SCOTLAND star Stuart Hogg believes the national team CAN get the better of Australia today - despite the fact the Wallabies were unstoppable against Wales last week. The Glasgow Warriors full-back and the rest of the Scotland squad have studied that 32-8 win carefully, and no matter how impressive the tourists were, Hogg is sure he has identified weaknesses.

“We’ve all watched the Wales game closely and there are massive opportunities for us in attack,” the full-back said yesterday. “If we hold onto the ball and keep going forward and playing in the right areas then we should get rewards for that.

“There was also a warning that we need to work incredibly hard to get back into the right areas to stop them scoring tries. Defensively we need to be spot on.

“We need to make the hits and slow the ball down whenever we possibly can and keep their key threats out of the game as much as possible. We’re massively excited about the challenge and we are ready to play.”

The last two times when Scotland beat Australia, the weather was very poor. The forecast for today is good, and assistant coach Jason O’Halloran said it was important the team learn how to win against the best teams in good conditions.

“I would like us to be able to play on a dry track,” he said. “If we want to continue getting better as a team then we need to try and play a good brand of rugby. A turgid style of rugby will beat lesser teams, but it won’t beat the best four or five in the world.

“We will certainly endeavour to play rugby, but at the same time we don’t want to put ourselves under pressure by playing too much in the wrong parts of the field or with rucks that aren’t being recycled quickly. It’s about finding that balance.

“Everything starts up front. We need to create a platform there, so that will be our first challenge.”

Counting Hogg there are six Warriors players in the starting line-up, the others being Alex Dunbar at centre, stand-off Finn Russell, prop Zander Fagerson, second-row Jonny Gray and back-row forward Ryan Wilson. Hooker Fraser Brown is on the bench and should come on at some stage to replace Edinburgh rival Ross Ford, who will be winning his 100th cap.

Scrum-half Ali Price will win his first cap if he comes off the bench as a substitute for captain Greig Laidlaw. Like Price, winger Rory Hughes has been rewarded for showing good form in training - both men were originally left out of the squad of 31 selected by head coach Vern Cotter for the three Autumn Tests. Scotland play Argentina at Murrayfield next Saturday, then move on to Rugby Park in Kilmarnock for their last international of the year, against Georgia.

Scotland (v Australia at Murrayfield today, 2.30pm): S Hogg (Glasgow); S Maitland (Saracens), H Jones (Stormers), A Dunbar (Glasgow), T Visser (Harlequins); F Russell (Glasgow), G Laidlaw (Gloucester); A Dell, R Ford (both Edinburgh), Z Fagerson (Glasgow), R Gray (Toulouse), J Gray (Glasgow), J Barclay (Scarlets), H Watson (Edinburgh), R Wilson (Glasgow). Substitutes: F Brown, G Reid (both Glasgow), M Low (Exeter), G Gilchrist, J Hardie (both Edinburgh), A Price, P Horne, R Hughes (all Glasgow).