Scotland Head Coach Gregor Townsend Reflects on 27-13 Victory Over Australia

Scotland’s head coach, Gregor Townsend, spoke to BBC Scotland following his team’s 27-13 win against Australia. He expressed that “There was more in us. We weren’t as accurate in the first half.” Townsend noted the team’s capacity to secure a victory even when not performing optimally, stating, “It shows we can get a win when we’re not playing as well. There were moments in the game that I loved. We saw what it meant to our supporters to get a win against a quality team.” He concluded this point by saying, “We’re better than some of the aspects today but I’m proud that the players found a way to win.” Townsend further explained the team’s performance, observing, “We were getting opportunities, but it was passes not going to hands. We needed to be more accurate in the second half.” He also highlighted the increased effort in the second half, adding, “There was work rate in the second half too. It looked like the Aussies were tiring in defence and our work rate to create an extra man was excellent. There was unselfish play – Duhan’s pass, other plays clearing contact.” Despite the win, the coach indicated areas for future improvement, stating, “I’m inwardly happy, but if there was a game next week it would be a tough review and there would be a lot of things to improve.” Regarding Josh Bayliss’s try, Townsend commented, “That was a good try and one of the training park. There was a few of them in the first half which looked like they could have led to tries. It was just millimetres.” He drew a comparison to a previous score, adding, “Josh – it was deja vu of when he scored against Italy a year ago. He was excellent, the back row were very competitive, I thought Jamie [Ritchie] played very well.” Townsend described the game as physically demanding, remarking, “It was a tough, physical game. Australia play with a lot of hard carries, low body position. They caught us offside a few times but you have to work hard in defence and we did that.” He concluded by emphasizing the team’s renewed vigor in the latter half of the match, noting, “We had the energy and the players to make a difference in that second half.”