Scotland 15-12 Australia: Nations Championship rugby union – as it happened

Key events

Match report

Luke McLaughlin was up in Edinburgh for us and he’s filed his report.

Not a classic, but Scotland have their win.

Thanks for keeping us company.

Hope you enjoyed all the rugby this weekend.

Gregor Townsend has his say

When we saw the rain half an hour before kick off, you still hope you’ll be able to move the ball. You could tell defences were coming off the line a bit quicker, knowing they could pressure the ball carrier.

Both teams had to adjust and I thought we did that well. Defensively, that’s one of the best performances I’ve seen in the last couple of years. Set after set we were putting them under pressure.

We were on that edge of physicality but disciplined, hitting hard in the tackle, putting pressure on, listening to the referee, getting back onside. That makes it hard for the opposition to get into our 22m, which was a learning from last week.

It was just constant effort. Today, we showed we can play another game, too.

Oh, that also means that Scotland retain the Hopetoun Cup.

The what?

Established in 1998, it is named after John Hope, 7th Earl of Hopetoun who was the former Governor-General of Australia and presided over the Federation of Australia in 1901.

Just heard that Tom English, the BBC Scotland’s chief sports writer, describe it as such:

“A really dreary game of rugby. A hard watch.”

Couldn’t agree more. That really was horrid.

Rory Darge, today’s skipper and player of the match, speaks

It was some shift from the boys. We knew Australia would respond from last week. We wanted to respond on the physical side of things, and we did.

It was a bit of an arm wrestle. Conditions played a part in that. It was a battle of the defences.

It was a tough week. We were really disappointed after last week. We got the chance to put it right and it was a good step in the right direction.

Scotland move above Wales into fourth in the Northern Hemisphere table.

Australia remain fourth in the southern division, which means these two could play each again at Twickenham in two weeks time.

That’s a good round for the Northern Hemisphere in the Nations Championship with five wins from six matches.

Full results:

Full-time! Scotland 15-12 Australia

Graham bundles Wright into touch and Scotland win it!

Australia found an edge down the left and for a moment it looked as if they’d go coast to coast, but they ran out of room and Scotland’s defence stood up, as it did all day.

They fully deserve that!

TRY! Scotland 15-12 Australia (Jorgensen 80)

A chance for something special? Probably too little too late but that is slick work from the Aussies, with Donaldson taking contact, finding Williams with a basketball-style pass who then shifted it on for Jorgensen who exploded down the right. He didn’t dot down in the corner, instead making the angle for the conversion easier and straighter. The extras are added. But Australia will need to go from their own 22 to pinch this.

Max Jorgensen goes over for Australia at the death. Photograph: Andy Buchanan/AFP/Getty Images

79 min: Jorgensen’s kick from the right touch puts Kinghorn under pressure deep in his own 22, but the fullback does well to mop up and Scotland can secure the ball and clear to their 22 line.

Darge is named player of the match.

77 min: Penalty for Australia and Donaldson gets on with things quickly. He sets up a line-out short of Scotland’s 22 on the right and they drive it up. They simply have to score from this. McDermott makes great ground, he wriggles, steps, jinks, but the off-load behind him to the right doesn’t find Gordon in support.

Penalty! Scotland 15-5 Australia (Russell, 75)

That should do it! A simple swing of Russell’s right boot makes this a 10-point game. Just to the right of the sticks, inside the 22, that’s as close to a gimme as you can get.

74 min: Scotland win a penalty on the deck. Australia not clearing away at the ruck. Three points would take this out of Australia’s reach. Indeed they point to the sticks. Smart move IMO.

73 min: Australia win the scrum on their own 22 down on the left. They go through the hands and make it to the other coast before Wilson flings a no-looker that finds no one. Schoeman comes away with it. Scotland are disjointed but they have it still with Bayliss getting over the gainline inside Aussie’s 22. Can they land the telling blow here? They’re camped within striking distrance…

70 min: Steyn scampers after a teasing box kick and almost gets there, just knocking on. Crucially, though, it’s on Australia’s 22. The Wallabies are stuck in their own patch and can’t escape.

Donaldson comes on for Ikitau, who was pretty ineffective this evening.

69 min: Kinghorn receives a flat pass inside Australia’s 22 and sticks a grubber to the corner. It’s not bad, but just a tad misdirected and it bobble out of the dead goal area. So Wright will have a 22 metre drop out.

67 min: Russell inexplicably doesn’t kick the ball out after Darge won the penalty, but he’ll get another chance as a minute later Scotland win another penalty on the floor Russell makes sure this goes out, sacrificing some metres up field. Scotland will have the line-out short of Australia’s 22 on the left.

66 min: Nine phases from the line-out and Australia have gone backwards by about five metres. Lonergan is smoked by Dobie, but no carrier is winning that gainline. Eleven phases now and still they go backwards. Good hands from Sua’ali’i and Ikitau creates space for Jorgensen down the right but he’s hit hard and soon enough they’re heading backwards again. Seventeen phases. Eighteen. They’re going nowhere. Darge stoops low and makes the steal! That sums it up for me.

63 min: Scotland win the scrum then launch a lovely first phase strike move. Russell on the wraparound but Lonergan is not caught ball watching and hits Russell just as he was loading up a big pass to his left. Then Wright got onto the loose ball and kicked ahead. If it stayed infield he would have had a chance, but it skewed right and went out of touch. Australia with a throw on Scotland’s 22. Can they spark something?

61 min: Another spill in contact, this time by Australia, out on their left wing. On the day the rugby league side lifted a fourth consecutive World Cup, this is really put into context. My goodness, it’s been a tough watch.

59 min: Russell shows a rare bit of quality as he catches a high kick right on the right tram, spins out of a tackle and then off-loads to Dobie back infield. That brings some cheers from the otherwise quiet crowd. Scotland keep the ball and get to work before Dobie box kicks (he’s on for White, by the way). Bayliss, on as well, carries well. Now the crowd is alive. The attack is narrow but big carries means they’re into the Aussie 22. But there’s a turnover! Tupou, all 140kg of him, gets over the ball and makes the steal, winning a penalty in the process.

Correction: The ball went sideways so it’s an Aussie line-out from inside their 22.

57 min: Oh, that was a tight one for Gordon, who was tested under the high ball. Jordan was chasing and almost got there, but the Scottish midfielder spilled it forward. It’ll be a scrum for Australia in their own 22. They just can’t get out at the minute.

56 min: Jorgensen fields a high kick and is soon melted by Graham. But the Aussies retain possession, inside their 22, and have to kick it back. Big territorial win for Scotland as the ball floats out of touch on the 10m line.

54 min: Lonergan hoists a high box from centre field, just outside the 22. It’s a good contestable and Sua’ali’i leaps to grab it. He spills it and Scotland return the kick. Advantage from the knock-on was over (short in my opinion) so Australia get the throw. But soon after Valetini is held up in the tackle and Scotland win the turnover from the maul. Russell and Ashman doubling up in the Aussie battering ram. Australia are getting bossed at the gainline, which explains why they’re going to the boot so often, and why the outside backs have barely had a sniff.

51 min: Australia are looking to keep the ball in hand which is commendable. They’ll get a line-out throw thanks to Gordon’s good touch finder from the penalty that sets up the throw just short of Scotland’s 22.

50 min: Australia get a rumble on the maul, they drive about 15 metres, then it splinters down the blind. Bell finds Lonergan who is bundled out of touch. Scotland take it quickly and Russell kicks, but not out, so Australia come back at them. Thanks Jorgensen kicks but it’s charged, though the Aussies still have it. Strong counter rucking from Scotland threatens to turn the ball over, but they’re a little too exuberant and give away a penalty.

Man, this is a stodgy game.

Darcy Graham and Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii compete for an aerial ball. Photograph: David Rogers/Getty Images

48 min: Scotland look good on the ball until they don’t. Stop start, stop start. Dempsey carries but is isolated and swamped by two Australians, who get over the ball and make the steal.

47 min: An excellent kick from halfway, from Russell’s boot, sets up a line-out about eight short of the Aussie line. But Canham rises highest to steal the ball. He’s having a great game. Lonergan then hoists a clearing box and finds touch between the 22 and halfway.

Yellow card! Australia (Pollard, 46)

45 min: Australia do well to clear from the line-out but Scotland come roaring back. Good hands has the home side on the front foot. Steyn down the right does well to hold off a stiff challenge. Eight phases and they’re once again building around the fringe with Brown carrying. But the ball is knocked loose and Canham comes rushing upfield, he chicken-wings a pass, Australia are coming down the right, Jorgensen has it. The ball is turned over! Brilliant from Ashman, he spotted the chance and took it.

Before Russell takes this penalty kick they’re looking at a high shot from Pollard on Kinghorn. Yup, that’ll be a yellow card. Can have no complaints, just didn’t get low as he made the tackle. Head on head and he’s in the bin.

Billy Pollard goes in the bin. Photograph: Ian MacNicol /Nations Championship/Getty Images

43 min: Sloppy from Australia at the line-out, they jsut gift possession to Scotland. Kinghorn shows some nifty footwork down the left to make space and get over halfway. Jordan finds Jones in midfield, Russell flicks for Kinghorn who rakes a kick to the left corner. A good bounce has it bobble over the touchline deep in the Wallabies 22. Australia will need to win this line-out seven from their own line.

42 min: Better continuity from Australia after the restart before Lonergan kicks. Steyn catches well and is knocked back into his 22 by Potter. Dempsey carries to set up the space for White to box kick towards halfway.

Second half

Room for improvement for both teams.

Gordon gets us going.

Gervasse Green from Sydney has written in:

“Morning Dan, Serious question: is Suaalii even playing? First half almost done, and not a single mention. No tackle? A scything run maybe? Performed well in the pre-match anthem…?”

He’s on the field. But he’s not done anything.

To be fair, not entirely his fault. Ikitau hasn’t exactly lit the place up either. Australia just can’t get their backs in the game. Is that on Gordon? I’m not sure. Is it on the pack? Not sure either. It’s just been a scrappy affair. McReight and Valetini the only men in gold producing so far. Lonergan is having a decent game to be fair.

Not a great half. But Scotland will feel they’re deserve the lead. I certainly feel they deserve the lead.

Two tries – one apiece – chalked off the record. Scotland scored two, Australia one. There were a million knock-ons and spills.

One of those games I’m afraid. So far, at least.

Half-time: Scotland 12-5 Australia

A stodgy half ends with Gordon kicking the ball out, as he attempted to find Jorgensen on the right wing with a cross-field kick.

In truth, that was pretty scrappy from the Aussies, who won the line-out five metres from the line but didn’t do anything with the ball. They were all bunched so close to each other and the defence held. Gordon tried to pick the lock but overcooked his kick.

40 min: Australia on the ball and they lose it. Rinse and repeat in this game. But there’s Fraser McReight who steps in and gets low, fast and furious and accurate, and he wins a penalty on the floor to secure the scrappy ball. First it was Darge to rip from Potter, but McReight is like a hyena, he just sniffs the opportunity. Line-out five out fort Australia. Can they end the half with points?

39 min: Australia almost find an edge as they from the scrum, left to right, and get it ti Wright. He curves his run but is brought down, just, by a diving Dobie. However, there’s a high shot soon after so Australia kick it out, not quite inside Scotland’s 22, for a line-out late in the half.

38 min: Jordan grabs a brilliant catch in the air to give Scotland go forward. Then a couple of big rumbles on has the team in blue cantering through the heart of the Aussie midfield. M Fagerson the latest to do so but he spills in contact. Not the first time I’ve written that. The ball is greasy, but you feel both sides could be doing more to protect the ball.

35 min: They won’t be denied this time! The maul is such a potent weapon in this sport. All the more reason not to give soft penalties at the scrum.

Oh, but was there an Aussie infringment, possible obstruction, in the build up?

Yes, say the refereees, so NO TRY! The lifters at the line-out obstructed the ball and prevented the Scottish pack from having a fair crack at stopping the maul.

Russell hoofs it clear and the home team keep their advantage.

34 min: Z Fagerson brings the maul down illegally. Will he be shown a card? Not this time, but another penalty in the red zone will surely see someone get their marching orders. In that sequence, as Australia tried to work the space, Williamson smoked Wilson.

31 min: Scrum for Australia after a Scottish spill on halfway. Another error from the home pack, but this time it’s a full penalty. Gordon rakes a brilliant kick to the corner to set up a line-out five out. That really is a superb kick and now a great opportunity to hit back immediately.

TRY! Scotland 12-5 Australia (Dempsey, 28)

The Aussie scores against his former team! No denying his allegiances with that meaty carry from close range. Really composed from Scotland after the maul five out was sacked well by the Wallabies. So Scotland went with the pick and go, pick and go. First Ashman, then Fagerson before Dempsey looked up, spotted a crack in the wall, and burrowed over. Russell this time lands the extras from just left of the sticks.

Jack Dempsey scores the second Scotland try! Photograph: Jane Barlow/PA

27 min: Penalty for Scotland after about 10 phases from the line-out. They didn’t go forward much, but for a strong carry from Darge down the opposite end of the pitch. Then Valetini put in a mighty hit on Dempsey that encouraged his mates to come in for the steal, but they did so illegally so Scotland get a chance to kick to the corner, which they do.

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