'It shows': What Gregor Townsend insists Scotland's scrappy win over Fiji proves

Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend praised his replacements and the players who stayed on the pitch and found a way to win after his side came from behind to beat Fiji.

Scotland trailed by 10 points at half-time in their final summer encounter in the Nations Championship as Fiji scored three tries at Murrayfield – the third while temporarily down to 14 men – after Jonny Gray’s opener.

Townsend had made 14 changes to his starting line-up, but it was his in-game alterations that made the difference as Scotland scored four second-half tries without reply to win 33-17.

All of the tries came from replacements, with Pierre Schoeman sparking the fightback before Jamie Dobie notched a double either side of Scott Cummings’ score.

On his substitutes, who included captain Sione Tuipulotu, Townsend said: “They were very good. I think they obviously lifted the players as well that were on the field. They added in terms of the carrying and the effort, but I felt those guys that went 80 minutes, they dug deep.

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“It shows we’ve got good depth and we made 14 changes this week. We’ve gone up against a really good Test side who played their best rugby of the campaign.

“It’s a team that beat us last year, but also knowing that we’ve got players that can make a difference on the bench is reassuring.

“Two of the changes were injuries. Jonny Gray had failed his HIA and Darcy (Graham) got a whack in the side and couldn’t continue as well. Gregor Brown also, it was more just cramp that he couldn’t get over.

“But part of the reason behind the changes at certain times was because of injuries.”

Townsend relished the challenge of getting back on top after some heavy Fiji tackling foiled most of Scotland’s first-half attacks.

“I said to the squad at half-time, it’s a great test for us,” he said. “We want tests of not just how we change things tactically or stick with what we’re doing, we want tests where we have to come back.

“It’s easy in hindsight when you win. But that’s what I felt at half-time.”

Townsend, whose side have now won five of their last seven matches, added: “There was a period in that final 10-15 minutes, probably the best we’ve defended over the last three weeks.

“Defensive set after defensive set, coming up with line speed, coming up with big tackles, forcing Fiji into touch against one of the most dangerous attacking sides in the world.

“The team responded really well on the back of a long season, a long tour. We’ll get a lot of benefits from that and evidence for the players that they can find ways to win.”