Scotland hold off late Australia rally to secure narrow victory

After the pyrotechnics in Paris on Friday and a wondrous Welsh win in Cardiff on Saturday, this was a much more prosaic affair. Not that the stakes were low: both teams badly needed a win, and Gregor Townsend’s side claimed one by dealing with the quintessentially Scottish conditions better than their opponents.Scotland could not afford another patchy performance like last weekend, when they excelled in the first half against New Zealand before capitulating in the second. They edged over the line at a sodden Murrayfield, but might have fallen to a calamitous defeat had Darcy Graham not foiled a last-minute attack by the Wallabies.The home team won the arm-wrestle – just – but the limitations of this Australia side are well known, and the visitors would have hoped for anything but the heavy rain they encountered. They have lost four in a row under Les Kiss and will go to Wales even more desperate for a win.Scotland leapfrog Wales, conquerors of the mighty All Blacks, to move fourth in the northern hemisphere table on points difference. In the context of their campaign this was a pivotal occasion with two wins and two losses on the ledger. A knee injury to the captain, Sione Tuipulotu, prompted a late reshuffle by Townsend: Bristol’s Tom Jordan started at No 12, with the openside flanker Rory Darge taking the armband.Flower of Scotland sung at Murrayfield always stirs the spirit, and as smoke from pre-match fireworks hung in the air the teams set about each other under leaden skies. With eight minutes on the clock Australia repelled Scotland on their try-line but became fatally narrow in defence, allowing Ben White to chuck a pass right for Matt Fagerson to score.Harry Potter’s excellently worked try had the Wallabies back on terms almost immediately: Carter Gordon sparked an attractive attack down the visitors’ left and Fraser McReight supplied the pass for Potter’s excellent sliding finish.Kyle Steyn’s foot in touch led to a Darcy Graham try being disallowed. Photograph: Andy Buchanan/AFP/Getty ImagesThe Australia scrum-half Ryan Lonergan attempted a drop-goal but pulled it. It was a scruffy effort that summed up the mood, and also suggested the players knew points were going to be hard to come by. Graham touched down on 24 minutes, after a clever pop pass by Darge in midfield: but Kyle Steyn had a foot in touch when he tapped a kick inside for his teammate. The second-row Scott Cummings trudged off with what looked a potentially serious injury, Max Williamson replacing him.When Australia were penalised for not rolling away, Russell kicked for the corner, and the No 8 Jack Dempsey burrowed over from short range. Russell’s sweetly hit conversion, making it a seven-point game at 12-5, felt significant. Australia came again. Billy Pollard was pushed over after Gordon kicked a penalty to the corner – but the score was disallowed for obstruction by Jeremy Williams after a check by the television match official. Scotland nursed their seven-point lead to the interval.skip past newsletter promotionafter newsletter promotionPollard’s afternoon got worse five minutes after half-time, when he was sent to the sin-bin for an upright tackle and clash of heads with Blair Kinghorn. It stayed a yellow card, thankfully for the Wallabies and their hooker – but when he returned from his punishment the scoreboard stubbornly remained at that seven-point lead for Scotland.Australia failed to build any continuity in attack, with the talented centre pairing of Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii and Len Ikitau virtually anonymous. Scotland made their tackles and the physical commitment of neither team could be questioned. Inside the final 10 minutes, when Scotland worked into the Australia 22, the visitors were penalised for not rolling away, and a shot at goal was the obvious option. Russell’s kick made it 15-5.Game over? This being Scotland, not so fast. Max Jorgensen’s try was converted by Ben Donaldson at the death and suddenly it was a three-point game, and one final, desperate attack by Australia – that would have meant a disastrous defeat for Townsend and his men – was thwarted by Graham. The right result for Scotland, but only just.