That’s the Autumn Test series over for Scotland and every other nation apart from Ireland and Australia who meet in Dublin next weekend.
The Murrayfield win over the Wallabies brought to an end the international calendar year for Gregor Townsend and his team.
Rob Robertson takes a look back on what we have learned from the four games in the autumn Tests and analysis in what shape Scotland are in heading into 2025.
1. There have to be more victories over Tier-One nations.
Thirteen games were played in 2024 and nine won. That is the most Test matches Scotland have won in a year, overtaking the eight they won both last year and in 1999. This time out there were two wins in the Six Nations, four on the summer tour and three out of four in the autumn Tests.
In the seven matches they played against Tier-One nations - the results on which they should be judged - they beat Wales and England in the Six Nations and Australia at the weekend. They lost to France, Italy and Ireland in the Six Nations and South Africa earlier this month. Second-Tier rugby nations Canada,USA, Chile, Uruguay, Fiji and Portugal were all dispatched with ease. You can only play what is in front of you and although that is a very good win record for the year there must be more victories over Tier-One nations when it matters.
2. Townsend and his backroom staff have got the Scotland team in decent shape
3. Sione Tuipulotu should be captain for the foreseeable future
The time for continually switching the captaincy is over. Townsend made clear his skipper needs to be guaranteed a starting place in his team and Tuipolutu is one of the best centres in the world so he fits the bill.
Finn Russell and Rory Darge were co-captains for the 2024 Six Nations. Before that Jamie Ritchie did it on his own from the 2022 Autumn Nations Series and through the 2023 Rugby World Cup. Stuart Hogg held the captaincy from 2020 until after the 2022 Six Nations. Luke Crosbie and Stafford McDowall have also had a go.
At 27-years-old Tuipulotu is young enough to still be around -injury permitting- for the 2027 World Cup in Australia where he was born.
Townsend should have a private word now with Tuipulotu, who is liked and respected by his team-mates, to tell him the captaincy is his going forward.
4. Let’s all cut Scotland's young talent some slack
Scotland assistant head coach John Dalziel was trying to be well-meaning and encouraging when he described 19-year-old Freddy Douglas as “world class’ despite the fact he has yet to play a game of professional rugby for Edinburgh, let alone win an international cap for Scotland. In hindsight, Dalziel may feel he could have chosen his words a bit more carefully as there is now, through no fault of his own, huge expectation on the openside flanker.
There is no question the teenager has potential but has yet to fulfil it. Being part of the Scotland squad for the autumn Tests brought him much-needed experience and he deserved to be named man of the match for the Scotland A team in their win over Chile and hopefully, he will make his Edinburgh debut soon.
His fellow back row Ben Muncaster is a bit ahead of Douglas when it comes to his development. Only injury has stopped him playing more for Edinburgh and he made his Scotland debut against Portugal. He is another who can go all the way to the top but let’s give him time and space to improve.
5. Scotland had the best back three of any country in the autumn Tests
They may not have always shown it but Blair Kinghorn at full-back and Duhan van der Merwe and Darcy Graham on the wings is a world-class combination. Kinghorn has become a much better player since he moved from Edinburgh to Toulouse and deserved to be named man of the match against Australia. His pass to set up Finn Russell’s try was magnificent. Van der Merwe -who is one ahead with 30 - is in a competition with Graham to finish their career as Scotland’s top try scorer. That competitive edge between them brings the best out of the pair.
6. We aren't any clearer who the first choice Scotland hooker should be
George Turner’s decision to move to Japan has given Gregor Townsend a long-lasting problem that he has still to find a solution.
His preferred replacement is Ewan Ashman of Edinburgh who is good but not good enough to be guaranteed his place every week which is a worry heading into the Six Nations.
He can score tries and helped set up Sione Tuipulotu’s opening one against Australia with a clever line-out throw. He can be inconsistent under pressure and threw a squint throw-in from the crucial first line out in the second half when the game was still in the balance and his team was going for a try.
His nearest challenger is Dylan Richardson of the Sharks who replaced him against Australia. A slight over-throw from Richardson was pinched by the Aussies near their own try line and nearly led to a score up the other end.
Patrick Harrison isn’t far behind him in the pecking order. Johnny Matthews may be a fans favourite but he clearly isn’t thought of highly enough by Townsend to be considered for the hookers jersey. The starting hooker jersey is still very much up for grabs.
7. We have been privileged to watch one of the greatest South Africa sides ever
The back-to-back World Cup winners have been terrific in the autumn Test series. Coming here off the back of their Rugby Championship victory they beat Scotland, England and Wales.
Gregor Townsend described Scotland’s 32-15 defeat to them as one of their “best ever performances” yet they still lost and didn’t score a single try while the Springboks got four. Every single one of the 67,144 fans who were inside Murrayfield that day witnessed world-class players such as World Cup-winning captain Siya Kolisi, second-row Eben Etzebeth and World Rugby Player of the Year Pieter-Steph du Toit at the peak of their powers.
Read more:
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Sione Tuipulotu believes 'scary' Scotland let Australia off the hook
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Defensive display the key to Australia win, says Gregor Townsend
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Scotland vs Australia player ratings as three players get 8/10
8. Wales are in a sorry state
Twelve losses in a row and not a single Test victory in 2024 is the worst run of defeats in the history of Welsh rugby. Whatever you think of Warren Gatland the quality of the current crop of players is poor and there is no guarantee that whoever replaces him will be able to turn around their fortunes.
With the likes of Sam Warburton retiring in 2018 and Wales and British and Irish Lions captain Alun Wyn Jones calling it quits last year they lack leadership on the park. If you are clutching at straws you could suggest that winger Louis Rees-Zammit can make a difference if and when he returns from trying to make it in American football but the future looks gloomy for the Welsh.
9. England will get better
Scotland have beaten England four times in a row in the Six Nations and face them at Allianz stadium (Twickenham) next time round. They may have lost to Australia and South Africa but they have a big pool of players and will bounce back. Whether Steve Borthwick is the best person to bring the best out of the players remains to be seen but they are not as bad as their recent results against Tier-One nations suggest.
10. Ireland look vulnerable for once
They are the only Six Nations team with another Test match to play when they take on Australia in Dublin next Saturday. How they get on in that one will decide whether they have had a good autumn Test series or not.
They were outplayed by New Zealand (lost 23-13) beat Argentina (22-19) before easily beating Fiji (52-17). After their match against Australia their head coach Andy Farrell will take a leave of absence to concentrate on his role as the next head coach of the British and Irish Lions. Ireland defence coach Simon Easterby takes over from him for the Six Nations on an interim basis but he inherits a group of players that will badly miss Farrell.
11. Italy remain an enigma
Scotland take on Italy first at Murrayfield in the next Six Nations. That is a good thing as based on their autumn Test series form they have not built on their success in the last Six Nations when they beat Scotland in Rome.
They lost 50-18 to Argentina, squeezed home 20-17 against Georgia and although they put up a creditable performance against New Zealand in Turin they lost 29-11 at the weekend. With Paolo Garbisi, Tommaso Menoncello and Ange Capuozzo in their side they can never be written off but they may struggle in the next Six Nations.
12. New Zealand Scott Robertson is starting to make a difference
They return home after wins over England, Ireland and Italy and a narrow loss to France. They will miss former captain Sam Cane who retired after the Italy game after winning 104 caps.
13. Will the real Australia please stand up?
Joe Schmidt’s team took some heavy beatings in the Rugby Championship but opened their tour with wins over England and Wales. They looked tired against Scotland and won’t be relishing their trip to play Ireland in Dublin next weekend.
14. Japan haven’t kicked on under Eddie Jones
15. France remains the best side in the northern hemisphere by a long way
They warmed up by putting 52 points on Japan and followed that up with the exciting 30-29 win over the All Blacks then beat Argentina 37-23. They are packed full of talent with Antoine Dupont a joy to watch. The team to beat in the next Six Nations.
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