Spirited Scotland stun Wallabies again

NEWCASTLE, Australia (AFP) –

Scottish flyhalf Greig Laidlaw kicks his third penalty goal of the match against Australia in Newcastle. Laidlaw kicked a penalty after the full-time siren to give Six Nations wooden spooners Scotland a stunning 9-6 win over Australia at wild and wintry Newcastle.

Flyhalf Greig Laidlaw kicked a penalty after the full-time siren to give Six Nations wooden spooners Scotland a stunning 9-6 win over Australia at wild and wintry Newcastle on Tuesday.

It was Scotland’s first win in Australia for 30 years since their 12-7 victory at Brisbane in 1982.

The Scots will hold on to the Hopetoun Cup after they humbled the second-ranked Wallabies for the second time in three years with a gutsy defensive display in the second half to pull off a famous win in gale-force conditions.

Scotland last rocked the Wallabies 9-8 at Murrayfield in November 2009 to end a 16-game losing run against Australia.

Laidlaw kicked the Scots to Tuesday’s victory with three penalty goals from four shots while debutant Wallabies’ centre Mike Harris landed two of his four kicks in the try-less arm wrestle.

“I’m really proud for the players because they put a lot of work into that game,” Scotland coach Andy Robinson said.

“It was a tough game, tough conditions. I thought they were heroic in the way they defended and they had to work really hard. We dominated the last couple of scrums and that got us the penalty.”

It looked as though it would finish in a 6-6 draw until the tenacious Scots earned a scrum penalty in front of Australia’s posts for Laidlaw to slot home to wild rejoicing among the Scottish players.

Australia laid siege to the Scottish try-line for most of the second half but the Scots held firm with resolute defence to deny the Wallabies the game-breaking try.

It was another low point for the Wallabies under coach Robbie Deans, who lost to Samoa 32-23 in their corresponding first international last season.

“We learnt that we were not all on one page, we lacked a bit of clarity around our direction in terms of just banking games like that,” Deans said.

“I guess it’s not in our DNA but that’s an art that we’ve got to develop.

“We had enough possession to put the game beyond reach but credit to Scotland, they got one opportunity in the second and they took it.”

The miserable conditions levelled the contest for the 12th-ranked Scots, win-less in this year’s Six Nations, and made any form of running rugby impossible.

Scottish flyhalf Greg Laidlaw (2nd left), celebrates with teammates after kicking his third penalty goal against Australia in Newcastle. Laidlaw kicked a penalty after the full-time siren to give Six Nations wooden spooners Scotland a stunning 9-6 win over Australia at wild and wintry Newcastle.

The Wallabies were under early pressure and Scotland dominated possession and territory running with the aid of the stiff wind, with Laidlaw putting them ahead with two penalties inside the opening 28 minutes.

But Australia’s forwards began to control the ball late in the half and were rewarded after 12 phases inside Scotland’s quarter to receive a penalty for off-side.

Harris, with Berrick Barnes laying flat on the ground and holding the ball in the buffeting wind to prevent it from toppling off the kicking tee, landed the penalty to reduce Scotland’s lead to three points after 33 minutes.

The Wallabies, who did well to go in at half-time only down by three after running into the teeth of a gale, levelled the scores three minutes after the interval with Harris’s second penalty.

Rob Simmons, who replaced injured lock Sitaleki Timani, went over the Scottish try-line in the 56th minute but was held up and the video referee ruled replays were inconclusive and no try was awarded.

The Australian forwards kept pummelling away at the line but the Scots defence held firm against the mounting weight of possession against them.

So frustrated were the Wallabies in their efforts to break down the resolute Scotland defence that Barnes missed with a drop goal attempt with seven minutes left.

But the decisive moment came when South African referee Jaco Peyper penalised Wallabies’ prop James Slipper for losing the bind in a collapsed scrum and Laidlaw kicked Scotland to a famous victory.