There he is!

Jamie Ritchie does what Jamie Ritchie does best, gets over the top of the ball and wins Scotland a penalty at the breakdown.

This game has started at breakneck speed.

Tate McDermott darts down the side of a ruck, but cannot get on the end of his own kick.

Warning signs for Scotland early on.

Blair Kinghorn kicks high into the Edinburgh sky.

Away we go...

Advance Australia Fair is first, before Flower of Scotland is positively belted out by players and fans alike.

Jamie Ritchie looks proud as punch.

Jamie Ritchie leads out Scotland, James Slipper leads out Australia.

Murrayfield is packed to the rafters despite today's train strikes, and I for one cannot wait.

Bryan Habana
Former South Africa winger on Prime Video Sport

Darcy Graham has always posed problems for opposition defences, but has taken his game to a new level in recent times.

The Hawick flyer leads the URC for tries scored, clean breaks, defenders beaten, and metres made.

He is developing into a world-class operator, and will want to continue his red-hot form this afternoon.

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Inconsistency is a familiar trait for Scottish rugby fans, but it has also plagued Australia in recent times.

Dave Rennie has masterminded victories over the All Blacks and South Africa (twice) and delivered a series victory over France, but 2022 has been a challenge. The Wallabies have won just three of their nine Tests this year.

That is not too dissimilar to Scotland's record of three wins from eight, but Scotland do hold the upper hand when it comes to this particular fixture.

A win today would make it four wins in a row over Australia.

Australia Head Coach Dave Rennie tells Prime Video Sport: "We've got guys who have got an opportunity to stake a claim for other tests and maybe even a World Cup spot next year. We've picked a good team today with some youngsters, which is exciting.

"These matches are important to us. We want to win every game, but we're going to make sure we enjoy it.

"Last year, we were locked in hotels, wearing masks. We didn't get much opportunity to enjoy the culture of wherever we went, so we want to do that. Having fun is also about performing on the field."

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Scotland Head Coach Gregor Townsend tells Prime Video Sport: "We can only play our players based on Scotland, so it's a good opportunity for Jamie (Ritchie) to captain the team. He'll be our captain throughout the series.

"The team goes out there and it's all up to them. Selection is all about opportunity. It can bring different opinions but we back whatever team we put out there.

"Jamie has been the captain for Edinburgh and he's a really good leader. He's been in our leadership group for the last three or four years. He leads through his actions. Captaincy is important but really it's the leaders in the team.

"We know this will be a tough challenge. The way our players got into training this week shows they're connecting well. There will be errors given the conditions, and we haven't played for a few months. But we believe our squad can get the win today."

Jack Dempsey won 14 caps for Australia, but the Sydney-born back-rower became eligible for Scotland selection following a three year "cooling-off period", and Gregor Townsend showed no hesitation in picking the Glasgow man in his squad.

He starts on the bench for this one.

"We always felt he lacked a little bit of physicality," said Australia head coach Dave Rennie this week, explaining why Dempsey was allowed to slip away from the Australia set-up.

You would imagine those words will be whispered in Dempsey's ear just before he runs on to the Murrayfield pitch to make his Scotland bow against the country whose colours he used to wear.

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John Barclay
Former Scotland captain on Prime Video Sport

The headline news when Gregor Townsend announced his squad for these autumn internationals was the absence of mercurial fly-half Finn Russell.

He wouldn't have been available for this game anyway, but his non-selection has dominated the build-up, with Gregor Townsend saying his selections at 10 were based on form and consistency.

Scotland's head coach has not closed the door on a return for Russell in the future, but it is the latest in a series of clashes between coach and player.

"The door is not closed on any player," Townsend said.

"The door is open to all our players."

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With this match falling outside the international window, Gregor Townsend is only able to select players that play in Scotland.

Ten of his starting XV come from Mike Blair's Edinburgh side, including Blair Kinghorn, who is once again tasked with pulling the strings from fly-half.

Hamish Watson and Matt Fagerson join Jamie Ritchie in a formidable-looking back row, whilst Ollie Smith wins his second cap at full-back.

Scotland: Smith, Graham, Bennett, Tuipulotu, Van der Merwe, Kinghorn, Price; Schoeman, Cherry, Z Fagerson, Skinner, Gilchrist, Ritchie (capt), Watson, M Fagerson.

Replacements: Turner, Bhatti, Nel, Young, Dempsey, Horne, Thompson, Hoyland.

Australia: Banks, Kellaway, Ikitau, Paisami, Wright, Foley, McDermott; Slipper (capt), Porecki, Alaalatoa, Frost, Neville, Holloway, Hooper, Valetini.

Replacements: Fainga’a, Gibbon, Tupou, Hanigan, Samu, White, Lolesio, Campbell.

Just two wins in the Six Nations, a series defeat in Argentina, and off-field dramas have left the impression that Scotland are drifting towards next year's World Cup rather than building up steam.

Captaincy duties in Argentina were split between Grant Gilchrist and Hamish Watson with Stuart Hogg rested; Gregor Townsend has turned to the fit-again Jamie Ritchie to lead the national side from here on in.

Gilchrist has said this week that his Edinburgh teammate is certainly the right choice.

"In my eyes he was always going to be Scotland captain," Gilchrist said.

Scotland's new leader also has the full support of his predecessor.

"I've a huge amount of respect for Hoggy as a man and a rugby player," said Ritchie. "He was one of the first guys to congratulate me. He sent a nice message to say he backed me. It meant a lot."

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G’day folks!

Today marks the start of an autumnal feast of international rugby for Scotland, as they welcome Australia to Murrayfield, before games against Fiji, New Zealand and Argentina.

We'll have live text updates for you throughout.

Let’s get cracking...

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