Scots set to climb to fourth
Tired of being Scotland the brave, now Gregor Townsend’s men are poised to be officially better than Australia for the first time after a stirring 24-19 win over the Wallabies in Sydney.
In a redemption of sorts for a controversial one-point loss to the Wallabies in the 2015 Rugby World Cup quarter-finals, the Scots are set to climb to fourth in the world rankings today, with Australia in danger of slipping from third to as low as sixth.
“We talk about how the Scots are brave and all that sort of stuff but I don’t think we speak enough about the skills that the guys have,” elated captain John Barclay said. “Look at the tries we’re scoring and I think it’s brilliant. I think it’s underplayed sometimes.”
In reality, Scotland’s first two tries, coming from a sloppy intercept pass from Tatafu Polota-Nau and then a charged down kick from Will Genia, were first-half gifts. But Hamish Watson’s match-winner was a gem, the flanker finishing off some beautiful lead-up work and slight of hand from centre Duncan Taylor.
Barclay said the Scots, who also enjoyed an impressive Six Nations campaign, were benefiting from the painful experience of losing to the Wallabies at the death by a point twice in the past two years.
“You can’t deny the fact that we’ve been on the wrong side of a couple of these against the Aussies the last couple of years, so it’s nice to close one out,” he said.
South Africa responded to an early setback with 23 unanswered points, overpowering France 37-15 in the second test yesterday in Durban to win the three-match series with a game to spare. The Springboks shrugged off a third-minute try to France fullback Scott Spedding to eventually score four of their own in their best performance under coach Allister Coetzee.
A depleted England pulled off a 2-0 series win over Argentina after beating the Pumas 35-25 in Santa Fe in the second rugby test yesterday.
England repeated its feat of 2013 by winning both tests in Argentina against a Pumas side that had the benefit of playing as the Jaguares in Super Rugby for four months.
Ireland were too good for Japan, winning 50-22, with a brace of tries each for Keith Earls, Dan Leavy and Jack Conan.
Merab Kvirikashvili scored one of Georgia’s two tries and kicked three penalties and a conversion to help his team hold off the strong-finishing American Eagles 21-17 in their test in Atlanta yesterday.
The US will play Canada in a twogame Rugby World Cup qualifying series in Hamilton, Ontario next weekend and in San Diego on July 1.
In Edmonton, Tongan-born winger Tangimana Fonovai scored two second-half tries to help Romania beat Canada 25-9.
Fonovai crossed a minute after the break and again in the 62nd minute after flanker Viorel Lucaci’s try and an Aurel Vlaicu conversion had given the visitors a 7-6 halftime lead.
First five-eighth Gordon McRorie accounted for all of Canada’s points with three penalty goals.