Andy Robinson has hailed his side's victory over Australia © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

News: Gatland predicts Giteau rebound

News: Peel excited by Jones link-up

News: Pumas make six changes

News: Robinson hands debut to MacDonald

News: No excuses from Giteau

News: Cross in for injured Ioane

News: Kellock delights in historic triumph

Matches: Scotland 9 - 8 Australia

Players/Officials: John Barclay | Johnnie Beattie | Ryan Cross | Chris Cusiter | Robbie Deans | Rocky Elsom | Will Genia | Nathan Hines | Digby Ioane | Drew Mitchell | David Pocock | Andy Robinson | George Smith

Tournaments/Tours: Australia tour

Teams: Australia | Scotland

Scotland coach Andy Robinson led the celebrations after his side's long-awaited victory over Australia, hailing it as "the most courageous performance I have ever been involved in."

Scotland survived with a 9-8 victory after Matt Giteau missed a stoppage-time conversion for the tourists. Robinson believes that Scotland can now build from the result going forward, having instilled belief in the squad.

"I've said to the team that is the most courageous performance I've ever been involved in," Robinson said. "The effort that has been put in, the way the team got off the floor and defended - and credit to Graham Steadman for the way he's put this defence together - was incredible.

"The amount of ball that we gave Australia to play with throughout the game and the courage that the players had to get up and keep knocking them over. We needed a bit of luck, I thought the guys worked hard to establish that luck.

"If we can perform like that, with that same courage every time we go on the pitch, then we can grow a team and that's what we're about now. That's the baseline for our performance, the guys have got belief."

Robinson admitted that his side would need to improve on the possession stats after the Wallabies completely dominated both there and in the territory stakes, but insisted that they now have the platform to make that improvement.

"I'd like us to play with a little bit more ball and want to keep hold of it a little bit more," said Robinson. "But that's the levels that we've got to improve and it just shows you we do have to improve with our ball in hand. That's a platform now for us to be able to do that."

Despite being on the back foot throughout, Scotland scored almost every time they entered the Australia half, Phil Godman kicking two penalties - the second via a post - and Chris Paterson dropping a goal.

Asked whether his side's defending occurred by accident or design, Robinson said: "Technically, we were a lot better in the way we were able to defend."

And he insisted he would have been as proud of his team had Giteau kicked his last-gasp conversion. He added: "It just shows you sport is won and lost by inches, drop-goal miss, penalty miss, from Giteau, and Phil's hits the post and goes the right way.

"Some days, it's going for you. There are going to be days it doesn't go our way and we've got to stand tall and be the same as we are today. Lots of people talk to me about performance and style but you don't get a better feeling than you have now by winning. International sport, whether we like it or not, is about winning."

Robinson acknowledged the role the 44,762 crowd played in the final quarter, saying: "It was great to hearing them signing, great to hear that support. "It was like being in the southern hemisphere with the way they were trying to put Giteau off. That's the emotion and that's what sport is about. It's about the emotion, it's about the passion that comes out and that's why we get involved in it."

Australia head coach Robbie Deans said he had never been involved in a game where his side had dominated so much and still lost.

"You've got to give credit to Scotland; I thought they had tenacity in how they hung in there and sometimes that's all you've got to do," he said. "Scotland defended well and we were very error-prone."

Captain Rocky Elsom added, "We definitely didn't come here to lose, very disappointed. I think the error rate was something that really hurt us. The Scottish defence was very good; it was probably the key to them getting on top in the match."

Elsom insisted he did not take victory for granted when Giteau stepped up in stoppage-time. "I didn't feel home and hosed, that's for sure," he said, before backing his fly-half. "If I was going to give a crucial kick to anyone, it would be Matt. He's our kicker and he's the best we've got."

Elsom saw a try controversially disallowed by the video referee early in the second half. "I felt that I had enough pressure on the ball that it was down on the ground," he said.

Deans confirmed number eight Wycliff Palu had not suffered a serious injury after being taken off in a neck brace and oxygen mask following the build-up to a second disallowed Wallabies try.