Scotland Player Ratings vs Australia: Immense Darge Leads 15-12 Win

Rory Darge captained Scotland to a 15-12 win over Australia at Scottish Gas Murrayfield on Sunday and was named player of the match. Scotland scored once in the second half, a Finn Russell penalty with five minutes left, and needed Darcy Graham’s last-play tackle to hold on.

Scotland led 12-5 at half-time through tries from Matt Fagerson and Jack Dempsey. Australia had a try from Harry Potter, a Billy Pollard maul try ruled out for obstruction, and a late one from Max Jorgensen that made it 15-12 as the clock went red.

It was not pretty. Scotland made one line break all afternoon to Australia’s ten, according to RugbyPass. They won because they kept tackling and won the ball on the floor: nine turnovers to Australia’s six. The win lifts them above Wales into fourth in the northern hemisphere table, a week after a scoreless second half cost them against the All Blacks.

We started every player at 6 and moved them on the numbers (tackles, carries, turnovers won and penalties) and on what the BBC and Guardian live coverage saw. Ruck numbers per player are not published, so breakdown work is judged on turnovers and penalties.

How the game went

Matt Fagerson scored in the eighth minute after a Tom Jordan carry and a wide pass from Ben White. Russell hit the post with the conversion. Potter replied three minutes later off Carter Gordon’s delayed pass, getting round a Russell tackle on the way.

Dempsey picked and went over from close range on 27 minutes and Russell converted. Before the break Pollard finished an Australian maul, but the TMO ruled the try out for obstruction.

The second half was a scrap. Pollard was sin-binned on 45 minutes for head-on-head contact with Blair Kinghorn, and Scotland did not score with the extra man. They then defended an 18-phase Australian attack until Darge got over the ball and won the penalty. Russell kicked the three points on 74 minutes. Jorgensen’s try, converted by Ben Donaldson, came too late.

“Scotland found a way to win,” the BBC’s summariser said at full-time. “They just about managed to get across the line.”

Scotland player ratings

15 Blair Kinghorn – 6.5
Made 73 metres, the most for Scotland by a distance, and beat five defenders. His raking kick to the corner early in the second half put Australia under pressure. Two grubbers went dead or out and he lost the ball twice. Took the hit that sent Pollard to the bin.

14 Kyle Steyn – 6
Went off for a head check late in the first half and came back for the second. His foot-volley nearly set up a Graham try before the ball was ruled out of play. Knocked on chasing a box kick on 70 minutes.

13 Huw Jones – 5.5
Hardly seen. Scotland’s attack never got outside the forwards often enough to bring him into it.

12 Tom Jordan – 7.5
Scotland’s best back. His carry made the opening try, he made their only line break, and his three turnovers won were the most on the pitch. Also took a strong high catch under pressure just before half-time.

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11 Darcy Graham – 7
Had a try ruled out in the first half and flattened Jorgensen under a high ball after the break. Then the tackle that stopped Australia’s last attack. The BBC said it was celebrated like a try.

10 Finn Russell – 5.5
Kicked five points: one conversion from two and the penalty that put Scotland ten clear. But his missed tackle let Potter in, he lost the ball three times, more than anyone on either side according to RugbyPass, and he failed to find touch from one penalty. A spin and offload on the hour showed what he can do. There was too little of it.

9 Ben White – 6.5
His long pass made Matt Fagerson’s try and he ran the first half well. Replaced by Jamie Dobie on 50 minutes.

1 Rory Sutherland – 5.5
Scotland gave away free kicks and a penalty at the scrum in the first half. Off for Pierre Schoeman early in the second.

2 Ewan Ashman – 7.5
Made 16 tackles, second only to Matt Fagerson for Scotland, in 61 minutes. Two of them were dominant, and he pounced for a turnover on 45 minutes that stopped an Australian break. One lineout was stolen at a key moment.

3 Zander Fagerson – 5
Gave away three penalties, the most on his side, including one for pulling down an Australian maul. Part of the scrum problems too. Replaced just after the hour.

4 Gregor Brown – 6.5
Won eight lineouts, the most in the match, and carried ten times around the fringes. One penalty conceded.

5 Scott Cummings – Not rated
Went off after landing awkwardly at a lineout in the 25th minute.

6 Matt Fagerson – 7.5
Opened the scoring and then made 17 tackles, the most by a Scot and third most in the match. Replaced on 70 minutes.

7 Rory Darge (captain) – 8.5 (player of the match)
Led the defence that held Australia without a try from the 11th minute until the last play. He made three dominant tackles, more than anyone else, and won two turnovers, including the steal that ended Australia’s 18-phase attack. The BBC called him “absolutely immense”.

8 Jack Dempsey – 7
Scored Scotland’s second try and carried 17 times in 50 minutes, more than anyone in the match. He was also penalised for not releasing during Pollard’s sin-bin and was isolated and turned over once.

Replacements

19 Max Williamson – 7 – On for Cummings after 25 minutes and did not look out of place. Made 11 tackles, two of them dominant, flattened Harry Wilson, and stopped Tate McDermott’s offload late on.
20 Josh Bayliss – 6.5 – Came on for Dempsey on 50 minutes and carried nine times in 30 minutes, with a turnover won. His carry inside the Australian 22 helped set up the penalty for Russell’s kick.
21 Jamie Dobie – 6 – Made a diving tackle on Tom Wright while Steyn was off for his check, then came on properly for White. Gave away a penalty for not releasing.
17 Pierre Schoeman – 6 – On early in the second half for Sutherland. Picked up the loose ball after Wilson’s wild pass on 73 minutes.
16 Gregor Hiddleston, 18 Will Hurd – 6 – On just after the hour. Hiddleston made eight tackles in his 19 minutes.
22 Ollie Leatherbarrow – Not rated – Made his Scotland debut for the last ten minutes.
23 Stafford McDowall – Not rated – On for Jordan in the last few minutes.

Our view

Gregor Townsend will take the win and the four points but not much else. Scotland’s backs barely saw the ball in space, and Russell gave it away too often. The defence, led by Darge, is the reason they won. If these sides meet again on finals weekend, Scotland will need more than one line break.

Scotland v Australia: key numbers

Official team stats from the Nations Championship post-match report.

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