Portugal beaten but not disgraced by Scotland in rugby loss at Murrayfield

EDINBURGH, Scotland (AP) — Portugal conceded nine tries and wasn’t disgraced in a 59-21 loss at Scotland on Saturday in its latest meeting with a top-tier opponent in the wake of its breakthrough performance at last year’s Rugby World Cup.

It was looking ugly for Os Lobos when Scotland flew ahead 33-0 by the 38th minute at Murrayfield.

However, Portugal held its own in the second half and finished with three tries, one coming from scrumhalf Samuel Marques after the Scotland scrum went backward in front of its posts. Marques, 36 next month, came out of retirement for new coach Simon Mannix.

The Portuguese are getting more chances at the top level after a World Cup campaign in which they drew with Georgia and beat Fiji for their first ever win in the sport’s biggest tournament.

They played world champion South Africa in Bloemfontein in July, losing 64-21, and gained more experience against the Scots, who rebounded from a 32-15 loss to the Springboks last weekend.

In a Scots side of 14 changes, Arron Reed scored two of their tries, both through razor-sharp finishes down the left wing in the second half. Will Hurd, Stafford McDowall, Darcy Graham, Josh Bayliss, Jamie Bhatti and Jamie Dobie also went over, while there was a penalty try.

Graham’s try was a beauty as he sidestepped and darted through Portugal’s defensive line and it took him to 29 for Scotland, tying fellow winger Duhan van der Merwe’s national record.

Luka Begic, in first-half stoppage time, and Raffaele Storti were Portugal’s other try-scorers.

Freddy Douglas, 19, came on as a back-row replacement in the second half and became Scotland's youngest debutant for the men's team since 1963. It was his first professional match, too.

Scotland opened the autumn campaign by beating Fiji 57-17, while Portugal lost to the United States 21-17 last weekend.

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

Scotland's Ben Muncaster, left, is tackled during the Autumn Nations series rugby union match between Scotland and Portugal at the Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium, in Edinburgh, Scotland, Saturday Nov. 16, 2024. (Jane Barlow/PA via AP)

Scotland's Darcy Graham breaks free to score his side's fourth try of the game during the Autumn Nations series rugby union match between Scotland and Portugal at the Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium, in Edinburgh, Scotland, Saturday Nov. 16, 2024. (Jane Barlow/PA via AP)

Portugal's Samuel Marques clears the ball during the Autumn Nations series rugby union match between Scotland and Portugal at the Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium, in Edinburgh, Scotland, Saturday Nov. 16, 2024. (Jane Barlow/PA via AP)

Portugal's Antonio Rebelo de Andrade wins the ball in a lineout during the Autumn Nations series rugby union match between Scotland and Portugal at the Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium, in Edinburgh, Scotland, Saturday Nov. 16, 2024. (Jane Barlow/PA via AP)

Portugal's Antonio Rebelo de Andrade wins the ball in a lineout during the Autumn Nations series rugby union match between Scotland and Portugal at the Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium, in Edinburgh, Scotland, Saturday Nov. 16, 2024. (Jane Barlow/PA via AP)

Scotland's Tom Jordan, center, is tackled by Portugal's Tomas Appleton during the Autumn Nations series rugby union match between Scotland and Portugal at the Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium, in Edinburgh, Scotland, Saturday Nov. 16, 2024. (Jane Barlow/PA via AP)

Scotland's Arron Reed, right, passes the ball to team-mate Darcy Graham to score his side's fourth try of the game during the Autumn Nations series rugby union match between Scotland and Portugal at the Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium, in Edinburgh, Scotland, Saturday Nov. 16, 2024. (Jane Barlow/PA via AP)

Scotland score their third try of the game, via a penalty try during the Autumn Nations series rugby union match between Scotland and Portugal at the Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium, in Edinburgh, Scotland, Saturday Nov. 16, 2024. (Jane Barlow/PA via AP)

ISLAMABAD (AP) — A gas cylinder explosion early Sunday after a wedding reception at a home in Pakistan’s capital killed at least eight people, including the bride and groom, police and officials said.

The blast occurred as guests who had gathered to celebrate the couple were sleeping at the house, causing part of the house to collapse, according to the Islamabad police. Seven people were injured.

In a statement, police said the explosion occurred in a residential area in the heart of the city. A government administrator, Sahibzada Yousaf, said authorities were alerted about the blast early Sunday and officers are still investigating. He said some nearby homes were also damaged.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief over the loss of lives and offered condolences to the victims’ families, according to a statement from his office. He directed health authorities to ensure the injured receive the best possible treatment and ordered a full investigation.

Many Pakistani households rely on liquefied petroleum gas cylinders because of low natural gas pressure, and such cylinders have been linked to deadly accidents caused by gas leaks. Police said investigations were ongoing.

Government officials survey the damage of a home caused by a gas cylinder explosion hours after a wedding reception, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ehsan Shahzad)