The Wallaroos had to dig deep in Canberra to survive a determined Scotland, coming from behind with three second-half tries to prevail 38-31 at GIO Stadium in Canberra.
The result completes a three-match sweep of the series between the two sides, the game seeing the hosts celebrate the 50th test of Eva Karpani, while farewelling stalwarts of the side in Cecilia Smith and Emily Chancellor, who announced their retirement from international rugby earlier this week.
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It was hard to ignore the significance of the night early on, an emotional pre-game that saw Karpani take the field first for her 50th cap, followed by the two retiring stars in Smith and Chancellor for an emotional singing of the anthem.
The hosts hit the ground running, finding space on the outside as Amelia Whitaker continued her dream start to her career in gold, cutting the Scottish defence to shreds to score the first of the night in the fourth minute.
The Scots looked to take a more direct approach, but struggled with execution in key moments in the opening 20 minutes, with Tania Naden catching them at the ruck to deny a scoring opportunity early on.
Waiaria Ellis continued her strong form, cutting the Scots to shreds again in the 11th minute to set up Maya Stewart, who dived in the corner, the hosts going at over a point a minute.
However, compounding penalties saw the Scots not miss a second time, with skipper Rachael Malcolm barging over in the 13th minute to give the visitors their first score of the night.
The Scottish maul and set piece proved effective, forcing four back-to-back penalties from the Wallaroos, but execution and one-percenters continued to kneecap their chances to close the gap as halftime approached.
However, the hosts’ discipline continued to struggle, and after several high shots, referee Maggie Cogger-Orr sent Smith to the bin for a high shot on Chloe Rollie.
Sending the ball to the corner, the Scots finally got over the line through their maul and forwards, with Aicha Sutcliffe coming up with the visitors’ second try.
Things then went from bad to worse when Waiaria Ellis was sent to the bin in the 37th minute for going off her feet at the ruck, with the Scots capitalising on the overlap as Katie Buchanan struck late to give the visitors a 17-14 lead at halftime.
However, the hosts came out far more composed in the second half, with Faitala Moleka breaking the defensive line before the Scots suddenly found themselves down a player as Collie was sent to the bin for a deliberate obstruction.
The Australians took advantage immediately, with Moleka barging over in the 44th minute to restore the lead, just as Smith and Ellis returned to the field.
With Karpani, Michaela Leonard and Pia Tapsell injected off the bench soon afterwards, the hosts upped the tempo, pinning the Scots back in their own 22 with the game in the balance, the stats reflecting the even contest between the two sides.
The hosts then extended their lead in the 51st minute, with Samantha Wood finding the Scots short on the blind side and Piper Duck reaping the rewards to score her side’s fourth try of the night.
However, the Scots fought back through an offside penalty, and sustained pressure saw Rhona Lloyd score in the corner in the 55th minute, cutting the margin back to just four points.
The Wallaroos restarted well, and on the hour mark earned a penalty in front of the Scottish posts, with Wood converting to restore the margin to a converted try, 31-24.
Off the restart, the hosts launched from deep in the 61st minute, with Amelia Whitaker and Cecilia Smith combining before the ball somehow found its way into the hands of skipper Siokapesi Palu Sekona to extend the home side’s lead to two tries.
Discipline issues, however, reared their head again, with Karpani then sent for a high shot on Meryl Smith, the advantage giving the visitors momentum with just over 15 minutes to play.
The Scots unloaded the last of their bench, looking for a chance to close the gap, but two key steals at the ruck deep in Wallaroo territory proved massive for the hosts as they began to grow in confidence.
As the final ten minutes began, the Scots found themselves a player down for the rest of the game, with Kate Buchanan sent to the bin for a knock-down, before Cecilia Smith was sent off for a high shot, leaving the field to a standing ovation.
The Scots were given a golden opportunity to claw the margin back to a single try, only for a critical knock-on eating up the clock, Malcolm would barge her way over in the final minute to set up a grandstand finish, but the Scots needed to produce a miracle.
With the clock red and the siren sounding, the Scots had to go the length of the field to force a draw; however, a clutch steal for Georgina Friedrichs at the death sent the crowd wild as the hosts survived to claim a valuable win.
Emotions spilled over immediately, with joyful scenes after the siren as both teams came together to celebrate Smith and Chancellor and a well-contested series.
Australia 38 (Tries: Whitaker, Stewart, Moleka, Duck, Palu Sekona. Cons: Wood 5/5. Pens: Wood 1/1) def Scotland 31 (Tries: Malcolm 2, Sutcliffe, Buchanan, Lloyd. Cons: Nelson 2/4)
