50 FABULOUS SCOTLAND AUSTRALIA 53 24
Barclay hails Townsend’s ‘chaos’ theory as Scots make history against the Aussies
CAPTAIN John Barclay last night hailed Gregor Townsend’s ‘chaotic’ brand of rugby after Scotland finished off their autumn series with a record eight-try thumping of Australia.
It was the Scots’ biggest score against the Wallabies, or any other Tier-One nation, in their history. The resounding victory came after the shock of losing Lions full-back Stuart Hogg, who was forced to pull out during the warm-up with a hip injury he suffered against the All Blacks last weekend.
Byron McGuigan came in for his second cap and first Test start, and duly scored two tries and was
THERE was a moment in the second half when Huw Jones waltzed around his opposite man and scored the fifth of Scotland’s eight tries, when it felt as if we were watching a Scotland team from a different era.
The feeling was enhanced by the stadium PA blasting out the Bay City Rollers’ classic Shang-A-Lang and the capacity crowd dancing in the stands.
This was not only Scotland’s tenth victory over Australia and second in the same year, but the first almighty hammering of a big-three nation and record score against a Tier One team, and the day Gregor Townsend’s team announced themselves as a genuine world player.
Australia were below their best, at the end of a tough season, and their challenge stiffened with the loss of tighthead-prop Sekope Kepu to a red card, with the Wallabies ahead towards the end of the first half.
But Scotland’s performance was so commanding, accurate and clinical thereafter that it was difficult to see anything other than the hosts emerging as convincing winners.
After a big win against Samoa was dented by defensive failings, and a terrific performance fell just short of a first All Blacks scalp, Scotland came into their final Test match of the year determined to show they could back up fine attacking displays, crucially, in a victory.
They lost their best player of the year Stuart Hogg before the game to a hip injury suffered against New Zealand. He thought he had shaken it off until pain set in as he warmed up with kicks yesterday.
After a ferocious opening six minutes from Australia, Murrayfield was eerily quiet.
However, off the back of a strong and accurate forwards display, dominance at the breakdown and world-class service and variety from half-backs Ali Price and Finn Russell, Scotland went on to run the Wallabies — a team that beat New Zealand only a few months ago — ragged.
Australia, for their part, had come north from a late shellacking at Twickenham, determined to prove that they had suffered more at the hand of the match officials than England.
But after pulling themselves back into the game with two tries in three minutes from Tevita Kuridrani, Kepu shot them in the foot with a dangerous shoulder charge to Hamish Watson’s face at a ruck that left French referee Pascal Gauzere with little option but to produce the red card.
Scotland scored eight tries, with Byron McGuigan leading the way with two on his first start, drafted into the team as a late replacement for Hogg. Sean Maitland shifted to full-back and McGuigan, enjoying a new lease of life at Sale, stepped into his No 11 jersey.
At that stage, there was concern in the ranks. But come an hour later, the pre-match drama had been forgotten as tries rolled in.
McGuigan scored the first with neat footwork and a nice bounce of the ball to beat Reece Hodge. He was denied a second only by the TMO and Will Genia’s hand.
The first half finished with fireworks as Kuridrani’s quickfire double — a glimpse of the quality of one of Super Rugby’s most lethal finishers — was followed by Kepu’s red card.
Scotland duly showed their clinical side, kicking the penalty to touch and driving the lineout to the Aussie line, where the elusive Price broke and reached his hand over to score.
The Wallabies came out firing at the start of the second half, exposing slow defence, and full-back Kurtley Beale finished off a concerted period of pressure three minutes in by battering between Watson and Russell to go over for another try, levelling the match at 17-17.
But that was the last time Australia had a real sniff as the Scottish attack revved up again. The scrum rolled the Wallabies on their heels, Jonny Gray inspired the Scottish lineout and deflated the visitors while the decibel level at Murrayfield rose to a new high.
After a scrappy period of play on halfway, McGuigan seized a loose ball to feed Maitland on halfway and he raced to the left-hand corner to score after 45 minutes. New prop Jamie Bhatti then announced himself with a storming 30-metre run that ended with Gray running in behind the posts. Zander Fagerson, the other half-time frontrow replacement, emulated Bhatti with a terrific break. A few minutes later, Jones beat Samu Kerevi for pace after a quick tap-and-go caught out the visitors in front of their posts — and Scotland soared to an unassailable 34-17 lead.
Even referee Gauzere called Scotland back from another quick tap, laughing as he said ‘you’re playing too much rugby’.
The stadium rose and afforded Australia captain Stephen Moore a standing ovation as he was substituted in his final match. Then Scotland carried on with Maitland delivering the final pass for McGuigan to dive into the corner.
Australia had one final response, with Lukhan Tui touching down with 12 minutes to go.
However, Scotland simply pushed the foot back to the floor with a storming finish in which skipper John Barclay battered his way through tackles to score.
With Beale yellow-carded for denying McGuigan a third try by throwing the ball off the field, Stuart McInally, back on for the injured Fraser Brown, ended another superb lineout maul by diving down for Scotland’s eighth score.
The PA music was on form at the finish too, launching into The Proclaimers’ 500 Miles, which begins with the line: ‘When I wake up…’
But the score will be the same this morning as it was when Barclay was handed the Hopetoun Cup by HRH Princess Anne at full-time, as this was not a dream.
Scotland were not faultless, some will wonder ‘what if Australia played with 15 throughout’ and Townsend insisted that his team will be seeking improvement for the 2018 Six Nations Championship.
But, make no mistake, we are in a new era for Scottish rugby.