Just when we expect them to win, Scotland lose. Australia had lost the previous three meetings with their hosts, but they held their nerve here to sneak a precious win at the start of their tour of Europe. Blair Kinghorn had a chance to win it for Scotland only to pull a long-range penalty in the last minute of the match.
If only Scotland had chosen to go for the posts earlier, they might not have needed it. There was much to encourage them, not least the performance of Kinghorn as a playmaker. But for every plus there was a minus, very often from the same player. Glen Young, for example, came on in the first half and played well, but a yellow card in the second half for a dangerous clear-out on Tate McDermott proved costly. Not that it was physically possible for him to clear out without making such contact, but that’s where rugby is nowadays. Australia scored their try while he was away.
