Looking back at 99 years of Scotland games against Australia

Back in the 1990s Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend had a summer break where he jetted down under and played for the Warringah club in Sydney. He’d completed the Scotland tour of the South Pacific in 1993 and in those giddy amateur days he was able to savour rugby Australian style, helping Warringah to the Shute Shield final.

At the same time, he did a bit of manual work: you know, picking kiwi fruit, retrieving lost balls on a golf course . . . and acted as an intern for a politician who rose to high office in New South Wales.

Australia has always had a special place in Gregor’s heart. And Scotland’s record against the Wallabies – and the rugby they have played in that particular fixture – has been among the most scintillating of his nine year tenure as head coach.

But before that, let’s do some numbers.

In total there have been 35 games to date with Scotland winning 13 and Australia 22. Next year marks the 100^th anniversary of the first match between Scotland and Australia, though that landmark game in 1927 was officially against New South Wales. Scotland had enjoyed a rare win on southern hemisphere soil at Ballymore in Brisbane in 1982. The next 16 games were won by the Wallabies.

That takes us to 2009. Gregor was assistant coach to Andy Robinson then. And the code that was the inspiration that day for the men wearing the thistle was “27”, the years that had elapsed since Scotland’s last victory against Australia.

Scotland gave an outstanding display in tigerish defence: “The most courageous performance I’ve ever been involved in,” said Robinson, who had piloted England to the Rugby World Cup in 2003.

Chris Paterson’s late drop goal wins the game in 2009

Two Phil Godman penalties and a late drop-goal from Chris Paterson were enough to secure Scotland a 9-8 victory, Matt Giteau missing an injury-time conversion which would have won the game for the Wallabies.

That game at Murrayfield had been played in squally showers. Next up was a meeting in Newcastle, New South Wales in 2012.

The weather was utterly atypical of the sun-kissed beach image beloved of Australian tourism. It was a filthy night, incessant rain and the suggestion that some players in home ranks were close to hypothermia.

Scotland won 9-6, courtesy of three Greig Laidlaw penalties, the last in the game’s death throes when Australia were deemed guilty of a collapsed scrummage. Cue Scottish celebrations, where centre Joe Ansbro was on the receiving end of a joyous “East Kilbride” kiss from that redoubtable flanker Alasdair Strokosch!

In the 2015 Rugby World Cup quarter-final at Twickenham, Scotland, under Vern Cotter’s leadership, had come agonisingly close to reaching the semi-final for the first time since 1991, only for a late penalty award by South African referee Craig Joubert resulting in Wallabies stand-off Bernard Foley landing a vital late goal for a 35-34 margin.

Now we arrive in 2017, and Gregor’s first summer tour as Scotland head coach. Scotland played some sublime rugby in Sydney as tries from Duncan Taylor, Finn Russell and Hamish Watson steered them to a 24-19 victory.

Scotland have won three of the four Tests against the Wallabies since then.

Arguably the most enthralling was the record 53-24 success on home soil in 2017. Scotland were hit by a late injury meaning Byron McGuigan was catapulted into the starting XV on the wing and Sean Maitland switched to full-back. McGuigan, was clearly unfazed by the drama as he scored Scotland’s opening try with some glorious footwork, once, twice then thrice, that would have dazzled in the round-ball game.

Byron McGuigan scores one of his two tries in 2017

Australia responded but close to half-time, Wallabies prop Sekope Kepu was sent off by French referee Pascal Gauzere for head contact on Hamish Watson. Almost at once, scrum-half Ali Price sniped from close range.

The second half was breathless, exhilarating rugby from the hosts as Maitland, Jonny Gray, Huw Jones, John Barclay, Stuart McInally and, on his first start for Scotland McGuigan, with his second, took Scotland beyond a half century of points.

John Barclay scores under the posts, 2017

Four years on and it was a much closer-affair. Hooker Ewan Ashman made his debut for Scotland, and he marked it with astonishing twinkle-toes on the West Stand touchline to grab the decisive try in a 15-13 victory.

In 2022 and with Dave Rennie, the former Glasgow Warriors supremo, coaching the Wallabies, a home-based Scotland team lost by the narrowest of margins 15-16, Ollie Smith, operating at full-back, stepping his way through heavy traffic for a lovely try and Blair Kinghorn, selected at stand-off, scoring a second.

Ewan Ashman scores a spectacular try in the corner, 2021

Lastly, Australia’s most recent visit was in 2024. Watched by his granny from Greenock, Sione Tuipulotu opened Scotland’s try account and there were imperious touchdowns from Duhan van der Merwe, Josh Bayliss and Finn Russell, before the Wallabies ended with a bit of wizardry by Harry Potter on his debut.

Finn Russell scoring one of Scotland’s four tries the last time the Wallabies visited, in 2024

If you would like to sample the epic rugby regularly produced in this fixture, tickets are still available for the latest match in the 99-year history of Scotland v Australia (Scottish Gas Murrayfield, Sunday 15 November, kick-off 3:10pm). You can find tickets and hospitality options here.