Scotland captain Ross Ford collected the Hopetoun Cup after the 9-6 win over Australia © Getty Images

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Matches: Australia 6 - 9 Scotland

Players/Officials: Ross Ford

Teams: Scotland

Scotland captain Ross Ford paid tribute to Scotland's defence in their 9-6 win over Australia in Newcastle that brings their seven-match losing streak to an end.

Ford and his team-mates spent most of the second half camped on their tryline keeping the Wallabies at bay. It proved to be vital to the win as the Australians could only add a second Mike Harris penalty to their total after half-time. Harris then missed the chance to put the hosts in front and fly-half Berrick Barnes sliced a drop-goal wide.

In the dying seconds Ford was then part of the Scotland scrum that won the penalty that Greig Laidlaw kicked to win the match.

"The boys are over the moon and they put in a big shift in defence," Ford told Fox Sports. "The conditions weren't good for running rugby, but the boys dug in well in defence, put their bodies on the line and scrapped for a win there. The weather evened things out a little bit and credit to the Aussies they really tested us in defence. They had some big ball carriers, but our boys stuck in there and stuck to the task."

The win provided welcome relief for a side who's most recent victory was a 15-6 win over Georgia in the World Cup last year. Since then they lost to Argentina and England to signal their exit from the World Cup at the pool stage, before coach Andy Robinson and the entire team can under fire for losing five from five in the Six Nations.

Robinson's team now travel to Fiji for a Test on June 16 before completing their tour with a Test against Samoa in Apia on June 23.

"We put ourselves under a lot of pressure but when we finally got the ball we made the most of it," Ford said. "We knew if we could keep them under 20 we could make a game of it. "It is phenomenal; to beat a team like Australia away from home is a great morale booster. They are a great team and to come away from home and to win on their own patch it's a great morale booster for the boys."