Blair Kinghorn’s missed penalty at the death proved the difference as Scotland missed a chance for their fourth win in a row against Australia.
The 16-15 loss to the Wallabies is sobering one for Scotland, who had their chances to put the game away decisively at 15-6 ahead early in the second half.
It’s tough to make a definitive judgement on the Scots from his one game, an extra one added outside the international window with exiles not available to Gregor Townsend.
But the narrative from Scotland camp this week was a losing series in Argentina with largely home-based players was positive, and they thought they were ready to kick on from that.
Any kind of win would have done, really. A narrow defeat like this, and a fragmented performance, doesn’t really match the positivity being promoted.
Being a 10 can be cruel
Well played, @wallabies 🤝
Best of luck for the rest of your @autumnnations campaign. #AsOne pic.twitter.com/aLTtQzbsYy
— Scottish Rugby (@Scotlandteam) October 29, 2022
Kinghorn is still only just over a year playing at the stand-off position, but he discovered just how cruel the spotlight of the pivotal playmaking position can be.
And just when the spotlight was trained directly on him by Gregor Townsend’s controversial squad omission of Finn Russell.
Kinghorn can do things that Finn Russell can’t – his try, showing real pace after Bernard Foley slipped and spilled, was probably something Russell wouldn’t have scored.
But Russell’s distribution is far better than Kinghorn’s.
The neat give-and-go from a set move for Ollie Smith’s try was decent enough. But two long passes out wide, one which was spilled by Sione Tuipoltu and another when Jamie Ritchie was wide open and unmarked, were not nearly up to Russell’s standards.
As for goalkicking, Kinghorn doesn’t do the job regularly for Edinburgh. Russell has only been regular goalkicker for Racing this season, but has done the job adequately for Scotland. He kicked a penalty 10 minutes from time to clinch the win over the Wallabies last year at this time, of course.
Russell was not eligible for this game anyway. But it’s clear that Gregor Townsend is heavily invested in Kinghorn, and it’ll take a big about-face not to play him over Adam Hastings against Fiji next week.
But there was not much here – or really in any of his four test stars at the end of last season – to really justify Kinghorn being picked first when Russell is available.
Still too many penalties
That is outrageous, Blair 🔥⚽️
📺 Watch live on @primevideosport: https://t.co/lTa3ICkVAO#AsOne pic.twitter.com/8lwlSZmGdc
— Scottish Rugby (@Scotlandteam) October 29, 2022
My count had the penalties level at 14-14 – too many by both sides. Scotland didn’t give one away for the first 15 minutes, but reverted to the issues with indiscipline that plagued them in the first half of 2022.
So many are just daft – wings falling over into rucks to block release, clumsy clearouts, an arm wrapped around an opposing lineout jumper for no good reason. The daftest of all was Pierre Schoeman’s headlong dive over a tackle.
It gave Australia a foothold in the game when they might otherwise have struggled to get one. The Wallabies also got plenty of loose Scottish ball at the lineout.
Penalties happen, but the bottom line in international rugby is generally keeping them to single figures at the very least. Scotland haven’t managed to do that for the last calendar year.
Despite regular assurances that this is being addressed, it’s easily the most consistent element of the team. It ultimately cost them this game.
Neither side really that impressive
Slipper the skipper 💪
The @wallabies are back in it, what a finish we have in store 🍿
🏴 15-13 🇦🇺#AutumnNationsSeries | #SCOvAUS pic.twitter.com/QYKd6Gdx3j
— Autumn Nations Series (@autumnnations) October 29, 2022
The Wallabies rode their luck in the second half, not least with Kinghorn’s final missed kick. But you could easily argue that they had the better of the game over the piece.
There wasn’t much in the way of cutting rugby from them in the second half. After Kinghorn’s try – from a slip by Bernard Foley – the Scots had a five-metre attacking lineout, really a chance to take the game away from the Wallabies.
But Australia forced a turnover at the lineout drive – they successfully blunted that all day. On the other hand, Scotland stemmed the tide with six – yes, six – turnovers in their own 22 in the first half.
Some of them were Wallaby guddles, some good Scottish defence. But you felt that 6-5 at half-time was flattering to Scotland.
Australia’s finishing against 14 men for James Slipper’s try was as ruthless as Scotland’s first-half try. But those were the sole times either side really impressed creatively.