominance
The match began with a surge from England, with George Furbank scoring a try and George Ford adding a penalty to give them an early lead.
However, Scotland refused to be deterred, making the most of their limited opportunities in England’s half to turn the score around before halftime.
Duhan van der Merwe: Scotland’s Unstoppable Force
“He just saw opportunities and went for it,” Townsend said of van der Merwe, who is inching ever closer to Stuart Hogg’s all-time try-scoring record for Scotland.
Finn Russell’s masterful playmaking orchestrated Scotland’s resurgence, setting the stage for their decisive victory and putting them firmly in the running for the Six Nations title.
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“We didn’t have much ball… but we unlocked the defence and Duhan was there to support and to finish it,” added Townsend.
England Reflects and Regroups
England coach Steve Borthwick acknowledged that his team were outplayed by Scotland’s relentless counter-attacks. “When you make that number of handling errors at this level, it’s very difficult to win…”, he said.
Skipper Jamie George, however, remains focused on the future: “We want to make [Twickenham] a hard place for the opposition to come to…”
Duhan van der Merwe and a Legacy Moment for Scotland
Scotland’s triumph marks a landmark moment, the first time since 1896 that they’ve secured four consecutive championship wins against England.
Townsend, a legendary former Scotland player himself, underscored the historic nature of the win: “This is massive. We’re playing for a trophy today, and it’s a trophy that is really important to us.”
