'I think that’s one of our best defensive performances over the last few years'

Gregor Townsend hailed Scotland for what he deemed one of their best defensive performances after they closed out a hard-fought 15-12 win over Australia in a Murrayfield arm-wrestle.

The Nations Championship clash between two sides renowned for cavalier rugby failed to catch fire as a spectacle, with just two tries apiece as damp conditions took a toll.

Matt Fagerson and Jack Dempsey had the Scots 12-5 up at the break, with Harry Potter responding for the Wallabies.

Finn Russell’s late penalty eventually gave the hosts some breathing space before Max Jorgensen’s 80th-minute try reduced the final deficit to three.

While neither side could get their attack firing, Townsend was delighted by the way Scotland, who had shipped 38 points in five of their previous six matches, restricted Australia to their lowest points return since losing 25-7 to England last November.

“I think that’s one of our best defensive performances over the last few years,” said the head coach after his fifth win in six meetings with Australia. “The shots going in in the first half and the effort that went into the second half was outstanding.

“I think we deserved the win given the effort that went in and the fact we led throughout the game.”

The win elevated Scotland back above Wales into fourth place in the Northern Hemisphere table but their failure to pick up a bonus point diminished their chances of being able to move any higher, even if they notch a high-margin victory over Japan next weekend.

Townsend, whose side went for the posts with a penalty while seven points ahead in the 75th minute, insisted getting over the line against Australia was the priority rather than chasing tries in the closing stages.

“I think the right decision was to go for the three points to get more than a score ahead,” said Townsend. “We’re here to win each game and obviously we lost to New Zealand last week so it was important that we got the win.

“And if we’re not going to be winning the tournament, we can’t decide who we’re going to play in that finals weekend, but there will be an opportunity for us to go and win again next week and in the finals weekend.

“I felt tactically the decisions we were making were the right ones.”

Influential lock Scott Cummings went off in the first half with a thigh injury. “Initially he’s had an ultrasound scan so it doesn’t look too bad,” Townsend said. “He’ll probably get an MRI scan as well. But obviously he felt he couldn’t continue so that would make him a doubt for next week.”