But their performance against New South Wales Country was hardly convincing, as they won 34-13 in a scrappy match punctuated by a string of errors.

They registered five tries to their opponents' two. Graeme Burns, Rowen Shepherd, Gregor Townsend and Gordon McIlwham were the scorers, and Scotland were also awarded a penalty try for repeated scrum infringements by their opponents.

But Scotland's victory was not overwhelming

Overall, Scotland coach Jim Telfer was pleased with his side's performance.

"It was a shame we gave away a couple of late tries," he said.

"We were a bit suicidal at times but it's better to try and fail than not to try.

"I wouldn't fault them for effort, I wouldn't fault them for enterprise, that's the way I like Scotland to play."

However their opponents, a team only assembled two days before the game, were unimpressed.

"I thought they were a bit soft actually...they weren't hard at all," said scrumhalf Steve Merrick, a former Wallaby who retired from international rugby after just two internationals to work as a coal truck driver.

"We always get (to play) a couple of international teams each year and usually we get smashed.

"We played Wales (in 1996) and they flogged us, you knew you had been hit, but (against Scotland) it was there and it wasn't."