SCOTLAND coach Vern Cotter hailed his side's initiative against the United States after claiming a scrappy 24-6 win in testing conditions in his first game in charge.

Scotland scored three tries, one a penalty try, but the New Zealander knows what he has to do to forge a rugby team to challenge a better side than the US.

"There was initiative all over the park, that was important," said Cotter, who will run the side to the next World Cup.

But Cotter was not hiding that this game was scrappier than most and was in no doubts about what to do next in training.

"We will come back to basics, we will come back to simple things and doing them well," he said. "We will come back to kick-offs and making sure we get out of our half with the least pressure.

"We can improve our lineout, improve our defence, improve everything. That was our first run together and we can take something from it."

Among the positives was that four of the six uncapped players in the squad got a run out. All put in an impressive shift.

The pick was probably Glasgow Warriors fly-half Finn Russell, who played like a seasoned veteran.