Daily Mail

TALK OF THE TOWN

Gregor is taking hot Scots to a new level

- ROB ROBERTSON at Murrayfiel­d

IT SPEAKS volumes for this Scotland team that the only disappoint­ment from the autumn Test series is that it is over. Next weekend there will be no massed ranks heading for Murrayfiel­d. Fans will have to wait until the Six Nations next year before savouring such excitement again.

When it comes, the support will travel on a heady wave of

optimism and anticipati­on. For this is a Scotland land team standing on the he edge of greatness.

Vern Cotter laid d the foundation­s. Gregor Townsend has built on them. The Scotland coach has created a team in his own image. He played on the edge. So do his s team. And that exciting ity brand of rugby is why the fans have bought ought into the Townsendd era in such numbers.

Sold-out signs against New Zealand and Australia were expected. But more than 67,000 to watch Samoa? That tells its own remarkable story.

Even Australia head coach Michael Cheika appreciate­d the talent of the opposition. Cheika had no complaints about the first- half red card shown to Sekope Kepu for a shoulder charge on Hamish Watson that left his side badly wounded. Cheika accepted the Wallabies had been beaten by a better side. ‘ Scotland are advancing,’ he said. ‘They have beaten us twice in six months and are climbing the world rankings. They could be up to fifth when the rankings come out this week and that is a reflection on their play. ‘Vern Cotter brought the Scotland team a long way and now Gregor has brought some different and special things into the set-up.’ This was Scotland’s highest score against another tier-one nation and the most points recorded against any southern hemisphere side. The history books needed to be rewritten.

Victory was achieved against a background of losing full back Stuart Hogg to a hip injury just 25 minutes before kick-off.

Townsend knew Hogg was a doubt because he had been carrying the injury in training. As crisis management goes, the Scotland coach passed this latest test with flying colours.

Sean Maitland moved to full back from the wing. Byron McGuigan came off the bench on to the wing. Both turned out to be among Scotland’s heroes. The home side scored eight tries and Maitland’s second-half effort was the pick of the bunch. Hogg would have been proud of it himself.

And as for McGuigan? Well, he was released by Glasgow Warriors three years ago — by Townsend. Now he scored two tries on his first start for Scotland under the man who let him go.

‘I was young and wanted to play every week and it didn’t happen at Glasgow,’ said McGuigan, now at Sale Sharks. ‘Even after that I always remained hopeful I would get called up one day and it has happened under Gregor. It is a privilege to be here. There is something special brewing.’

Naysayers will claim the outcome would have been very different if Kepu had not been shown a red card just before the break, when Australia were two points ahead.

Don’t listen. It would not have affected the outcome, only the score. Such is the quality in this Scotland team that nothing is going to stop them.

SCOTLAND: McGuigan; Seymour, H Jones, Horne (Burleigh 62min), Maitland; Russell, Price (Pyrgos 67); Marfo (Bhattie 41), McInally, Berghan (Fagerson 41); Gilchrist (Toolis 54), J Gray; Barclay, Wilson, Watson (Du Preez 67). Sub not used: Brown.

AUSTRALIA: Beale; Koroibete (Speight 68), Kuridrani, Kerevi (Hunt 62), Hodge; Foley, Genia (Phipps 58); Sio (Faulkner 71), Moore (Polota-Nau 60), Kepu; Simmons, Enever (Tui 54); McCalman (Tupou 54), McMahon, Hooper. Sub not used: Timani. Sent Off: Kepu 39. Sin bin: Beale 80. Referee: Pascal Gauzere (France).

 ?? CRAIG BROUGH ?? Crunch: John Barclay scores and (inset) Sekope Kepu charges Hamish Watson, which saw him sent off
CRAIG BROUGH Crunch: John Barclay scores and (inset) Sekope Kepu charges Hamish Watson, which saw him sent off
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