15. Stuart Hogg: 6
It was wild and loose, to put it mildly.  Mesmerising first half break was nothing less than everyone expects, but the calamitous pass bulleted somewhere in the direction of Tim Visser’s knees was a big mistake at a crucial time.

14. Sean Maitland: 6.5
Typically classy if understated performance, and read Russell’s half-break well for his try.

13. Mark Bennett: 7.5
A number of promising runs in the first half, before the USA’s inspired physicality put paid to Scotland’s chaotic and rather lateral attacking endeavours.  A real threat, along with his back-line colleagues, after half-time.

12. Peter Horne: 6
Unable to show the full extent of his talents.  He will never be a viable crash-ball option (although Scotland gave it a go at one point) but could not assert himself either in the linking role he performs so effectively for Glasgow.  Pending the severity of Russell’s injury, Horne could conceivably start as a fly-half, but Matt’s Scott excellent contribution from the bench, full of hard angles, ends the debate at 12.

11. Tim Visser: 6
Finished a simple try well, and would have had two but for Hogg’s unsympathetic delivery.  Likely behind Maitland and Lamont for next week.

10. Finn Russell: 7.5
His first half was mixed, but orchestrated things in his usual swashbuckling style thereafter.  His kicking from hand found real distance, and by running hard at the US line he created space for others.  Simply put, it would be disastrous if his injury as serious.

9. Henry Pyrgos: 6
Having performed exceptionally in the warm-up matches, this was a step backwards.  Scotland lacked control in the first-half, although Pyrgos was always a threat around the fringes.

1. Ryan Grant: 6.5
His talents as a ball-carrying prop were fulfilled in this match, but only achieved parity in the scrum.  Given the hooking situation, this was not enough.  Substituted at half time.

2. Ross Ford: 6
The glaring issue is that he cannot hook the ball.  There have been a number of times since new scrums laws came in two years ago that the ball has remained motionless beneath the Scotland scrum.  How can they win possession when, as will be the case against the Springboks, the scrum is either under serious pressure or retreating?  The current Scottish approach is entirely reliant on the referee not penalising crooked feeds.

3. Jon Welsh: 6
As with Ryan Grant, parity in the scrum was as good as it got.  Nel’s contribution off the bench showed what Scotland were missing.

4. Grant Gilchrist: 6.5
A strong carrying game, some of them in unusually wide channels, before he departed injured after 18 minutes.

5. Richie Gray: 6.5
Looked very much up for it, and his speed and precision in hitting rucks was welcome.  Line-out struggled at times in the first half.

6. Alasdair Strokosch: 6
Lead the tackle statistics, and did nothing wrong, aside from giving away a crippling lineout penalty for exactly the same offence as David Denton’s against Italy at Murrayfield.  In contrast to their opponents, Scotland were by and large unable to put pressure on opposition possession at the breakdown.  Given the importance of that contest to the Scottish game-plan, the back-row balance in the Scotland squad is manifestly wrong.

7. Ryan Wilson: 7.5
An industrious and commendable first-half in which he was far more conspicuous than against the Japanese and one of Scotland’s leading forwards.  But in no circumstances is he the open-side who might have smoothed the path to victory.

8. Josh Strauss: 7.5
Subdued in the first half, but grew into the game and was dominant by the end.  His surge and offload for Visser’s try was reminiscent of the kind of impact he has every week at Glasgow.  In line for a start next week – and his dexterity and poise at the base of the scrum surely means it is at eight and not six.

Replacements: 8.5:
The bench made a huge difference. Matt Scott added vigour to the Scottish backline, Laidlaw a calmer hand.  Duncan Weir played with real determination and took his try well.  Most of all, the front row gave real stability to the scrum and Willem Nel was outstanding in the loose.

By Charlie King (@CharlescpKing)

Photo by: Patrick Khachfe / Onside Images