Scotland took a step towards making up for last week's heavy loss to New Zealand by beating Australia, so says Rory Darge.

The All Blacks thumped Scotland 43-21 last time out, but Gregor Townsend's team responded at Murrayfield on Sunday, overcoming the Wallabies 15-12.

An attritional Test was not quite as close as the scoreline would suggest, given Australia grabbed their second try in the dying embers of a match that failed to come close to the levels of some of the other Nations Championship encounters played over this weekend.

Indeed, three of the game's four tries came within the opening 30 minutes. Matt Fagerson and Jack Dempsey crossed for Scotland, while Harry Potter went over for Australia.

Finn Russell nailed a penalty in the second half to put Scotland 15-5 up, meaning Max Jorgensen's converted try late on was really just a consolation for the Wallabies, who have lost four straight matches since beating South Africa in September.

"It was some shift from the boys; we knew Australia would respond after last week [a defeat to England], and we were disappointed after last week's performance," Scotland captain Darge told ITV Sport.

"A lot of that disappointment was with the physical side of the game, and we did that really well.

"It was a bit of an arm wrestle; the conditions played their part. We know they want to throw the ball around. We like to play an attacking style, but this was a battle of the defences.

Victory over Australia at Scottish Gas Murrayfield Don't miss your last chance to watch Scotland at home this year when we take on Japan next week! 15-12 🇦🇺 https://t.co/QchZWFKMPB

— Scottish Rugby (@Scotlandteam) November 15, 2026

"First of all, we need to enjoy the win and the moment. Come Monday, we know Japan will be disappointed, and they'll respond big.

"It was a tough week; we were really disappointed with last week. The thing with international rugby is you get a chance to put it right, and [the win] was a good step in that direction."

Scotland coach Townsend believes the torrid weather conditions in Edinburgh played their part in a somewhat lifeless Test.

"When we saw the rain half an hour before kick-off, you still hope you'll be able to move the ball. You could tell defences were coming off the line a bit quicker, knowing they could pressure the ball carrier," he told ITV Sport.

"Both teams had to adjust, and I thought we did that well. Defensively, that's one of the best performances I've seen in the last couple of years. Set after set, we were putting them under pressure.

"We were on that edge of physicality but disciplined, hitting hard in the tackle, putting pressure on, listening to the referee, getting back onside. That makes it hard for the opposition to get into our 22m, which was a learning from last week."

Scotland sit fourth in the Northern Hemisphere standings, with Australia fourth in the Southern Hemisphere table.