Scotland vs Australia LIVE rugby: Result and reaction after hosts secure statement victory over Wallabies
Scotland 27-13 Australia: Three second-half tries powered the hosts away as they dashed the Wallabies’ hopes of a grand slam tour
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Your support makes all the difference.Scotland secured a statement victory against Australia to mark a perfect end to their Autumn Nations Series campaign.
Second-half tries from Duhan van der Merwe, Josh Bayliss and Finn Russell powered the hosts away, with Scotland largely controlling affairs after a fast Wallabies start. With their outside backs impressing and forwards standing up well to the visitors’ physicality, it was a complete performance from Gregor Townsend’s side as they secured a third win of November after previous successes against Fiji and Portugal.
Defeat at Murrayfield ended Australia’s hopes of emulating the achievement of the 1984 side, who swept the four home nations on a grand slam tour. Joe Schmidt’s team showed some of their inexperience, unable to find a route into the game as Scotland denied them opportunities in the broken field to secure a strong home victory.
Re-live all of the action from Murrayfield in our live blog below:
Scotland vs Australia
It is, mercifully, dry at Murrayfield, with the now of yesterday cleared and (in shocking news) the sun shing, warming those in one corner of the grand old ground. What impact will the Wallabies’ lack of training time have?
Scotland vs Australia match officials
Referee: Chris Busby (Ireland)
Assistant Referee 1: Andrew Brace (Ireland)
Assistant Referee 2: Eoghan Cross (Ireland)
TMO: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)
FPRO: Matteo Liperini (Italy)
I’m where I’m supposed to be – Scotland’s Sione Tuipulotu happy with career path
Sione Tuipulotu says he could not be more content with the way his career has panned out as he prepares to captain Scotland against the country of his birth when Australia visit Murrayfield.
The 27-year-old begrudgingly left his homeland for Japan in 2018 due to a lack of opportunities and since moving to Glasgow in 2021 he has developed into one of the top centres in the world.
Wallabies scrum-half Nic White said earlier this week of Tuipulotu: “Unfortunately we let him get away, but he’s going to have a point to prove this weekend.”
But the burgeoning back said on Saturday at his captain’s run press conference that he is entirely at ease that he ended up getting international recognition with the nation of grandmother’s birth rather than Australia.
I’m where I’m supposed to be – Scotland’s Sione Tuipulotu happy with career path
Tuipulotu gained international recognition with the nation of grandmother’s birth rather than Australia.
Wing ‘wizard’ Harry Potter has heard all of the jokes before
Any Harry of a certain age has dealt with a comment or two in reference so a certain fictional wizard, but for Harry Potter the problem has obviously been particularly acute. And the wing has heard all the jokes before:
Wing 'wizard' Harry Potter to play for Australia's rugby team. He knows the puns are coming
A rugby player called Harry Potter is set to make his debut for Australia on Sunday
Australia team news
Former Leicester back Harry Potter makes his Australia debut on the wing, while Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii returns to the starting centre pairing after Samu Kerevi’s suspension. The abrasive Carlo Tizzano is given an opportunity on the openside in a back row that also includes returning skipper Harry Wilson. Matt Faessler is a late withdrawal; Brandon Paenga-Amosa starts with Billy Pollard on the bench.
Australia XV: 1 Angus Bell, 2 Brandon Paenga-Amosa, 3 Allan Alaalatoa; 4 Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, 5 Will Skelton; 6 Rob Valetini, 7 Carlo Tizzano, 8 Harry Wilson (captain); 9 Jake Gordon, 10 Noah Lolesio; 11 Harry Potter, 12 Len Ikitau, 13 Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, 14 Andrew Kellaway; 15 Tom Wright.
Replacements: 16 Billy Pollard, 17 Isaac Kailea, 18 Zane Nonggorr, 19 Nick Frost, 20 Langi Gleeson; 21 Tate McDermott, 22 Ben Donaldson, 23 Max Jorgensen.
Scotland team news
Gregor Townsend brings back his first-choice side with only Darcy Graham retained from the starting team that beat Portugal. With no Jack Dempsey due to injury, Jamie Ritchie comes in to the back row as Matt Fagerson slides across to number eight, and Scott Cummings returns from his one-match ban after being sent off against South Africa.
Scotland XV: 1 Pierre Schoeman, 2 Ewan Ashman, 3 Zander Fagerson; 4 Grant Gilchrist, 5 Scott Cummings; 6 Jamie Ritchie, 7 Rory Darge, 8 Matt Fagerson; 9 Ben White, 10 Finn Russell; 11 Duhan van der Merwe, 12 Sione Tuipulotu (captain), 13 Huw Jones, 14 Darcy Graham; 15 Blair Kinghorn.
Replacements: 16 Dylan Richardson, 17 Rory Sutherland, 18 Will Hurd, 19 Alex Craig, 20 Josh Bayliss; 21 George Horne, 22 Tom Jordan, 23 Kyle Rowe.
Scottish snow poses problems for Wallabies
Australia have had limited training this week due to frozen pitches ahead of their Autumn international clash with Scotland at Murrayfield on Sunday, but are hoping their red hot form can take them to a Grand Slam finish to the year.
The Wallabies have had an up and down season, but beat England 42-37 in their tour opener and followed that up with a comprehensive 52-20 victory over Wales as they go into their clash with Scotland bristling with confidence.
“Our plan was to get up here (Edinburgh) and train Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday,” coach Joe Schmidt told reporters. “As it happened, we’ve been quite limited in what we’ve done.
“The grounds are frozen but Scottish Rugby were super today (Friday), they let us train at Murrayfield so we could actually get a session on the grass. Hopefully that sharpens the boys for Sunday.”
Gregor Townsend wants statement win to boost Scotland’s Six Nations bid
Gregor Townsend has challenged Scotland to set themselves up for the Six Nations by defeating Australia today.
The Scots have defeated a second-string Fiji side and Portugal this month either side of a spirited display in a 32-15 defeat by South Africa.
Now Townsend wants to see his team sign off their autumn series with a statement victory over a resurgent Wallabies side.
Gregor Townsend wants statement win to boost Scotland’s Six Nations bid
Australia are the final visitors of the Autumn Nations Series on Sunday.
Scotland’s Tuipulotu brothers surprised by grandmother’s arrival from Australia
Mosese Tuipulotu revealed he and brother Sione were taken by complete surprise after their Greenock-born grandmother made a secret journey from Australia to Edinburgh to watch them represent Scotland this weekend.
Scottish Rugby released a video on Wednesday afternoon showing the emotional moment the siblings – who thought they were going to meet a fan – walked into the dressing-room at Murrayfield on Tuesday to find 77-year-old Jacqueline Thomson, who had been flown over by Skyscanner, Scotland’s official travel partner.
Jacqueline, who left Scotland when she was a child, is the reason both players are eligible for the national team.
Scotland’s Tuipulotu brothers surprised by grandmother’s arrival from Australia
Glasgow centre Sione Tuipulotu will captain the Scots in their final Autumn Test against Australia.
Warren Gatland admits to uncertainty over future after Wales suffer 12th straight defeat
Warren Gatland wasn’t totally unequivocal when commenting on his future afterwards, with a review set to begin in the coming days and some difficult conversations to be had:
Gatland admits to uncertainty over future after Wales suffer 12th straight defeat
A heavy defeat to South Africa condemned Gatland’s young side to a winless 2024
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