Gregor Townsend’s hosts take on the reeling Wallabies, seeking to quickly bounce back from seeing their 121-year winless run against New Zealand extended with a disappointing 43-21 defeat at Murrayfield last time out.
Hooker Ewan Ashman scored a hat-trick, but it was not nearly enough as the confident All Blacks ran in seven tries in total to preserve their long unbeaten record against Scotland and draw level with South Africa atop of the Southern Hemisphere standings.
Scotland sit down in fourth in the Northern Hemisphere table, above only Wales and Italy after also being brushed aside by the Springboks in the summer, either side of entertaining victories against Argentina and Fiji.
This feels like a must-win game for the Scots, with Australia coming off an atrocious performance at Twickenham in which they conceded a record number of points to old rivals England in a hopelessly one-sided 45-22 defeat that could and should have been even more emphatic as the pressure was significantly eased on Steve Borthwick after a difficult week.
That came after the Wallabies were dominated in two more Bledisloe Cup defeats by New Zealand, halting their momentum after series wins against Argentina and Japan under new coach Les Kiss, plus a memorable victory over a second-string Springbok team on home soil.
Their Nations Championship campaign started with a gut-wrenching last-gasp loss to Ireland, while they also fell victim to a storming second-half comeback by France before thrashing Italy in their only victory thus far.
Scotland vs Australia date, kick-off time and venue
Scotland vs Australia in the Nations Championship takes place today, Sunday November 15, 2026 at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh.
The match kicks off at 3:10pm GMT.
How to watch Scotland vs Australia
TV channel: In the UK, Scotland vs Australia will be televised live and free-to-air on ITV and STV. Coverage begins at 2pm GMT on ITV1.
Live stream: The match will also be available to watch live online via the ITVX website and app, which is free with a registration.
Scotland vs Australia team news
Townsend has made two changes to the Scotland team that started against the All Blacks, with Blair Kinghorn replacing Kyle Rowe at full-back as Jamie Dobie makes way for Darcy Graham on the left wing.
Kyle Steyn completes the back three, with captain Sione Tuipulotu in the centres with Huw Jones. Finn Russell and Ben White remain the starting half-back partnership.
The forward pack is unchanged, with hooker Ashman joined in the front row by props Rory Sutherland and Zander Fagerson. Gregor Brown and Scott Cummings continue at lock, in front of a back row that consists of Matt Fagerson, Rory Darge and Jack Dempsey.
Newcastle back row Ollie Leatherbarrow is in line to earn his first Scotland cap as a replacement, replacing George Horne as Townsend pivots from a 5-3 bench split to 6-2.
Starter: Blair Kinghorn comes in at full-back for Scotland against Australia
Getty
Tom Jordan is the other back cover, alongside forward finishers Gregor Hiddleston, Pierre Schoeman, Will Hurd, Max Williamson, Josh Bayliss and Leatherbarrow.
There are three personnel changes from Australia, who bring the powerful Rob Valetini back into the pack at blindside flanker as Jeremy Williams reverts to lock and Lukhan Salakaia-Loto drops out.
Carter Gordon was omitted from the matchday squad entirely to face England, but starts at fly-half here instead of Declan Meredith as Ben Donaldson remains the back-up option.
Harry Potter returns on the left wing, pushing Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii back into the centres alongside Len Ikitau, with Isaac Henry making way.
Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Lachlan Shaw and Tom Hooper all come onto the bench.
Scotland vs Australia lineups
Scotland XV: Kinghorn; Steyn, Jones, Tuipulotu (c), Graham; Russell, White; Sutherland, Ashman, Z Fagerson; Brown, Cummings; M Fagerson, Darge, Dempsey
Replacements: Hiddleston, Schoeman, Hurd, Williamson, Bayliss, Leatherbarrow, Dobie, Jordan
Australia XV: Wright; Jorgensen, Suaalii, Ikitau, Potter; Gordon, Lonergan; Bell, Pollard, Alaalatoa; Canham, Williams; Valetini, McReight, Wilson (c)
Replacements: Paenga-Amosa, Kailea, Tupou, Shaw, Hooper, McDermott, Donaldson, Daugunu
Scotland vs Australia head to head (h2h) history and results
Scotland have won four of their last five meetings with Australia, including a 27-13 home triumph two autumns ago.
Australia’s 16-15 victory at Murrayfield in 2022 – in which Kinghorn missed a last-gasp penalty – was their first over the Scots since 2016.
Crossing the line: Scotland were victorious over Australia at Murrayfield in 2024
Getty Images
Scotland vs Australia prediction
Though they certainly played their part in an entertaining contest, Scotland never looked likely to end that long winless run against the All Blacks that has spanned more than a century.
It leaves them needing to beat Australia to stay in the mix towards the right end of the Northern Hemisphere standings in the Nations Championship, and they should feel confident of doing so.
It has been an inconsistent start to the Les Kiss era for the Wallabies, who are using this autumn campaign as a yardstick to properly measure their progress ahead of the World Cup on home soil next year.
He will have been horrified by their abject showing at Twickenham and demanding an instant response, though it’s hard to see them resisting Scotland’s impressive attack for long.
Scotland to win, by 14 points.
