Scotland down woeful Wallabies
21 Nov 2009
Matt Giteau missed a last-minute conversion in Australia’s 9-8 defeat to Scotland at Murrayfield.
Australia scored with the last move of the game – 20-phases of desperate attack finally culminating in Ryan Cross reducing the deficit to one point. But Giteau, who sunk just one of four attempts at goal, pushed the crucial kick, which saw Scotland break a 16-Test losing streak against the Wallabies.
It was a victory built on the bravest defensive display of any Test match this season. Perhaps one of the best in history. This report won’t reflect the exact number of tackles Scotland executed, but there is absolutely no doubt it was triple that of Australia.
Australia entered Scotland’s 22m area 43 times, but it was testament to the hosts’ immense defensive effort that they took 80 minutes to breach them.
Their physical, patient defence often forced the Wallabies to go lateral in their attacks. In addition, their strong ruck contest meant the visitors never got any flow and momentum into their attack, which aided their defensive task.
This was an awful performance from Robbie Deans’s charges – marked by fundamental handling errors, poor decision making and tactical naivety.
Australia seemed stuck between an expansive and pragmatic style, and the hybrid was an ugly, ineffective one.
They became even more disjointed when rain began to pelt down on the famous ground. In light of the testing conditions, they reverted to a kick-chase strategy, which failed to yield the desired results due to the poor execution of those punts.
When they did enter the Scottish red zone they looked devoid of creativity and conspired to botch a number of scoring opportunities, the worst offender being Stephen Moore, who, in the first half, broke through the midfield defence, but had neither the pace nor power to cross the tryline.
Giteau had earlier kicked a penalty to give his side the lead, but the pivot then missed the most elementary goal attempt and later skewed a drop goal from in front of the posts and under no pressure.
Scottish flyhalf Phil Godman’s penalty meant the sides went into half-time level at three all, despite the Wallabies having absolutely dominated possession and territory.
Giteau failed to shake his kicking woes, and missed his first pot at the posts in the second half. Scotland then turned over possession thrice in as many minutes on their five metre line, underlining Australia’s inability to capitalise on excellent scoring opportunities.
Scotland’s first real chance at five points came when they isolated Will Genia close to his tryline. Godman failed to convert the resultant penalty, but made no mistake with the next one, which unbelievably took his side into the lead.
Quade Cooper then butchered a superb scoring chance by opting to spin a pass wide to Drew Mitchell when he should have taken the simple option of offloading to Peter Hynes, who would have cantered in for the try.
Even so, one wondered how long the Scots could sustain their defensive effort and they answered that question emphatically by refusing to allow anyone in a gold shirt to make a metre – that until Cross ignited hope of victory with his late score. But Giteau didn’t even get his kick close to breaking Scottish hearts.
By Ryan Vrede
114 Comments
Pages: « 1 2 [3] Show All
22 Nov 2009, 02:24 am
Watch Scotland? Why, laddie, why?
22 Nov 2009, 06:42 am
good heavens….what an upset…ell done the Bravehearts!!
22 Nov 2009, 07:42 am
How the Bokke lost to the Wobblies in the tri nations still troubles me, they are so kak , on par with the I ties
22 Nov 2009, 10:09 am
Australia are the SADDEST EXCUSE for a Southern Hemisphere rugby team
WHAT A JOKE!!!
22 Nov 2009, 10:40 am
And Australia, a few months ago, easily whipped the Boks in Brisbane — AGAIN! At least it wasn’t 49-0 this time.
22 Nov 2009, 11:01 am
Congratulations Scotland.
And to Stodders, if he shows up. Enjoy.
22 Nov 2009, 11:28 am
#101 TheTackler: Because then my confused friend, you will see that something has been happening for the last year, and yesterdays result was not such a shock.
22 Nov 2009, 12:51 pm
Jeez the way things are looking at the moment England might not win a game in next year’s 6N
*Thumbs up*
This also proves that Andy Robinson wasn’t the reason England was kak (and still is)
22 Nov 2009, 14:59 pm
Can you really blame Ronnie Deans for the failure of his team? In the last 7 games against the ABs Oz have led and then lost it in the 2nd half. They beat France, Italy and the Babaas at the BOYT and haven’t come close to looking the same since. I think the fault falls squarely on the players, because the chances were there, but the players made the wrong choices. Like England and going for a chip kick with 20 seconds left on the clock, or Wilkos attempted drop kick from 20 meters out after sustained pressure in Nzs 22.
Well done SCOTLAND!!!!
Deans is coming home.
22 Nov 2009, 21:26 pm
#105 TheTackler: You know Tackler, comments like this really undermines your credibility as someone whose comments should be taken serious. You’re clutching at straws! The wallabies aren’t having a good seoson. They’ve lost 4 times to NZ, twice to SA, drew against Ireland and lost to Scotland. They’ve only had 5 victories, three (Italy and England) against opposition ranked outside the top 5.
Yes, we have did loose to Aus this year in Brisbane (well-done for that)and against France. But, the Boks have played only ONE game against a team ranked outside the top 5 (I do include the B & I Lions as a top five team this year). That is a great record! Just except it.
23 Nov 2009, 04:46 am
The Tackler was born in south africa but lives in Auckland and is old and stupid. Reminds me of bryce Courtnay who by judging by his menatlity and dislike for AQrikaaners probably got moered by one.
23 Nov 2009, 04:55 am
The reply button have been diefed…….Keo, you need to jack up security.
111 – Boet Tackler lives in that windy shithole called Wellington, not Auckland.
23 Nov 2009, 05:44 am
Aussie are having an absolute NIGHTMARE of a season with the Brisbane Bok win being the only genuinely bright spot — and NZ haven’t had their usual glorious one either. These things happen.
(And absolutely positively Wellington is about as windy as Cape Town.)
23 Nov 2009, 08:01 am
at least we only lost to the good french and not the scots who i support but am sad to say they do battle to find gr8 players. But this is a gr8 result for them go Scotland!!!
Pages: « 1 2 [3] Show All
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.