Late Laidlaw penalty gives Scots victory

NEWCASTLE, Australia, (Reuters): Greig Laidlaw kicked a penalty against a fierce wind two minutes after the siren to give Scotland a stunning 9-6 victory over Australia in atrocious weather on Tuesday.

A match rendered almost a farce by gale-force winds and torrential rain looked destined to end in a draw until Scotland were awarded a penalty for an infringement at the scrum some 25 metres from the line.

Flyhalf Laidlaw, whose own line-break had got the Scots into the Australian half, steadied his nerves, waited for the wind to die down a little before kicking the ball hard and high between the posts to secure a famous victory.

It was a second successive win for the Scots over the Wallabies after their victory in Edinburgh in 2009 but their first in Australia since 1982 and followed a run of seven consecutive defeats going back to last year’s World Cup.

Australia elected to play against the wind in the first half and were delighted to be just 6-3 down at the break after it looked like Scotland had squandered their significant advantage.

The first half was largely a siege of the Wallabies line but the Scots lacked the imagination to break down the Australian defence and came away with only two Laidlaw penalties. Scotland came closest to a try when fullback Stuart Hogg hoisted a huge up-and-under which Wallaby scrumhalf Will Genia missed completely and he had to rely on the pace of debutant winger Joe Tomane to save the day. Australia centre Mike Harris closed the deficit to 6-3 with a penalty eight minutes before the break and, with the posts wobbling in the wind, added another two minutes after halftime to square the match.

The 20,000 crowd then waited in vain for the Wallabies onslaught to begin.

The weather was largely to blame for the fact that it never came, although ferocious Scots tackling played its part too, and after lock Rob Simmons was denied a try by the television review in the 55th minutes, the hosts rarely threatened the line thereafter.

Australia, who blooded six new caps, also lost their opening test last season, at home to Samoa, and are certain to field a very different side when they begin their three-test series against Six Nations champions Wales in Brisbane on Saturday.

Scotland move on to tests against Fiji and Samoa.