Scotland's second successive victory in Australia failed to impress the natives: "soft" was the hard verdict on the tourists after they had beaten New South Wales Country 34-13 in Bathurst yesterday.

Jim Telfer's side scored five tries to two as they distanced themselves further from the 51-26 Test defeat by Fiji in Suva last week but the former Wallaby scrum-half Steve Merrick predicted the Scots would be crushed by Australia in the Tests in Sydney on Saturday week and Brisbane on June 20th. "They were a bit soft and they're going to get smashed," he said. Graeme Burns, Rowen Shepherd, Gregor Townsend and Gordon McIlwham scored for the Scots, who were also awarded a penalty try, and Andrew Hurdley scored both the Country XV's tries.

Scotland's coach Jim Telfer praised Burns, the scrum-half, for his defence. It will need to continue: on Saturday they face the might of Super 12 opposition, New South Wales in Sydney.

Meanwhile, England face the already daunting task of taking on Australia in Brisbane this Saturday with a half-back pairing that has played a grand total of two minutes of full international rugby.

In the latest setback to Clive Woodward's injury-ravaged squad the new captain Matt Dawson was ruled out of the Test yesterday with a knee ligament strain. Gloucester's scrum-half Scott Benton steps in to become the fifth new cap in the side.

He will be paired with Jonny Wilkinson, the Newcastle reserve who passed his 19th birthday only last month and who was a last-minute substitute on the wing against Ireland at Twickenham in April. The Saracens number eight Tony Diprose takes over the captaincy.

The 23-year-old Benton, understudy to Dawson in the last two games of this year's Five Nations' Championship, joins the Richmond wing Spencer Brown, the Saracens pair Steve Ravenscroft and Ben Sturnham and the Sale flanker Pat Sanderson in making his debut.

Dawson was appointed captain for the demanding tour to Australia, New Zealand and South Africa when Lawrence Dallaglio withdrew because of a persistent shoulder problem. Dawson, who played for the Lions in South Africa last summer, had been due to win his 12th cap.

Leicester's Austin Healey will be on the bench as a scrum-half replacement and the Richmond wing Dominic Chapman will also be on the bench. Alex King of Wasps replaces Bristol's Josh Lewsey.