Inevitably the 28-year-old was keen to play down his role in dealing with what might have been a mini-crisis. “Chris and I work together at Glasgow and are speaking throughout the whole game.
I spoke to Rory and Phil [Godman] when Chris had gone off to try to implement our gameplan, so it wasn’t a major worry,” he said of the job he inherited.

However, Andy Robinson, the head coach, said the lock had found the right words to reinforce the right messages to his team-mates at half-time.

After modestly feigning forgetfulness about what those had been, Kellock explained: “We spoke at half-time about getting our ball carriers into the game. We also spoke about the fact that the passion has to be right up there. We had a great crowd in, but we can’t expect them to lift us, we have to lift them first and foremost with the display we put on.

“Although at times we didn’t play fantastic rugby we gave absolutely everything. Every single person who took the park left himself on it and we got the reward in the end.”

So, too, as Kellock said, did those supporters who turned up and roared the team on throughout a rousing finale.

“When we were defending on our own line the noise was absolutely fantastic,” said Kellock. “When Nick put the kick over the top and Moray and I were chasing it, the noise ... I think I ran faster than I ever have before. It was carrying me along.”

This was the 10th meeting of these sides since the trophy was introduced in 1998 and the Scots had not failed to stop their opponents from scoring 30 points in any of the previous nine, the closest match having been a 31-17 beating in Kellock’s native Glasgow at Hampden Park five years ago.

Having struggled to establish himself at Test level following his debut five years ago, Kellock’s record is growing into something that the coaches must pay close attention to. In 19 Test appearances he has been on the winning side 10 times. Perhaps more significantly still, he has won on five of the eight occasions he has started. Yet he believes much better is yet to come.

“Don’t get me wrong, we didn’t put everything in that we practised during the week out on that park,” he said. “There are certainly areas we can improve on, but I thought a period during the second half when our back three all had carries in the space of five minutes, there was a real sense of belief about us then. These guys when they get the ball going forward are very, very difficult to stop.”

He also believes this can be an important result for the Scottish game.

“When it’s settled down we’ll look at it again. There are things we need to improve on,” said the stand-in skipper.

“You think about the fantastic players that have gone in that period without beating Australia. I’m not putting 22 on a pedestal just because they won that one game, but it’s fantastic for us.”

Among those past players is the father of arguably Scotland’s outstanding performer on Saturday.

John Beattie senior may have toured twice with the British & Irish Lions and been part of a grand slam-winning squad in 1984, but when it comes to facing Australia all the family bragging rights now lie with John Beattie junior, who has been struggling with a groin injury yet was outstanding for the hour he was on the pitch.

The Warriors No. 8 could hardly have celebrated his 24th birthday in greater style and having grown up surrounded by tales of Scottish rugby history he knows he is now well and truly a part of it.

“Everyone’s just buzzing,” he said. “It was a great thing to be part of. 
I can remember coming here to watch Scotland play England, not last time but the time before when I was on the cusp of breaking into the national squad, but didn’t really feel a part of it.

“The feeling it gave me just watching Scotland win a game like that against a big rugby nation and the night we had after it, it was great to give the Scottish rugby public something like that.

“It’s partly down to Glasgow and Edinburgh being where they are in the league, the belief that’s been developed.

“That’s the first time I’ve been at Murrayfield with a crowd like that at your back. My dad can remember coming to watch when there were 100,000 people and all the schoolboys sitting round the ground. I’ve never had that experience and that was my first time today with 42,000 cheering you on and it was amazing.

“People need to see us win to draw people back to rugby, getting them to watch, to play and get enjoyment out of it. If we can provide that like we did today then that’s our job done.”