Scotland v Australia: Autumn Nations Series 2022, Match Preview pt II – head to heads

It may have been less than twelve months since these sides last met but there has still been significant turnover in both squads. There are a combined 20 changes to the matchday 23s from that previous fixture.

Looking further back, Michael Hooper, Ali Price, Grant Gilchrist and Hamish Watson are the only players who will have started the last three meetings between these sides at Murrayfield.

Tale of the tape

BACKS
44   Tries   39
93kg   Average weight   91kg
171   Total caps   188
26.5   Average age   26.7

FORWARDS
902kg   Pack weight   924kg
17   Tries   23
253   Total caps  352
28.6   Average age   29.3

SUBSTITUTES
123   Total caps   201
17   Tries   22
29.0   Average age   27.8

6 Scotland changes from last Test (v Argentina)

• 14 – Graham for McLean [+]
• 1 – Schoeman for Sutherland [+]
• 2 – Cherry for Turner [-]
• 4 – Skinner for Cummings [=]
• 5 – Gilchrist for Gray [-]
• 6 – Ritchie for Darge [+]

Head to heads

Overall

Backs – advantage Australia

The glass half empty camp grumbles that there is no Quade Cooper, Samu Kerevi or Marika Koroibete for the visitors and three Lions – Chris Harris, Stuart Hogg and Finn Russell – absent for the Scots.

The glass half full faction counters that the Aussie centre pairing are the business; Scotland’s wingers were born to entertain; Mark Bennett is back starting a Test match at Murrayfield for the first time in six years; and Tate McDermott’s hair is worth the price of admission alone.

The ayes have it – this game really ought to be a doozy.

Forwards – advantage Scotland

Aside from a seemingly endless churn of second rows on the Australian side there are plenty of returning players in the packs from a relatively scrappy encounter last year.

In 2021 the scrum penalties flip flopped this way and that. Hamish Watson and Michael Hooper scavenged and spoiled. None of the big ball carriers really got going to any great extent. Both coaches will be hoping for a bit more cohesion from their forwards and less of the wasteful errors that punctuated that game – and some of the summer tour / The Rugby Championship.

Subs – advantage Australia

If Scotland match up their substitutions then Nic White may find himself in the unusual position of struggling to get a word in edgeways with George Horne on the pitch. The moustachioed number 9 may well also receive an education in some useful Scottish phrases such as ‘bampot’, ‘roaster’ and ‘fannybaws’ if there’s any repeat of his recent antics…

Miscellany

– Split of selection by club:

• Scotland – Edinburgh 13; Glasgow 10.
• Australia – Brumbies 12; Reds 4; Waratahs 4; Rebels 2; Kubota Spears 1.

– When Jack Dempsey made his first international debut against Italy in 2017 he had Allan Alaalatoa, Bernard Foley, Ned Hanigan and Michael Hooper on his team. Five years later those four players will be there for Dempsey’s second debut but might not be quite as welcoming to him this time round!

– Damien Hoyland is in line to win his first cap since he played against Fiji on 24th June 2017. He will also be making his first ever Test appearance at Murrayfield (as will Ollie Smith and Glen Young).

– Ali Price has been selected for all 30 Test matches he has been eligible for since the 2019 RWC (27 for Scotland and 3 for the Lions) starting 27 of them.

– Wing pair Darcy Graham and Duhan van der Merwe have started 13 matches together for Scotland, scoring a combined 15 tries in those games.

– This will be just the fifth time in the their history that Scotland have played a non-RWC match in October. They have won all four of those previous fixtures by an average score of 40 – 12.

• 30 October 2021: Scotland 60 -14 Tonga
• 31 October 2020: Wales 10 – 14 Scotland
• 23 October 2020: Scotland 48 – 7 Georgia
• 28 October 1989: Scotland 38 – 17 Fiji