Scotland v USA

Scotland did not merely play the first international rugby match; they won it.

On 27 March 1871, Scotland faced England at Raeburn Place in Edinburgh in what is recognised as the first ever international rugby union match. Scotland won by one goal and one try to England's single try. The fixture was arranged after a challenge was published in the sporting press by five Scottish players, and it established Scotland as one of the founding pillars of international rugby.

A century on, the Americans remain Olympic champions in fifteen-a-side rugby; they just forgot to tell anyone.

At the 1924 Paris Olympics, the United States stunned hosts France 17-3 in the final to claim their second consecutive Olympic rugby gold medal, having also won in Antwerp in 1920. Rugby was then dropped from the Olympic programme, meaning the Americans remain the reigning Olympic champions in the fifteen-a-side format to this day. It is a quirk of sporting history that few Americans know about.

Scotland opened Murrayfield in 1925 by beating England for the Grand Slam; not a bad way to christen a ground.

Murrayfield Stadium opened on 21 March 1925, with Scotland marking the occasion by defeating England 14-11 to claim the Grand Slam. The ground, purchased by the Scottish Football Union in 1922, would become one of rugby's most atmospheric venues. Its current capacity of 67,144 makes it the largest stadium in Scotland and the stage on which most Scotland v USA encounters have been played.

Scotland put 53 points on the board in the very first meeting; the Eagles never really had a look-in.

The two nations finally met in a test match on 25 November 2000 at Murrayfield, during Scotland's autumn international programme. Scotland ran out comfortable 53-6 winners, with the Eagles struggling to contain a dominant Scottish pack. It was a one-sided affair, but it marked the beginning of a fixture that would recur periodically over the following decades.

A 42-point winning margin in San Francisco left little doubt about the gap between the sides.

Scotland travelled to San Francisco in June 2002 for a summer tour fixture against the Eagles. Playing at a sun-drenched Balboa Park, Scotland won 65-23 in a high-scoring encounter. The match demonstrated the growing appetite for international rugby on American soil, even if the result underlined the gap in quality between the two sides.

Scotland put 39 points on the board in Brisbane; the first meeting between these sides to truly mean something.

Scotland and the USA were drawn together in Pool B of the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia. The match took place at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, with Scotland winning 39-15. It was the first time the fixture had carried genuine tournament stakes. Both sides progressed through the pool stages, though Scotland's campaign ended in the quarter-finals against Australia.

Houston, 2014: Scotland won, but the Eagles' defence made them work for every point.

In June 2014, Scotland toured North America and faced the Eagles in Houston, Texas. Scotland won 24-6 in a tighter contest than some of the previous meetings. The match reflected the steady improvement of American rugby, with the Eagles' defence proving far more organised than in earlier encounters. The fixture was part of a broader push to grow the sport's profile in the United States.

Six tries, 44 points; Townsend's Scotland were in no mood to hold back that November afternoon.

Scotland hosted the USA at Murrayfield on 10 November 2018 as part of the autumn international series. Gregor Townsend's side were in imperious form, running in six tries in a 44-15 victory. The match showcased Scotland's attacking flair under Townsend, with Finn Russell pulling the strings at fly-half. For the Eagles, it was a valuable learning experience against a side operating near the top of their game.

Scotland's record stands unblemished for now; a 2031 World Cup on American soil may soon change that calculus.

Scotland v USA remains a fixture that bridges two very different rugby cultures. With Major League Rugby now established in the United States and the sport's profile growing ahead of the 2031 Rugby World Cup (awarded to the USA), the gap between these two sides may narrow in the years ahead. For now, Scotland's record in the fixture is unblemished, but the Eagles' trajectory suggests future meetings will be increasingly competitive.