Sione Tuipulotu’s departure from the Rebels in 2019 barely made headlines, but five years on the Melbourne-𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 centre gave Australians something to write about after 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁ing off any hope of a Wallabies Grand Slam.

The new Scotland captain, who qualified through his Scottish-𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 grandmother, came back to haunt his old teammates in more ways than one on a feisty evening in Edinburgh.

Not only did the 27-year-old score Scotland’s first try to get the Murrayfield faithful roaring, but it was his clutch moment in the second half to deny the Wallabies a certain match-turning try that proved even more crucial in their 27-13 win.

With the Wallabies trailing 17-6 after 62 minutes, Scotland mucked up a lineout play and the visitors turned a defensive maul into almost a stunning length of the field of the try as Rob Valetini hacked the ball upfield and Max Jorgensen and Harry Potter combined to put them right on the attack.

The Wallabies debutant was tackled seven metres out from the Scottish line, before quickly recycling to allow Tate McDermott to pick up the ball.

Seeing room out wide, McDermott dropped the ball on the toe looking for his outside men Andrew Kellaway and Tom Wright but Tuipulotu, who managed to retreat behind the last feet by the time the halfback kicked the ball, intercepted like a half-back running back in Aussie rules.

Tuipulotu put up his hand to signal a mark and just like that the Wallabies’ great chance of storming back into the contest was snuffed out as quickly as it presented itself.

The thief-in-the-night play shocked everyone, not least McDermott who put his hand up to apologise after realising the Wallabies should have hunted around the ruck or midfield rather than go for the all-or-nothing play.

“Oh, it’s a stunning bit of play from Tuipulotu,” Stan Sport commentator Sean Maloney said. “The Wallabies looked in for all money.”

Former Wallabies back turned pundit Morgan Turinui, who saw Tuipulotu coming through the ranks in Melbourne, added: “Jeez, Tuipulotu’s done well to get onside there. I guess, McDermott just didn’t see him.”

While fellow Wallaby Justin Harrison said he was “at a loss about how the Wallabies didn’t score there.”

“They had the Scottish at sixes and sevens, great scramble defence,” he said.

Although the Wallabies got the ball back from Tuipulotu’s clearing kick, a knock-on from Noah Lolesio made the bombed chance harder to swallow.

Rubbing salt into the wound, Scotland scored two tries in the next six minutes, including one to maverick fly-half Finn Russell, and the home side had their fourth win from their past five Tests against the Wallabies.

It also ended any hope of the Wallabies heading to Dublin with the chance of ending their 40-year Grand Slam drought.

Making Tuipulotu’s afternoon all more special was his match-winning performance was in front of his grandmother Jaqueline Thomson, who was flown up from Melbourne for the Test.

She then presented The Hopetoun Cup – the trophy for defeating the Aussies – to him after the match.

“I don’t really score many tries, so that one was pretty special to score while my grandma was here and knowing how much she also wanted to beat Australia,” said Tuipulotu, who was considered too small by former Rebels coach Dave Wessels.

“I feel really blessed just because of this all happening and not just for me. I’m a little bit emotional about the fact that her life’s just gone full circle and now she gets to sit in the stand and get some recognition.

“It makes me so happy, genuinely. I’m really stoked with how this week’s gone.”

He added: “She whispered in my ear and said: ‘we got them’.”

Meanwhile, former Wallaby and Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh was at the trophy presentation area as Tuipulotu was handed the Cup.

Sione Tuipulotu receives The Hopetoun Cup from his grandmother Jacqueline Thomson after defeating the Wallabies at Murrayfield as Phil Waugh (R) looks on. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

It wasn’t just on the scoreboard that the Wallabies came off second best against Scotland, but the men in gold too.

Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Australian rugby’s most expensive player after jumping ship from the NRL last month, was forced off in the 31st minute after making a shot on Tuipulotu in defence.

It led to Tuipulotu welcoming Suaalii with some choice words.

“To be honest, I didn’t really know it was him that hit me because it felt humongous,” Tuipulotu said.

“When I popped up, I was just kind of looking around at who it was and then I saw that he was on the ground, so I said something to him and then he went off the pitch.”

“I talk a lot during every game. I don’t know if you’ve picked up on that. When you play with your mates, you want to beat them. There was a bit of stick out there, but it makes the game a lot more fun for me anyways.

“We didn’t really speak about that at all, to be honest. It’s not that we spoke about talking more in the game or anything. It just kind of happened the way it happened. But one thing we did speak about was nullifying the guys that they call upon to make them go forward. You know, guys like Rob Valetini, Angus Bell. And they still had their moments in the game because they’re awesome players.”