Scotland held out in a breathless, dramatic climax to a brilliant game to overcome Australia 24-19 in Sydney for the first time in their history.
Having surrendered their lead after the break, Gregor Townsend’s men recaptured the lead once more when flanker Hamish Watson finished off a spectacular try.
The victory against a full-strength Wallabies is even more impressive, considering they were without star man Stuart Hogg, captain Greig Laidlaw and Richie Gray among others.
Scotland scored the first 10 points of Saturday’s game, before Israel Folau latched onto a Bernard Foley’s looping pass to score in the 19th minute.
A try from the visitor’s fly-half Finn Russell appeared to have handed the Scots a 17-7 lead, but the Foley-Folau combo came to the fore on the stroke of half-time.
19′ @RugbyAUS Israel Folau runs into the world biggest hole to score a try. Malo aussie. Foley kicks good. #aus 7 – 10 #scotland pic.twitter.com/MGNOcgMUBw
— #RugbyTonga (@RugbyTON_) June 17, 2017
The Wallabies stayed in touch thanks to a high-flying Folau special on the end of a Foley cross-field kick and he leaped into the air to claim the ball to dot down.
Despite crossing again in the second half, with the conversion of Will Genia’s 56th-minute try giving the hosts a 19-17 lead, Scotland hit back five minutes later through Watson and it proved to be the decisive try.
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