Frustrated Wallabies claim forward step taken against Scotland as defence fronts up in defeat

Australia left Murrayfield a frustrated bunch. There was so much improvement from last weekend’s defeat by England, when they conceded 45 points and were rightly filleted for their display, but the outcome was the same as they fell 15-12 to Scotland.

Head coach Les Kiss exuded pride in the way his team competed and defended. Had a pass to Tom Wright right at the death been executed a fraction earlier, Australia might have pinched a win in a game low on ingenuity but high on spadework.

“We didn't win, but I thought the response was a lot better,” said Kiss. “Defensively, we haven't been happy in the last three weeks. I thought the boys went out there and showed a lot of fight for the jersey. It was a big step forward.

Australia fronted up in the 15-12 defeat by Scotland. | SNS Group / SRU

“Obviously, it was a wet night. Our attack probably didn't get to where we would have liked it to be. But overall, I'm really proud of the effort of the boys in the week we had.

“We just set a tone. Some of the issues were solved. And suddenly, you're in a good place, the hungry eyes, the hungry feet, ready to put the shoulder into where we need to put it. I think there were some good things in the Test match that we threw out for sure. The defence definitely stepped up.

“I thought we prepared well and didn't leave a stone unturned. And disappointed with the result because we didn't win. But if we keep preparing and training like that and putting that performance out, we're going to get a lot more wins.”

Eleven months for now, Australia host the World Cup and already some scepticism is building down under that the Wallabies will be able to compete. Kiss is confident his team will be ready.

“Well, it's the time we have, and I've said that from the beginning, that we're happy with the time that we've got,” said the head coach. “Now we've had two more test matches that really are important for us, starting with Wales next week.

“So, just keep building on the things that we are trying to get better at. But, you know, we're at Wales first - and that was pretty impressive yesterday [against New Zealand].”

Australia captain Harry Wilson echoed his head coach’s sentiments. “We're going to keep working hard,” he said. “We're going to keep trying to improve and be a better team. I think tonight was a step in the right direction, but I want them to know we want results too. We're not happy with competing hard and losing like that.

“We're a team who's going to keep improving and make sure we're winning some big moments in big matches to win the matches. So, keep getting behind us, and I hope we take another step forward next week.

“Every test match is a must-win. We're going to go out and do that, so should we do. We need to win. We're disappointed tonight because we didn't win, and I know this group. We're going to do everything in our power to make sure we can.”