Australia 34 Scotland 13

Australia wrapped up the Hopetoun Cup by subjecting Scotland to a 34-13 defeat in Sydney.  Scotland played beautifully and enjoyed the lion's share of possession, but they could not rein in the Wallabies' strike runners.

Australia beat Scotland 34-13 in the second Test of the series, this one played at Telstra Stadium in Sydney on Saturday.  The result does not do the Scottish effort justice.

The Scots were manful.  They scored a try, they kept possession, they played wide, the were full of valour and they were stopped at the line near the end, just before the Wallabies scored their last try which made the result took more comfortable.

Australia led 17-10 at half-time.  Australia had more points, Scotland greater kudos.

The Scots were not just defensive, not at all.  They attacked.  They kept the ball.  They scored a try.  If there had been points for keeping the ball, the Scots would have led at half-time.

Getting to the goal line was not easy and the reward for persistence rather than individual ability.  Several times in the half they went through many phases but those were 15 vs 15 stages and it seemed that no Scot would be at an Australian.  But they did deny the Wallabies ball.

The Wallabies' best ball came from line-outs.  They attacked from each one of them, involving both wings each time.

The Scots scored first, after only four minutes, when Stephen Larkham was off-side.

The third Wallaby attack produced a penalty when Donnie Macfadyen came in the side.

Lote Tuqiri had a good run, slapping the ball back inside to keep the attack going but it ended in a scrum to the Wallabies close to the Scots' line.  A powerful Wallaby scrum won a tighthead.  Larkham did a strong dart and popped the ball to Wendell Sailor for a catch-and-dot try, Roff converted.  10-3 to Australia

It became 17-3 when the Wallabies attacked and little pass gave Tuqiri a catch-and-dot try in the corner, which Roff converted.

Then the Scots got their try.  They had to score twice to get it.  First Andy Henderson was over but just before then George Gregan had tackled the referee and, in a dubious decision, it became a five-metre scrum to Scotland instead of a try.  But, mercifully, from the scrum, Chris Cusiter darted over.  Parks converted, 17-10.

After Iain Fullarton had a great 20-metre charge, a clever pass to Paul Cannon to Joe Roff gave Tuqiri his chance to score the second of his tries.

Henderson had a great break but the movement died.  The Scots did get the next score when parks goaled a penalty.  22-13 after 62 minutes.

That was it for the Scots.

Morgan Turinui, a late replacement in the Australian aside for indisposed Matt Giteau, cut through some tentative tackling to score near the posts.  39-13 after 67 minutes.

Then the Scots attacked and the television match official could not see whether Tom Smith had grounded the ball and the Wallabies survived some keen Scottish attacking, started by a clever kick by Gordon Ross.

Instead the Wallabies got the last try when Chris Latham, at fullback, came charging up to put Joe Roff, playing left-wing, over in Cusiter's tackle.  Roff missed the conversion and the final whistle went.

Pigs did not fly at Telstra Stadium.  They did not really look like getting off the ground but they made a lot of runaway running in their effort to do so.  Not that anything insulting intended by referring to pigs.  You could substitute royal stags, if you liked.

Man of the Match:  There were many fine Scottish efforts, especially those of Chris Cusiter, Tom Smith and Andy Henderson.  Lote Tuqiri, so active, was great for the Wallabies and so was Brendan Cannon but our man of the match -- forget that silly missed penalty -- was Joe Roff whose every touch of the ball was meaningful.

Moment of the Match:  There was Ben Henshilwood's dumping tackle on Wendell Sailor, there was Nathan Sharpe's clever flip to Paul Cannon but out moment was a bit of cleverness at the line-out when Gordon Bullock popped the ball to Jason White who went on a long run which ended at the Wallaby line.

Villain of the Match:  It was a keenly played match played at less intensity than the day's earlier match in Auckland but with grand good manners -- no bad guys.

The Teams:

Australia:  1 Alastair Baxter, 2 Brendan Cannon, 3 Bill Young, 4 Justin Harrison, 5 Nathan Sharpe, 6 Radike Samo, 7 Phil Waugh, 8 David Lyons, 9 George Gregan (c), 10 Steve Larkham, 11 Wendell Sailor, 12 Stirling Mortlock, 13 Morgan Turinui, 14 Lote Tuqiri, 15 Joe Roff
Reserves:  Chris Latham, Jeremy Paul, Matt Dunning, George Smith, Daniel Vickerman, Clyde Rathbone
Unused:  Matt Henjak

Scotland:  1 Bruce Douglas, 2 Gordon Bulloch, 3 Tom Smith, 4 Iain Fullarton, 5 Scott Murray (c), 6 Donnie Macfadyen, 7 Jason White, 8 Allister Hogg, 9 Chris Cusiter, 10 Daniel Parks, 11 Simon Webster, 12 Andrew Henderson, 13 Ben Hinshelwood, 14 Sean Lamont, 15 Hugo Southwell
Reserves:  Craig Hamilton, Jon Petrie, Gordon Ross, Craig Smith, Graeme Morrison
Unused:  Michael Blair, Stephen Scott

Attendance:  56143
Referee:  Lawrence m.

Points Scorers:

Australia
Tries:  Roff J.W.C. 1, Sailor W.J. 1, Turinui M.P. 1, Tuqiri L.D. 2
Conv:  Roff J.W.C. 3
Pen K.:  Roff J.W.C. 1

Scotland
Tries:  Cusiter C.P. 1
Conv:  Parks D.A. 1
Pen K.:  Parks D.A. 2