Although inevitably there was a lot of focus on the ten Scotland debutants in Ottawa, two of the most eye-catching displays in the visitors’ thumping win came from men who had already turned out in their country’s colours.
Only the once, mind, and long enough ago now that both Harry Paterson and Dylan Richardson may have felt they had it all to prove again.
Both were terrific, the Edinburgh back-three man producing some exceptionally deft touches to have a decisive hand in three of the 11 tries and scoring one of the others — his first at this level.
The 23-year-old thus cemented the positive impression he had given of both his attitude and aptitude after having been called into the starting XV on the morning of the France game in this year’s Six Nations when Kyle Steyn’s wife went into labour.
Richardson, meanwhile, made his debut way back in November 2021, when he was still purely a back-row forward. The 25-year-old from near Durban, who qualifies through his Edinburgh-born father, has since transitioned to hooker, and followed in the finest traditions of the Gregor Townsend era by dotting down from a driving maul.
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Richardson also popped up on numerous occasions at either first or second receiver, and helped force open the floodgates after a slow start from the Scots by appearing on the shoulder of Ross Thompson to finish off the fly half’s electric break.
“It’s an amazing feeling. I can’t even explain how amazing it feels,” Richardson told The Times. “The set piece is good in this side so I think I’m definitely going to enjoy it. It’s been s a good positional change for me, one I’ve really been working hard on. I’m looking to try to focus on myself and make sure I put my hand up to try to get into the team.
“Saturday definitely did feel like a second debut. It was super special, super emotional. It’s been a really, really tough couple of years with a lot of injuries. I’m super proud to be here in such an amazing place — the Scottish set-up and everything they do. When I got my cap the last time, all I wanted to do was come back, which made Saturday so special for me.
“I’ve had a lot of nightmares over the last three years about being a one-cap wonder. The injuries have been extremely difficult for me, but at the same time they’ve taught me a lot. I’ve learned and grown from them, and I think they’ve made me a better rugby player. When it’s your opportunity, take it with both hands and that’s what I’m going to try to do.”
The move from back row to front was initially driven by Sean Everitt, when the now Edinburgh head coach was still at the Sharks. John Plumtree took the idea and ran with it in the season just ended, Richardson making four URC starts at hooker in among some injury issues. Against Canada, he was able to flit back to the breakaway unit for the last 25 minutes after Robbie Smith replaced Luke Crosbie.
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“My first professional cap for the Sharks was at hooker, so that’s what I was originally looked at as being,” Richardson said. “Then being able to play flank, I played a couple of games there and wouldn’t go back.
“But now under coach John Plumtree he’s really helped me a lot. Sean Everitt was the one who instilled it in the beginning, but John has really brought it through now and had me focusing on it. I want to be a player who is going out and focusing on being a hooker every week, but I’ll always have that ability to play flank because it just comes naturally to me.
“I’m just working really hard, nailing down my basics. Hooker is a very specialised position, not something you can randomly decide to go out and do on any given day. You have to work on your throwing and your scrums, it’s a very technical position but that’s something I want to work on to make sure I’m nailing it every single time.”
Paterson’s contribution was spectacular, as he once again belied the fact that he has still only made 11 club appearances. He left the Canadian capital with a massive black eye — the result of an inadvertent knee to the face during a ruck — but it was Paterson who shone all night.
“I probably prefer the shorter-notice [build-up], to be fair, but either way it’s been all right. I’ve been able to deal with it OK, I think,” he said with admirable understatement.
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“We had a pretty dodgy start [Canada scoring the game’s first try amid some early pressure] but we reacted really well. Our foot was on their throat for the whole 80, we kept pushing. That was a learning we took from the Six Nations, going ahead in games then letting it slip towards the end. You could see in the last 20 that we kept the foot down this time.
“There are a load of top back-three players in the Scotland squad and with Edinburgh, but all I can do is look at what I’m doing. I’m just trying to focus on myself and learning from the great guys around me.”
Duhan van der Merwe, Kyle Rowe and Steyn are among those who will be chomping at the bit to start against the United States at Audi Field on Friday night, but there is no doubting the appetite for more from both Paterson and Arron Reed, the Sale wing who iced his debut with two lovely tries, the first in the wake of an audacious back-door offload from Paterson.
“Reedy’s rapid, isn’t he?” said the Edinburgh Accies product. “He didn’t get a chance during the Six Nations so I was really looking forward to seeing him get some open space, having seen what he does for Sale. He’s my room mate as well so I’m really chuffed for him. It’s been some week for him having got married last Friday before we left and now his Scotland debut.”
Paterson’s own parents were in Ottawa and are travelling down to Washington DC. Where their overriding feeling will be pride, the rest of us can barely contain our excitement.
