Wallabies’ slam hopes hammered by Scots at Murrayfield
The Wallabies’ dream of bouncing towards a coveted grand slam of triumphs on their British Isles tour is over, dynamited 27-13 by a buoyant Scotland at Murrayfield.
They were also beaten by the one who got away, with Scotland’s Australian captain Sione Tuipulotu powering over for their first of their tries in an inspiring performance in front of his own Glasgow-born gran in Edinburgh on Sunday (Monday AEDT).
Joe Schmidt’s men, infused with such high hopes of a first home-nation sweep in 40 years after their thrilling triumphs at Twickenham and Cardiff, found Murrayfield a fortress too far at the end of a trying week.
Even worse, the Wallabies camp were left fretting over the fate of their superstar cross-code centre Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, who went off clutching his wrist after handing out a big hit on Tuipulotu late in the first half and never returned.
Rarely threatening in attack after putting a combined 13 tries past England and Wales in previous weeks, a well-drilled Scottish defence kept them out until the 75th minute when Harry Potter landed a consolation try on his much talked-about debut.
But the tries from Tuipulotu, a record-breaking 30th for Ruhan van der Merwe, Josh Bayliss and Finn Russell, who scored 12 points, were a fair reflection of the Scots’ dominance in a brutal reality check for the visitors.
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