Scotland vs. Australia: 6 Things We Learned
Not for the first time in 2013, Scotland and Australia saw out a tight affair at Murrayfield this weekend, but it was eventually the Southern Hemisphere giants who edged a 21-15 victory in Edinburgh.
It was far from the cleanest of affairs. The Wallabies wasted a plethora of kicking opportunities on their way to a second consecutive November victory and revenge against the Scots, whom they met over the summer.
With autumn being a period of self-improvement, Ewen McKenzie and Scott Johnson will have taken a lot away from this encounter, both from the negative and the positive.
Here are six things we learned from this match.
1. Israel Folau Is Now Among World's Best Full-Backs
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Originally a winger-cum-centre, Israel Folau has shown himself to be one of the most rounded backs in international rugby right now, but he has settled brilliantly at full-back in recent months.
Against Scotland, Australia's highest try scorer of 2013 continued his romp and crossed over for his ninth try of the year with a trademark line break, capitalising on some poor Ryan Grant defence.
In total, the speedster carried for 110 metres from just 11 carries, averaging 10 yards per carry.
There were concerns over whether "Izzy" was proficient enough in the technical requirements at full-back—positioning and kicking being some of the aspects worth worrying about.
However, the Man of the Match was flawless in Edinburgh and linked up well with a makeshift back line. He displayed a great tact in defence too and shut out what looked like a surefire Scottish try in the first half with some astute last-man defending.
Quite simply, Folau is an athlete in the purest sense, but it's possible the league and former Australia Rules convert may have found his permanent place of residence in union.
2. Lack of Attack Yet Again Tells Scotland's Tale
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It's long been a stigma for Scotland to suffer when it comes to finishing matters from open play, and the loss to Australia showed that side of their game is still lacking.
Although things have improved under interim head coach Scott Johnson, who has encouraged a more expansive running mentality, the old issues still linger.
The lack of clinical finishing was summed up best after Johnnie Beattie's halfway line break in the dying minutes of the first half, which—after being taken on by Sean Maitland and Sean Lamont—just couldn't be finished off.
If anything, it's not a lack of ability that impedes the Scots from solving these issues—it's more an absence of swagger in big games and a struggle to summon enough confidence both individually and as a team.
3. Are New Scrum Laws Solving the Issues?
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There was the hope that by introducing new, safer scrum laws, the game would benefit from cleaning up the set piece in terms of both time and entertainment.
However, referee Jaco Peyper had trouble in maintaining matters at the scrum, and play was frequently stopped as a result of stuttering set pieces.
The other factor to bring in here is that despite a fairer contest being the objective of the new rules, feeding is still very much a problem. Some of Nic White's entries into the feet of Stephen Moore bordered on the preposterous, but they somehow still fell within the laws.
When penalties weren't the result, it made for a more turgid affair, although the difference in bind was one aspect that was working.
Australia outdid their Irish opponents at the scrum last weekend, but it was also on show in Wales' fixture against Tonga on Friday evening that there's still work to do in adjusting.
It didn't help that Murrayfield's pitch began to give way in the latter stages of the game, but flaws were evident far earlier.
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4. Scotland Can Get Down at the Breakdown
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Several weeks ago, South Africa head coach Heyneke Meyer spoke to The Guardian's Mike Averis and highlighted Scotland's work at the breakdown as being one of their main strengths.
Although recent results haven't gone in their favour, the Springboks boss was proved right in his judgment of things at the ruck, as Scotland continued to showcase their scrappy side against the Wallabies.
In the first half alone, Scotland managed to force four turnovers and helped to overcome their opponents in at least one statistic.
It may not be much, but at least Scotland can rely on the fire of the back row.
5. The Australians Can Handle Their Drink
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One of the biggest headlines coming into this fixture was the furor over Australia suspending five of their players for drinking offences for this Scotland fixture, per Sky Sports.
However, the Wallabies showed some class by coping with their absences, and Ewen McKenzie demonstrated that his squad has more depth beyond his usual starting XV.
The November internationals are regarded as a time for new and emerging talent to be experimented with, but Australia had so far used a fairly settled squad for their tour of the Northern Hemisphere before reaching Murrayfield.
Nonetheless, those who were given their starting chances did well, and the likes of Mike Harris, Joe Tomane and Christian Lealiifano thrived on the opportunity.
In a way, the chance to throw an alternative batch of players into the mix could benefit the Amber and Green in the long run while upholding good morals in the process.
6. Official Decisions Leave Their Mark
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It's not something we hear as much of in rugby as we do certain other sports, but the referee was forced into a handful of murky officiating situations on Saturday evening. Not all of them were dealt with in superb manner.
At times, some players already with warnings to their name went unnoticed when committing later offences, although one must note Peyper's good handling of the advantage for the most part.
Regardless, the finest margins tend to be the ones that tell the tale. If the referee had caught certain breaches of regulations, either side might have benefited from the rules being enforced.
Television match official (TMO) use and other technology may have made things easier for officials, but Saturday's encounter showed that rugby's officiating still has a way to go until things can be called perfect.
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