Former Ireland boss Joe Schmidt believes the Scotland team his Australia side will face on Sunday is the strongest he will have faced.
Schmidt enjoyed a near-perfect record against Scotland in his six years coaching Ireland, but the Wallabies head coach believes the team he will face this weekend is better balanced than the teams of the past.
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“The Scotland team is as strong a Scotland team as I’ve seen,” said the New Zealander, who took over from Eddie Jones after a disastrous Rugby World Cup campaign for Australia.
He added: “Scotland play a fantastic brand of rugby.
"During the World Cup, outside of the All Blacks, they're the team that played the width more than any other team, so you've got to be good across the field, but then they have some very good direct runners, like Sione Tuipulotu.”
Schmidt also singled out Finn Russell and Blair Kinghorn for praise.
He said of the talismanic duo: “They’re kind of hitting that sweet spot, I think, of 30 to 60 caps and 25 to 30 years old where they’ve got enough maturity and experience to be with the right amount of confidence and experience to be able to adapt the game as it needs to be done.
“Duhan van der Merwe has obviously been a standout, but Darcy Graham has been electric.
“And through the midfield, Sione is pretty well known to our boys, and Huw Jones I know pretty well - he’s elusive and brings real experience to the midfield as well.”
Schmidt has made six changes to his team for Sunday’s game despite a record win over Wales last weekend.
He has handed a debut to wing Harry Potter, while lock Jeremy Williams, flanker Carlo Tizzano, number eight and captain Harry Wilson, scrum-half Jake Gordon and centre Joseph Sua'ali'i all return to the starting line-up.
Schmidt also admitted the Wallabies’ preparations have been hampered somewhat by the freezing temperatures in Edinburgh.
He said: “The grounds are frozen and Scottish Rugby were super - they let us onto Murrayfield so that we could train.
"It meant that we could actually get a session on the grass. And hopefully, you know, that just sharpens the boys ready for Sunday.”
And the Australia coach knows all about getting plans right ahead of the big day, after his Ireland team arrived at Murrayfield with less than half an hour to kick-off for the 2017 Six Nations match.
Vern Cotter's Scotland took full advantage, making a fast start before surviving an Irish comeback to win.
It remains the last time a Scotland side beat Ireland having failed to do so under Gregor Townsend.
"I'll never forget saying to VC (Vern Cotter), he's a great mate of mine and was coaching Scotland. There was no sympathy, you just get on with it.
“I remember being out of the game early and Scotland started really well, but we actually got back into that game and got our nose in front and Greg Laidlaw kicked a couple of goals at the end.
"VC might have mentioned it a couple of times since then, and fair play to him."
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