Return to Oz is a smash hit for Scots hero Taylor

When Duncan Taylor was growing up in Sydney, he used to dream about scoring for a victorious Scotland at the nearby Australian national rugby union stadium.

On Saturday, in front of family and friends, that most unlikely of scenarios came to fruition.

‘I was in Sydney for almost three years as a teenager and it made it special to play here, as it was always a dream in my mind to come back and play,’ said northampton-born Taylor after Scotland’s 24-19 victory.

‘We moved about a bit due to my dad’s work and when I got to Sydney, I loved the beach, loved the lifestyle, loved the people.

‘When I was growing up here to play for Scotland against Australia was pretty far-fetched, but it’s a dream that’s come true.

‘It was great to play in front of friends I made when I was here. They were all here, and a lot of family. That meant the world.

‘To pull a win out the bag was huge and that is up there among my career highlights.’

Taylor nabbed Scotland’s first try and, throughout, the centre kept the Aussie midfield in check with intensity and tackling.

The centre had an injury-hit campaign but he returned at the end of the season to play for Saracens in the european Champions Cup final win over Clermont Auvergne.

his late return to fitness after two ankle operations, one shoulder injury and a hamstring strain has left him fresher than some of the other Scots players.

That showed in the first game against Italy, as he showed his versatility by playing full-back. Against Australia, he was back in his more usual position of centre, where he formed a strong combination with Alex Dunbar.

The pair made some decent breaks, with Taylor anticipating a pass from Aussie hooker Tatafu Polota-nau to score an opportunist try. The 27-year-old also passed to hamish Watson for Scotland’s third.

‘hamish’s try was part of the tactical attacking shape that Gregor has been developing,’ revealed Taylor. ‘We worked on keeping the ball patiently and creating opportunities in the outside channel when they come.

‘Finn Russell has grown so well and he sees everything that unfolds on a rugby pitch at the moment. he threw the right pass, we had a bit of magic from Lee Jones and I had an easy pass to play in hamish to finish.’

Skipper John Barclay says his team should now be recognised for their rugby skills — rather than just their fight.

‘A lot of people talk about the Scots as brave but I don’t think we talk enough about the skills,’ he said. ‘Look at the tries we are scoring. Our skills are brilliant and underplayed sometimes.

‘The guys work extremely hard and we are scoring tries any team would he happy with.’

The victory over Australia after successive single-point defeats in their last two encounters showed to Barclay that his team had also learned how to close out big matches.

‘That win gives us confidence going into the Fiji match,’ he continued. ‘We have come out the wrong side of a couple of these games in the last few years so it is nice to close out one.

‘The Six nations we closed out important ones against Wales and Ireland, so we are getting better at winning tight games.’

Try scorer Watson said the win in Sydney could be the highlight of his career but he wants to back it up with victory over Fiji.

‘It was a great achievement for all the boys, great for Scottish rugby and great for all the fans,’ said the Scotland openside. ‘It was an amazing victory, definitely my career highlight.

‘We scored three good tries but we left a few tries out there.

‘We didn’t look after the ball as well as we should have at times. We are still pretty new to the systems as it’s only Gregor’s second game with the squad.

‘Gregor has come in and he is amazing with the attack stuff. We are trying to get quick ruck ball to make it difficult for other teams and you can see that is working sometimes.

‘When we held the ball the Aussies looked out on their feet at times and they are one of the top teams in the world.

‘An example of that was my try which came from a patient build-up from the boys who made it easy for me to finish it off.

‘It would be fantastic for us to finish our tour with a victory but Fiji have some amazing players.’