Scotland show pride and passion

SCOTLAND 16

AUSTRALIA 33

IN THE end, the weary warriors in dark blue trooped out of the 2003 World Cup to the mournful strains of Waltzing Matilda. It should have been Scotland the Brave, as even the most red-necked Australia supporter must surely acknowledge.

At the fifth time of asking Ian McGeechan’s side finally put together a performance of passion and pride fit to swell Scottish hearts and, after 40 minutes’ play, with the score at 9-9 in the world champion Wallabies’ backyard, perhaps we were entitled to start believing in miracles.

"We are still in the World Cup," as one incredulous Scottish scribe put it, contemplating a hasty alteration to travel and accommodation plans.

Scotland had harried and hustled the opposition into embarrassing errors. They had all but destroyed their line-out and curbed their awesome strike runners out wide, reducing the highly-touted Wendell Sailor to a figure of laughable incompetence. If he is an international class wing then I am Kylie Minogue.

It couldn’t last, of course. Australia finally remembered who and where they were in the second half to run in three tries and end Scotland’s hopes of a monumental victory. But on this showing the defending champions have not an earthly of retaining the William Webb Ellis trophy. In that first 40 minutes they were abysmal and a more clinical and incisive team than Scotland would have made them pay. But, as so often, this side could not convert possession into points, or to be more accurate, tries, with an error count once again unforgivable at this level.

But at least someone had stoked some fire in their bellies, for this was the right note on which to bow out of a tournament which they have hardly graced with their presence.

Scotland suffered what could have been a mortal blow even before the start when stand-off Chris Paterson was seen down on the ground during the warm-up. He was led off the field by physio Stuart Barton and doctor James Robson looking very groggy indeed.

It transpired that the Edinburgh man had simply been hit by a stray ball and he was able to start, but it was a worrying moment for team-mates, management and supporters, and an incident emblematic of Scotland’s ill fortune throughout this tournament.

Australia’s captain and scrum-half, George Gregan, was soon going through his familiar routine, a few steps sideways and a spun delivery repeated and Australia put together a few pleasing phases that finally earned a successful penalty for Elton Flatley when Scotland No.8 Simon Taylor went offside just outside his 22. But Scotland responded at once with a chip and chase from Kenny Logan down the left that required Sailor to get back in a hurry to touch down. Paterson then did brilliantly to haul down Lote Tuqiri in full flight. It was breathless stuff, with Scotland plainly intent on taking the fight to the enemy and when Australia infringed midway between their own 22 and 10-metre line, Paterson brought the scores level at 3-3.

Then came a narrow squeak for the Scots when Tuqiri appeared inside stand-off Stephen Larkham to spear through the Scots midfield. With two fellow League converts, Rogers and Sailor, outside a try looked a formality but Rogers spilled Tuqiri’s pass.

Undismayed, Tuqiri, making the most of his selection ahead of the veteran Joe Roff, burst through the Scottish underbelly again and only desperate defence kept Sailor out at the corner. A smacking tackle on Stirling Mortlock by the outstanding Jason White looked to have earned Scotland a reprieve but referee Steve Walsh was signalling a penalty for offside and Flatley obliged again for the Wallabies.

The desperate nature of the contest, and the knowledge of what was at stake, for winner and loser, sparked a proliferation of unforced errors and brought an edge to the contest, well illustrated when, after another Australian move broke down, Sailor struck Nathan Hines in full view of the referee. Hines’ crime? He had patted the former Brisbane Bronco on the head. Sailor’s punishment? None. He should have been off.

But Walsh did at last punish Australia for something on 33 minutes, spotting blatant obstruction by the prop Bill Young that gave Paterson his second successful penalty.

The score, 6-6, illustrated the evenness of the contest, but when Andy Henderson tackled Mortlock without the ball, touch judge Paddy O’Brien fingered the Glasgow centre and Flatley made it 9-6.

Still Scotland came forward and just on the interval Paterson - perhaps he should have a few more knocks on the head - suddenly stood back from a series of rucks and dropped an astonishing goal from halfway to make it 9-9 by half-time.

With Australia’s line-out close to a shambles, Wallaby coach Eddie Jones replaced the diminutive George Smith with the much taller Matt Cockbain during the interval; Scotland for their part looked to have grown two or three inches, too, and reappeared with a noticeable spring to their step. Alas, it couldn’t last. A half-break by Gregor Townsend off a short ball by Henderson looked promising, but open side flanker Phil Waugh cleverly turned the ball over and Scotland were short of numbers when the ball went right. The defence looked capable of sniffing out the danger, but Mortlock’s juggle with the ball fooled the cover and the centre was able to gallop in from halfway, his flying dive over the line more an indication of relief than flamboyance.

Flatley’s conversion made the score 16-9 and suddenly, ominously, the ball began to stick in Wallaby hands and yet another Flatley penalty for offside gave his team a 10-point cushion.

Then came the coup de grace. Australia finally managed to burgle a Scottish line-out and Waugh was away. The Scottish cover got to him, but when the ball came left through hands, Tuqiri embarked on an extraordinary sideways run across the Scottish line. He was put down eventually, but the ball squirted from the ruck and Gregan pounced for a fortuitous try converted by Flatley.

At 26-9 going into the last quarter, the contest was finally beginning to take on the look that most pundits had forecast and Australia plainly believed it was all over as they chose a scrum rather than taking a simple penalty under the posts when lock Nathan Hines infringed. They were right as No.8 David Lyons charged off the back of the scrum and over the line like an enraged bull.

Scotland did rouse themselves with a series of penalties kicked to the corner and driven line-outs, but the Aussie defence stood firm and the game subsided into a series of substitutions, with two Australian hookers in the pack and Lyons at centre at one point.

Still, it was an Australian who had the last word with Scotland’s Queensland-born substitute hooker Robbie Russell being driven over after a penalty kicked to the corner. It was Scotland’s 12th try in five games in this tournament, 10 of those coming against Japan and the USA. ’Nuff said.