In what was Scotland’s earliest kick-off of the series, a sluggish start from both sides saw Australia eventually take things by the scruff of the neck with some punishing, probing phase play. The hosts’ defence was anything but porous, although a number of infringements allowed Noah Lolesio to send over a penalty for the game’s opening points [0-3, 11 mins].
Scotland woke from their slumber when Will Skelton jumped too early at a line-out. Finn Russell passed up the chance to level things, choosing instead his own touch-finder, but things petered out from the resulting maul.
If the atmosphere was a little flat, the same couldn’t be said about the aggression – sometimes overspilling – brought from both sides.
Scotland did get the opportunity to tie things at three apiece after Joseph Suaalii was offside, Tom Wright adding 10 metres for impudence, but Russell’s penalty crashed off the posts and was remarkably held by Aussie skipper Harry Wilson to mark for a 22.
If the game’s build-up had been dominated in parts by a certain grandmother making it over to see Sione Tuipulotu captain his country, then Jacqueline Thomson was rightly thrilled at the match’s first try.
From a well-worked line-out, the captain himself thundered over for his third Scotland try, Russell converting to get the home side up and running [7-3, 21mins].
There were niggles aplenty, the game’s first proper flashpoint coming when Suaalii went for a cruncher of a tackle on Tuipulotu, only to have to leave the field himself for what looked like a nasty arm/pectoral injury.
Scotland again had a simple three-pointer in their gift when Australia didn’t roll away at a ruck but once more they refused and the line-out that followed went awry via a knock-on.
It was a bruising opening 40 minutes, filled with intrigue as much as the hefty collisions and no fewer than 12 penalties conceded. There may have only been one side in it territorially, particularly from the opening quarter onwards, but with four points of a difference, Scotland’s lead was a nervy one.
Half-time: Scotland 7-3 Australia
If the first half was a slow-burner, the second sprung into life from the off as Scotland regathered Blair Kinghorn’s kick-off and drew an offside penalty. Russell went for the corner again and the line-out was adjudged not straight but from a similar penalty moments later, the kick was landed as Scotland’s stand-off passed 400 international points [10-3, 43 mins].
The Wallabies responded in kind in winning a jackal penalty which Lolesio dispatched [10-6, 46 mins].
Another flashpoint came soon after. After Zander Fagerson collected the ball in his own half from the deck, the ball went wide through Huw Jones, then Kinghorn, before Ben White raced onto it in a thrilling counter attack. He tried to chip Tom Wright, who drew the ire of the Murrayfield crowd with an apparent shoulder barge, but TMO Ben Whitehouse suggested no foul play.
If they were aggrieved, the hosts responded in the best possible way.
Darcy Graham went close on the right, then Ewan Ashman up the middle, before Duhan van der Merwe was put in by Kinghorn for his 30th Scotland try; a re-taking of a record he might dovetail with Graham on for a while yet. Russell’s sublime touchline conversion added another two [17-6, 50 mins].
Australia tried to reply swiftly again and with excellent field position, their attacking line-out malfunctioning by way of a colossal defensive shift which reaped a scrum for a held-up maul, then a scrum penalty to boot.
Scotland then scored an absolute belter to further their lead. From a line-out just inside the Wallabies’ half, Jones somehow gathered a Russell pop and fed Graham, who slalomed his way through the flailing Australian defenders.
Graham then had the foresight to get the ball to Josh Bayliss who was stationed wide on the right and the back row, who still had so much to do, finished with the prowess of the winger from whom he received the ball [22-6, 67 mins].
A giddy Murrayfield was barely able to draw breath before another magical moment. Van der Merwe got hold of a ball around 40m out, looked up after beating a couple of men and found Jones, whose pop inside to Russell saw the stand-off gleefully fly over for his ninth international try [27-6, 72 mins].
Australia gave themselves a glimpse of hope when Harry Potter, after a lengthy deliberation over grounding, scored on debut with Ben Donaldson converting [27-13, 75 mins].
The Wallabies went in search for another before the clock went red, but exceptional Scottish defence at the end of a gruelling set of fixtures held their opponents at bay as they won back the Hopetoun Cup in front of a jubilant support.
Full-time: Scotland 27-13 Australia
Scotland: Blair Kinghorn (Toulouse), Darcy Graham (Edinburgh Rugby), Huw Jones, Sione Tuipolutu (captain) (both Glasgow Warriors), Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh Rugby); Finn Russell (Bath Rugby), Ben White (Toulon); Pierre Schoeman, Ewan Ashman (all Edinburgh Rugby), Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors), Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh Rugby), Scott Cummings, Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh Rugby), Rory Darge, Matt Fagerson (both Glasgow Warriors).
Replacements: Dylan Richardson (Sharks) (for Ashman, 61 mins), Rory Sutherland (Glasgow Warriors) (for Schoeman, 61 mins), Will Hurd (Leicester Tigers) (for Z. Fagerson, 72 mins), Alex Craig (Scarlets) (for Gilchrist, 72 mins), Josh Bayliss (Bath Rugby) (for Darge, 64 mins), George Horne (Glasgow Warriors) (for White, 64 mins]. Unused: Tom Jordan, Kyle Rowe (both Glasgow Warriors).
Australia: Tom Wright, Andrew Kellaway, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Len Ikitau, Harry Potter; Noah Lolesio, Jake Gordon; Angus Bell, Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Allan Alaalatoa, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Will Skelton, Rob Valetini, Carlo Tizzano, Harry Wilson (captain).
Replacements: Billy Pollard, Isaac Kailea, Zane Nonggorr, Nick Frost, Langi Gleeson, Tate McDermott, Ben Donaldson Max Jorgensen.
Referee: Chris Busby (IRFU)
Assistant referees: Andrew Brace and Eoghan Cross (both IRFU)
TMO: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)
FPRO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)
Attendance: 67,144
Player of the Match: Blair Kinghorn
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