Autumn Internationals: Scotland v Australia Hampden Park, 2.45: Even though Scotland's 100-8 drubbing of Japan in Perth last weekend was their biggest international win, today's second meeting in three weekends with Australia in Glasgow is a reminder of a more sobering statistic.On TV: BBC 1
It is 22 years since the Scots beat Australia and the Wallabies' heavy defeat in Paris seven days ago against a storming France side does nothing to suggest Scottish fortunes are about to turn.
There is no reassurance in Scotland's unbeaten record in three Tests at Hampden Park, including the Springboks and England, as those internationals were in 1906 and 1896 respectively.
If the Scots have any grounds for optimism they are founded on the fact their coach Matt Williams has been able to draft in English Premiership players who were not available for the first outing against Australia.
With Ben Hinshelwood of Worcester at centre, Leeds's Gavin Kerr at prop and Stuart Grimes of Newcastle at lock, plus three other Premiership players, Robbie Russell, Jason White and Gordon Ross, on the bench, Williams's starting side has a rather more substantial look to it than the team which leaked four tries in 20 minutes at Murrayfield.
Williams does believe the victory against Japan, Scotland's first home win for 15 months with 15 tries scored, will have breathed new life into his side and called for Scotland to show a more positive spirit.
"I think it is a confidence issue and that's why last week is so important. When you believe you can win you try to score the points, you go at teams and try and play a positive game.
"Against all the great teams you have to dare to win. You can't go out and say you are going to contain (them), you've got to run at them and be positive and you've got to fight fire with fire. I think (Australia) will come out and play at the same high intensity and that is what has been difficult for us to live with for 80 minutes."
The Australians hold no mystery for the Scots. Today's Test is the sides' fifth encounter in 12 months but the pattern has been for Scottish, rather than Wallaby, weaknesses to be exposed, hence the caution of the Scotland scrumhalf Chris Cusiter.
"There is no danger of false confidence. We played them two weeks ago, and at half-time we were 28-0 down and looking down the barrel of a gun."
In language guaranteed to annoy his hosts, the Australia coach Eddie Jones seems to feel the Scots' record-breaking performance against Japan was barely relevant.
"Without being disrespectful to Japan, they were awful," he said. "They looked extremely disjointed and they were a long way away from where they were in the World Cup."
Jones said poor communication and France's powerful scrummaging were at the root of his side's disjointed performance in Paris. "It was communication, and in the second half we could not work any scrum ball. A lot of our backs made mistakes and we lacked assertiveness. We were easy pickings for the French defence."
David Lyons replaces the injured John Roe in the only Australian change.
SCOTLAND: Southwell (Edinburgh); Paterson (Edinburgh), Hinshelwood (Worcester), Henderson (Glasgow), Lamont (Glasgow); Parks (Glasgow), Cusiter (Borders); Jacobsen (Edinburgh), Bulloch (Glasgow, capt), Kerr (Leeds), Grimes (Newcastle), Hines (Edinburgh), Hogg (Edinburgh), Macfadyen (Glasgow), Petrie (Glasgow). Replacements: Russell (London Irish), Douglas (Borders), MacLeod (Borders), White (Sale), Blair (Edinburgh), Ross (Leeds), Morrison (Glasgow).
AUSTRALIA: Latham (Queensland); Rathbone (ACT), Mortlock (ACT), Giteau (ACT), Tuqiri (ACT); Larkham (ACT), Gregan (ACT, capt); Young (ACT), Paul (ACT), Baxter (NSW), Vickerman (NSW), Harrison (NSW), Smith (ACT), Waugh (NSW), Lyons (NSW). Replacements: Cannon (NSW), Dunning (NSW), Samo (ACT), Hoiles (NSW), Flatley (Queensland), Sailor (Queensland), Rogers (NSW).
Referee: A Lewis (Ireland).
