Scotland edge Australia 15-12 in Nations Championship

ANDY BUCHANAN / AFP

Scotland held on for a narrow 15-12 win over Australia in the Nations Championship at Murrayfield on Sunday, deepening the gloom for next year's World Cup hosts.

Both sides scored two tries in an attritional and error-ridden battle that featured few moments of quality and a scoreless spell lasting more than 45 minutes.

Matt Fagerson and Jack Dempsey went over for Scotland in the opening 27 minutes and Finn Russell added a conversion for a 12-5 halftime lead.

Russell's penalty stretched the advantage to 15-5 with six minutes remaining, before Max Jorgensen crossed in the final minute and Ben Donaldson converted. Australia had opened their account through winger Harry Potter's first-half try.

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