Scotland 15 Australia 44: On a deflating weekend for the home nations Scotland's performance in Edinburgh was the flattest. Scotland's captain Chris Paterson said afterwards: "After losing by that margin in the past to Australia we might have been content, but not now."

Scotland coach Frank Hadden cited the attendance - 64,120 was a record for the fixture - as one of the few reasons to be cheerful. For Hadden the loss of the Australian-born lock Nathan Hines was highly significant.

Scotland may have had the heaviest forward on the pitch, in the 18st 12lb tighthead prop Euan Murray, but they needed Hines's physicality and ball-carrying impact against the Wallabies.

Instead, under pressure from the International Board, the Perpignan forward was stood down on the morning of the game while an investigation continues in France into an incident in which he is alleged to have stamped on the Canadian forward Mike James in a club match against Stade Francais.

Hadden was diplomatic but privately seething. After also losing the captain, Jason White, to an injury against Romania a fortnight ago, Scotland lacked ballast and experience in the pack.

Gloucester's young scrumhalf Rory Lawson came on for the last 10 minutes. Lawson's father, Alan, was also a scrumhalf for Scotland in the 1970s, and more poignantly Rory is Bill McLaren's grandson. If McLaren had still been in the commentary box he would have had to put family loyalties aside and admired the artistry of Stephen Larkham at outhalf for the Wallabies and the brilliance of Chris Latham at fullback.

The old stagers came good. Ten points down after six minutes because of Simon Webster's early try, the Wallabies took control, scoring 30 points without reply.

Scotland rallied briefly when Sean Lamont took advantage of a slip by Lote Tuqiri to score a second try but Mortlock's perfect place-kicking - eight out of eight - helped twist the knife.

• Italy overcame an early shock to beat Canada, 41-6, at the Stadio Flaminio on Saturday as two tries from Marko Stanojevic and a flawless kicking performance from David Bortolussi erased memories of last week's defeat by Argentina. Ander Monro kicked a pair of penalties to put Canada into the lead but captain Marco Bortolami grabbed a try and Italy led 13-6 at the interval.

The home side secured the victory with a four-try burst in the opening 20 minutes of the second half as winger Stanojevic (two), second row Alessandro Zanni and prop Martin Castrogiovanni all crossed. Bortolussi added two penalties as Italy cruised to victory.

• Guardian Service

SCOTLAND: Paterson (capt); Lamont, Di Rollo, Henderson, Webster; Parks, Blair; Kerr, Hall, E Murray, Kellock, S Murray, Taylor, Brown, Callam. Replacements: Southwell for Webster (22 mins), Jacobsen for Kerr (48 mins), Godman for Parks, Ford for Hall (both 56 mins), Strokosch for Brown, Hamilton for Murray (67 mins), Lawson for Blair (70 mins), Kerr for E Murray (75 mins).

AUSTRALIA: Latham; Gerrard, Mortlock (capt), Staniforth, Tuqiri; Larkham, Giteau; Robinson, Moore, Shepherdson, Sharpe, Campbell, Elsom, Smith, Lyons. Replacements: Palu for Lyons, Waugh for Smith (both 59 mins), Chisholm for Elsom (68 mins), Valentine for Larkham, Baxter for Robinson (both 75 mins).

Referee: D Courtney(Ireland).