Scotland ratings
Stuart Hogg 8
Great try-saving tackle on Adam Ashley-Cooper and was always willing to run
Sean Maitland 6
Solid enough. The yellow card was unlucky, but still cost Scotland dear
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Mark Bennett 7
Ran hard enough but the midfield gaps were never there for him to show his abilities
Peter Horne 7
Took his try well, spotting the space behind the ruck but couldn’t find the space again
Tommy Seymour 7
Culpable for Australia’s first try when he came out of the line but made up for it with his try
Finn Russell 6
A couple of times looked out of ideas but got the vital charge down for Scotland’s second try
Greig Laidlaw 9
Kicked efficiently, as ever, and was always looking to find ways to spark his side
Alasdair Dickinson 7
Scrummed well enough but needs to do better to combat the opposition maul
Ross Ford 7
Was angry as he carried the ball into traffic but the maul remains an issue for Scotland
Willem Nel 7
Won Scotland some important scrum penalties but also gave away a few
Richie Gray 7
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Strong tackler and carried the ball well, winning the collision battles when it mattered
Jonny Gray 7
Came in on a mission, leading the tackle count and knocking Australians around
Blair Cowan 6
Ran hard but missed some tackles and never got to the ball for turnovers
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John Hardie 7
Worked hard, tackled hard but really needs to get more into the turnover market
David Denton 8
Got hands on the ball and crashed and bashed his way through defences
Replacements
R Vernon for Horne; S Lamont for Seymour; G Reid for Dickinson; F Brown for Ford; J Welsh for Nel; T Swinson for J. Gray; J Strauss for Cowan
Heavily used and played a big role in the way they came back in the final quarter to make a game of it. The new front row won penalties. Josh Strauss carried hard and Richie Vernon shored up the midfield defence. They made a difference, as is their job.
Australia ratings
Kurtley Beale 6
Ran elusively when Scotland kicked to him but didn’t get involved in the game enough
Adam Ashley-Cooper 6
Efficient and was in the right place for his try without having to work too hard for it
Tevita Kuridrani 8
Caused problems with his power in midfield where he exposed the lightweight Scots
Matt Giteau 8
Reads the game well and made sure the ball was kept away from the Scots forwards
Drew Mitchell 6
Didn’t have to do much for his try and messed a couple more up with loose handling
Bernard Foley 6
Missed kicks could have been costly but was also responsible for some kamikaze moments
Will Genia 8
A couple of breaks and a quick service and he could not be blamed for team’s implosion
Scott Sio 7
Was never able to get on top in the scrum as Scotland stood solid but helped with the maul
Stephen Moore 7
His 100th cap turned out to be full of drama but he was off by the time it unfolded
Sekope Kepu 7
Did not do much in scrum but helped in the lineout and was a key ingredient in the maul
Kane Douglas 8
Worked hard and in the end it was the front five that proved the vital weapon
Rob Simmons 8
A good solid player in the tight but never able to make many carries in the open
Scott Fardy 6
Tackled well but never really got going as a ball-carrier as Australia found spaces out wide
Michael Hooper 8
Made a thorough nuisance of himself in the open, more by spoiling Scots possession
Ben McCalman 8
Showed there are advantages in a ball-carrying No 8 with the height to be a lineout option
Replacements
N Phipps for Genia; J Slipper for Sio; T Polota-Nau for Moore; G Holmes for Kepu; D Mumm for Simmons
Not all came on, partly because the more replacements who took to the field, the more the Australian effort started to struggle, with the backs losing fluency and the forwards struggling more and more as the match wore on. They rode their luck, though, and brought their side through.