Scotland take a big step forward with third win over Wallabies
Att: 67,144
If a good team make their own luck, then a Scotland side playing in front of a Murrayfield crowd for the first time in almost two years must be teetering on the brink of greatness.
This was a match they could so easily have lost, yet instead their discipline and self-confidence, leavened with a succession of Australia mistakes, saw them come from behind, a Finn Russell penalty 10 minutes from time ending the visitors’ five-match unbeaten run and making it three wins in succession against the Wallabies.
“There has been a calmness around the group,” said head coach Gregor Townsend. “That comes from some big performances, and we needed those calm heads during that second half. It was very pleasing to get the win. Our coaching box was more emotional than normal. Having crowds back really hit us.”
The home side benefited from a missed early penalty by James O’connor and two Wallabies tries chalked off for stupid off-the-ball offences, but Scotland not only picked up where they left off in Paris in March, but also suggested they have improved their strength in depth. Impressive debuts from hooker Ewan Ashman and flanker Josh Bayliss, and assured contributions from new boys Pierre Schoeman, Jamie Hodgson and Kyle Steyn, augur well.
Townsend often talks about international rugby offering the chance to create memories, and the most vivid takeaway from this entertainingly competitive encounter was Ashman’s wonderful score in the corner as he twisted in mid-air while being smashed into touch by Izaia Perese.
The 21-year-old’s maturity was astonishing after he made the bench late in the week and was then called into action after George Turner’s ribs took a pummelling in the 10th minute. His line-out throwing was almost flawless, and he was a forceful presence in the loose, especially defending the back of the line-out.
Ashman was Scotland in miniature: assured, confident, unafraid to play, and doggedly hanging in there when things got tough, which they did for long periods against Dave Rennie’s men. Six of the past seven matches between these two sides have been won by less than a converted score, and from referee Romain Poite’s first whistle it was clear that this one was going to be nip-and-tuck.
Scotland, though, were consistently innovative and played at tempo. Behind the scrum captain Stuart Hogg made several clear breaks, Russell threw a succession of outrageous offloads, inside centre Sam Johnson ran with such aggression that he concussed tighthead Taniela Tupou.
Up front Scotland’s scrum and line-out had a clear edge and impressive flankers Jamie Ritchie and Hamish Watson turned the tackle zone into a battlefield.
Not that Scotland had it their own way, far from it. But they had already had two line-out drives halted when they won a line-out in Australia’s 22 midway through the first half. This time instead of an eight-man shove, Ritchie rose and fed a breakaway pod while in mid-air, the mini-maul driving Watson over for a wonderfully innovative score designed by forwards coach John Dalziel.
Australia were giving as good as they got but were undone by their indiscipline twice in five minutes, with two tries disallowed for petty offences. The first came on the halfhour when wing Tom Wright’s try was chalked off for an off-the-ball tackle by Hunter Paisami on Watson.
If that was needless and costly, Allan Alaalatoa’s swinging arm to the defenceless Matt Fagerson’s head at a ruck seconds before Michael Hooper’s try was madness. It could have been worse.
The arm to head with force could have merited a red, but only earned
him a yellow card. If Rennie was visibly seething in the coaches’ box at his side’s profligacy, at least an O’connor penalty on the stroke of half-time after Matt Fagerson went off his feet at a ruck got Australia off the mark.
Moments after the break, and with the visitors still down to 14 men, Australia then took the lead when flanker Rob Leota crashed over after good carrying from Perese.
When Schoeman’s pass put Ashman over in the corner after Scotland were three times awarded a penalty and each time chose a scrum, it was a stunning reward for their assurance and self-confidence. Yet still they could not shake Australia, as another O’connor penalty after Watson went off his feet gave them a one-point lead.
But Scotland were to have the last word when their pack drew yet another scrum penalty with barely 10 minutes to play and Russell stroked the ball over. They might even have extended their lead, but have little time to rest on their laurels with the arrival of world champions South Africa imminent. Yet after this win, Scotland can approach even that daunting prospect with a new level of confidence.
Scores 5-0 Watson try 5-0, 7-0 Russell con , 7-3 O’connor pen, 7-8 Leota try, 7-10 O’connor con, 12-10 Ashman try, 12-13 O’connor pen, 15-13 Russell pen.
Scotland S Hogg (capt); D Graham (K Steyn 60), C Harris, S Johnson (A Hastings 72), D van der Merwe; F Russell, A Price (G Horne 71); P Schoeman (J Bhatti 65), G Turner (E Ashman 11), Z Fagerson (O Kebble 65), S Skinner (J Hodgson 62), G Gilchrist, J Ritchie, H Watson (J Bayliss 71), M Fagerson.
Australia A Kellaway; T Wright (K Bea , 65), L Ikitau, H Paisami, J Petaia (I Peres 40); J O’connor, N White (T Mcdermot 65); J Slipper (Alaalatoa 64), F Fainga’a (C Mcinerney 73), A Alaalatoa (A Bell 55), R Arnold (W Skelton 50), I Rodda, R Leota (P Samu 60), M Hooper (capt), R Valetini (T Tupou 37 (A Bell, 43-45)).
Referee Romain Poite (France).