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'It doesn't fall on Kinghorn': How Scotland really gifted a win to the Wallabies

By Finn Morton
A dejected Scotland Flanker, Jamie Ritchie, as Australia celebrate after narrowly winning the game 16-15 in the Autumn International match between Scotland and Australia at Murrayfield Stadium on October 29, 2022 in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Ian Jacobs/MB Media/Getty Images)

Former All Blacks hooker James Parsons believes Scotland gifted a win to the Wallabies by squandering key moments during their hard-fought Test last weekend.

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While the match will go down in history as a one-point thriller, and somewhat be defined by a missed Blair Kinghorn penalty, the match shouldn’t have come down to that final moment.

Scotland were leading 5-3 mid-way through the first half when they blew a golden opportunity to extend their lead.

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Playing with the advantage, the hosts spread the ball wide right to inside centre Sione Tuipulotu, who dropped the ball cold with the try-line in sight.

Australia responded by eventually marching up the other end of the field and adding three points to their total, and they held onto this lead going into the break.

Another key moment, which can only be described a schoolboy mistake between two outside backs, occurred with just over 10 minutes to play.

Wallabies flyhalf Bernard Foley kicked for touch from a penalty, but failed to find the sideline on the full. But the ball did bounce into touch as winger Duhan van der Merwe and fullback Ollie Smith both seemingly expected the other to take the catch.

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Foley converted the go-ahead penalty goal shortly after, which ultimately handed Australia a tough win on the road.

Speaking on the Aotearoa Rugby Pod, Parsons said the Scots had “presented it (the win) on a platter” for the Wallabies, who made the most of their opportunities.

“From my point of view watching that game, I’ve got more expectation on Scotland than I did before that match,” Parsons said.

“They were in charge of their own destiny. I thought the Wallabies would win that convincingly.

“I haven’t been able to question the Wallabies’ grit for a few years now, like they just do hang in the fight. They are one side that just doesn’t go away.

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“Very rarely are they beaten well and truly, especially under Dave Rennie’s reign.

“Yes they’d like to win more but you knew it was going to be close, you knew there was going to be some sort of a comeback.

“But Scotland did gift it to them, they presented it on a platter and the Wallabies were good enough to take it.”

Star prop Taniela Tupou was penalised in the dying minutes, which gave Kinghorn the chance to win the Test in front of a buzzing Murrayfield crowd.

But the late escape wasn’t meant to be for Kinghorn and his teammates, as the pivot pulled his shot wide left.

Australian scrum half Nic White then brilliantly drop kicked the ball into touch on the bounce, which saw the Test come to an end.

Parsons said that the result shouldn’t “rest on his (Kinghorn) shoulders alone”, which Bryn Hall agreed with.

“It’s unlucky. For a young guy like that to be put in that position to win a game against Australia, it’s unfortunate,” Hall said.

“He had some really great touches, let alone his speed that he did for that try and being able to use those football skills to get over the line.

“He showed a lot of good traits that I thought that are going to be great for him to be able to move on. That aura of Russell was going to be always around there, but they’ve trusted him and wanted to give him the opportunity to do that.

“It was 15-6 with 20 minutes to go, and they had five or six opportunities… all in their control. So it doesn’t fall on Kinghorn.”

Kinghorn scored 10 points within an 11-minute span shortly after the half-time break, including a brilliant try which would’ve impressed any footballer watching.

The 25-year-old also beat two defenders with the ball in his hands, and made 11 tackles in what was simply an impressive display.

“They wouldn’t have even been that close had he not played, he was probably the best player on the park,” Parsons added.

“He missed some kicks, that’s going to happen, but without him out there, that individual brilliance, that desperation to get that ball for his kick and run 70.”

Next up for the Wallabies is a trip to Stade de France to take on the world’s second-best men’s rugby team, and 2023 Rugby World Cup hosts.

Not only are France the reigning Six Nations champions, but they haven’t lost a Test since playing Australia in Brisbane last year.

The Wallabies are also set to test themselves against Italy, Ireland and Wales on their five-match spring tour.

As for Scotland, they’ll play Fiji next before hosting the All Blacks at Murrayfield a week later. To finish their Autumn Internationals campaign, they’ll also take on Argentina.

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Jon 4 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 6 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

30 Go to comments
A
Adrian 8 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

30 Go to comments
T
Trevor 11 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

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