Blair Kinghorn is named player of the match for his huge contributions to a team who have performed brilliantly.
Stand outs for the Scots today were Gilchrist, Ritchie, Zander, Jones and Tuipulotu.
That’s all from us today at Scottish Gas Murrayfield, thank you all for joining us in this final match for the Scots of the Famous Grouse Autumn Nations Series 2024.
A huge period of pressure from Australia to finish the match here.
The clock ticks over the 80 and they are gaining in on the Scottish try line, but the crowd is roaring for the home side to keep them out.
And they do! The ball is deemed unplayable and the scrum given to Scotland, bringing the game to a close, and Scottish Gas Murrayfield into raptures.
As the clock ticks over the 80, Australia are again camped in Scotland’s 22 and inching towards the line with pick and goes.
The crowd, as ever tonight, is right behind the home side. And the biggest roar of the night comes straight after the ball is deemed unplayable and a scrum awarded to Scotland, concluding the game – and Scotland as 14-point winners on the night!
Kick through from McDermott leads to a foot race between George Horne and Harry Potter, and the TMO, upon review, deems the Aussie to have grounded the ball over the whitewash, as if by magic.
Conversion is knocked over by Ben Donaldson – and Scotland’s lead is reduced to 14. (Scotland 27-13 Australia)
A fourth try!
Duhan breaks up the middle, heads right and finds Jones, who passes inside to Kinghorn. Blair does the same and finds Russell who scores. Conversion wide.
Scotland 27-6 Australia
Cummings wins it back after the kick off is cleared, then Kinghorn steps and breaks up the right.
But Australia rip it back in a tackle and clear to their 10m line.
WHAT A FINISH!
Jones somehow holds onto a pass behind him and Graham breaks up the middle. He heads right and passes over the top to Bayliss, who somehow fends off THREE defenders to ground in the corner. Conversion wide.
Scotland 22-6 Australia.
Huge hit from Ritchie causes a knock on, and at the scrum Zander Fagerson wins us the penalty.
Kicked to the halfway line.
Rory Darge and Ben White replaced by Josh Bayliss and George Horne.
Terrifying moment.
The lineout goes awry and Valetini hacks on. Kellaway wins the race and Australia kick to the left corner, but Sione grabs it and marks!
We clear to our 10.
Australia’s ruck-side defenders offside after a carry from Matt Fagerson.
Touch found in the left corner.
As Australia kick to touch on halfway, Rory Sutherland and Dylan Richardson replace Pierre Schoeman and Ewan Ashman.
Australia step across in the scrum this time!
Russell finds touch on our 10.
More excellent maul defence and we get the scrum!
It’ll be around seven metres from the line on our left flank.
Schoeman dives on a ball when he’s not entitled to.
Kicked into the right corner.
Ritchie almost steals it in the air but it goes forward.
Australia scrum just outside our 22.
Matt Fagerson plays the ball while off his feet at the ruck.
Wright finds touch on our 22.
Justice is served, Scotland style.
van der Merwe breaks up the left, then Jones and Graham combine to get us just short on the right.
It goes back to the left where Duhan fights over for a well deserved score. He’s our outright top try-scorer again with 30.
Conversion good.
Scotland 17-6 Australia
Scotland steal it, Kinghorn breaks up the left and offloads to White, who chips over the top into the left corner.
As he goes to chase, he’s hit by the left right shoulder of Tom Wright and collapses in a heap.
The TMO checks it but the officials feel Wright’s entitled to stick a shoulder into White’s chin.
Goal line dropout.
Schoeman penalised again.
Ball finds touch on our 22.
Lovely move from the backs but Graham’s pass is at Kinghorn’s fingernails and he drops it on the left wing when he might well have been away.
Australia scrum just inside our half on our left.
Australia mark a kick from Russell and kick to just inside their half.
Scotland 10-6 Australia
A jackal penalty from kick off and Australia have a kick at goal of their own from the 22 in the middle.
Russell over 400 points for his country, only the fourth Scot to do it.
Scotland 10-3 Australia
Australia chip over the top but there’s a ruck infringement and Finn will kick at goal on the 22 in front of the posts.
Opportunity gone. Australia scrum 10 metres from their line.
Australia not rolling, ball kicked to 10 metres from Australia’s line.
COME ON SCOTLAND!
Kinghorn will soon restart this tight encounter.
Australia take as long as they possibly can to get the ball into the scrum and then kick it out to end the half.
A narrow lead after 40 minutes!
More lineout excellence from Gilchrist and we escape down the left, but Kinghorn gets held up and Australia get the scrum on their 22.
Schoeman penalised at the scrum.
Kicked to touch just inside the Aussies’ half.
Fagerson junior looks for an offload but the ball slips out of his hands.
Australia scrum just outside their 22.
Scotland lineout just outside our visitors’ 22.
The ball goes forward in the lineout, Ashman thinks he’s away but he’s pulled back.
Australia scrum five metres from their line.
Another big phase as Russell finds Jones on the right. Eventually Australia pinged for not rolling and we kick into the left corner.
Huge period of play from Scotland, getting from the edge of their half to a metre short, but the jackal penalty goes Australia’s way.
It’s kicked to just inside their 10.
Tuipulotu is dragged through the middle by his teammates in a maul, but the ball gets stuck and it’s turned over.
Australia scrum on their 22.
That’s what he was brought in to do! Jamie Ritchie wins the jackal penalty.
We’re throwing in around 30 metres from Australia’s line.
Potter finds touch on our 5, we’ll throw in from there.
We handle it well and clear to our 10.
Loose maul from Australia and Gilchrist emerges with the ball!
White finds touch just inside our 10.
Australia gather their kick off and then van der Merwe is caught offside.
Kicked into the right corner.
IN FRONT OF HIS GRAN!
Ashman launches the lineout over the top, and Tuipulotu sprints onto it and barges over! Russell converts.
Scotland 7-3 Australia
Darcy in trouble at a breakdown as he’s isolated but Australia go off their feet.
Lovely touch finder from Finn, into the left corner.
The kick hits the post! Wilson marks it then kicks to touch just inside our half.
Suaalii offside from a kick, and then Wright refuses to give White the ball and he’s sent back 10 additional metres for his actions.
Russell will kick at goal from 35 metres in front of the sticks.
Russell tries to get a quick pass away under pressure, but it’s short and Kinghorn knocks it on.
Australia scrum five metres outside their 22.
Finn Russell finds space in behind with the kick, and Australia boot into touch.
Our lineout just outside the away 22 on our left.
The maul is stopped short, then Russell kicks wide for Graham but it goes dead just before the winger can dive on it.
Australia 22, which they tap short.
A second penalty as Australia jackal illegally.
Back into the left corner.
Australia penalised as Cummings is disrupted in the air.
Kicked into the left corner.
Scotland lineout just inside Australia’s 10 metre line on our left.
Scotland 0-3 Australia
Sione Tuipulotu a bit eager there and he’s offside.
Australia will go for goal. It’s just right of the posts inches inside the 22.
Ashman’s throw is squint.
Aussie scrum 30m from our line, on their left.
Scotland make a mess of the maul and after the tackle is made Darcy Graham gets the jackal penalty.
Kicked to around 30m from our line.
Scott Cummings illegally rebinds in the maul.
Penalty goes into the left corner.
Rory Darge in the side of a ruck.
Penalty is hooked into touch, 30 metres from our line.
Huw Jones would have been through if he could have gathered Russell’s pass, but it goes forward.
Australia scrum just inside their 10.
Pierre Schoeman comes through and grabs a loose ball, and Finn Russell kicks clear.
A couple of kicks each and we get the lineout on Australia’s 10.
Australia come forward and kick in behind, but Huw Jones collects and Ben White kicks to touch.
Aussie lineout just outside our 22.
Duhan van der Merwe can’t collect a very short kick off.
Australia put into the first scrum just inside our half.
COME ON SCOTLAND!!!!
As mentioned earlier, it’ll be Australia kicking off. Lolesio is about to get us going, once the match ball is brought on by former Scotland team doctor, Dr James Robson MBE.
Let’s have some anthems!
Final prep time!
Darcy Graham joined Duhan van der Merwe at the top of the all-time charts last week with 29 tries each.
They occupy both wings today, who will be top come full time?
Snow? What snow?
Storm Bert was out to play for team run yesterday, but it’s a fine day today and the pitch is in good condition as the players take to it.
Australia will kick off. Scotland attack the North Stand first half.
Scotland have arrived.
In case you missed an emotional moment earlier this week.
50 for Matt Fagerson, he joins his brother Zander in reaching the feat.
Changes to Australia’s team. They now look like this:
15. Tom Wright 14. Andrew Kellaway 13. Joseph Suaalii 12. Len Ikitau 11. Harry Potter 10. Noah Lolesio 9. Jake Gordon 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
Replacements: 16. Billy Pollard 17. Isaac Aedo Kailea 18. Zane Nonggorr 19. Nick Frost 20. Langi Gleeson 21. Tate McDermott 22. Ben Donaldson 23. Max Jorgensen
Scotland v Australia. Scottish Gas Murrayfield. 1.40pm kick off.
Will it be three wins from four for Scotland this autumn, or a 50:50 split? We’ll soon know.
It’s a special week in many ways. Not only is it Matt Fagerson’s 50th cap, we’re joined by our captain Sione Tuipulotu’s “Greenock Granny” thanks to Skyscanner, who flew her over from Australia for this week.
She watched on as her other grandson, Mosese, was part of a winning Scotland A side last night against Chile. Stick around to see if Scotland can be just as successful today.
Kick-off 1:40 pm
