Lee has jumped across to cover England v Fiji, so I’ll point you in his direction before closing this blog down. Ta-ra.
Michael Aylwin's match report
A 33rd attempt, a 31st defeat and crucially still no win for Scotland against the All Blacks. And so the search will go on. Let us not resort to that familiar lament, if Scotland could not win it here, will they ever. It is true, they had as gilt-edged a chance as they ever have, New Zealand forced to play a total of half an hour a man down, having been shown three yellow cards. It is true, Scotland showed remarkable spirit to recover from 17-0 down at the break to level on the hour. But the All Blacks remain deadly, deadlier than Scotland.
This Scotland team is deadly too, but it is a question of deadliness when it matters. That is where they continue to come up short. New Zealand wrote the manual – and did that a long time ago.
Sione Tuipulotu's reaction
I’m just so disappointed for the boys and all the scottish fans that came out to watch us today. We really wanted to win for everyone in the stadium and we didn’t get that today; that’s a tough pill to swallow for me and the group. Right now it’s tough to take.
I thought when we evened up the game, there was a period of 10 minutes when we went into a kick battle. It was tough because we’ve got to manage the game as well, there’s a lot of moving parts. But we had them under pressure with the way we were moving the ball, attacking them and forcing errors. I’ll have to go back and look at the tape. It feels like, at 17-all, the game was there to be won. But we didn’t get it done today.
I think we’re a really good team now. We’ve gelled really well over the last couple of years. I don’t think it’s enough for us to say ‘we’re nearly there’ – I think we’re better than that now. I’m just utterly disappointed, for our fans especially. I’m disappointed for us all.
I felt like the stadium was hovering when it was 17-all. Thank you so much for everyone who travelled out, New Zealand supporters as well. It made for such a spectacle. Congratulations to New Zealand, they did enough today to win.
Beauden Barrett speaks to TNT Sports
Och! That was a true Test match, and exactly what we prepared for. We have a lot of respect for this Scottish side and Murrayfield – it’s such a privilege to play here, especially on our centenary. Look, it’s not an ideal second half for us but we found a way somehow.
We know they’re a tough defence to break down. They like to stack you in the tackle and frustrate your offense. It was really difficult to penetrate at times.
We’ll enjoy an after-match function tonight! Then we’ll recover and get ready for the English. We’ve got to make sure we enjoy the tour too so we’ll have a bit of fun off the field.
Updated
The player of the match is Damian McKenzie
It was a tough old Test, you know? It’s never easy coming over here to play the Scottish team. The boys started well, then in the second half they came out… they were on top of us for the majority of that half. As a team we knew we had to be patient and then nail any opportunities. Just really proud of how we finished off. [Shakes his head] Not an easy Test at all.
[How did you regain control at 17-17?] Just being patient. Discipline. Keeping the Scotland team down our end of the half. Then once we had the opportunity to hold the ball, play in the right areas of the field and put it in front of forwards. It was a great set-piece from our forwards at the end there, and nice to top it off with a try.
[How on earth did you get the ball down for the try at the end?] A bit of luck, I guess! The atmosphere and the city all week has been amazing – a lot of Kiwis supporters were here so we appreciate them coming out. The Scotland fans as well, they were awesome to play in front of. Really proud of the effort tonight.
I’m heading over to cover England vs Fiji, so I’ll leave you in Rob Smyth’s capable hands.
Phew!
FULL TIME! New Zealand win at Murrayfield.
PEEEEP! It’s 117 years and counting as Scotland again succumb to defeat.
Updated
79 mins. NZ have the ball and they have another penalty.
PENALTY! Scotland 17 - 25 New Zealand (Damien McKenzie)
78 mins. The lineout is caught and driven by the NZ pack and as it marches forward the Scotland pack splinter and inevitably infringe. They had moved forward enough for it to be in McKenzie’s range and he absolutely nails it.
What a five minutes the substitute has had!
Updated
76 mins. Back come Scotland, working phases around halfway but they lose some shape and that is all the opportunity Savea needs to get amongst the breakdown and win a penalty.
TRY! Scotland 17 - 22 New Zealand (Damien McKenzie)
75 mins. On another penalty advantage, NZ decide to give it a lash by flinging the ball left. Barrett slings the ball out of tackle to McKenzie on the wing who somehow shrugs off Kinghorn and Turner to dab it down in the left corner. What a finish!
He can’t convert his own try, however. It was from miles out left, though.
Updated
72 mins. An attack forms from the lineout, eventually moving left to McKenzie before going nowhere. The pain of this is lessened for NZ as it was on a penalty advantage and so another 5m lineout is coming. They are now back to 15 men as well, as Sititi has returned.
70 mins. McKenzie drills a 50:22 out on the Scotland 5m line. They will have a lineout to try to regain the lead with only 14 men on the field.
69 mins. New Zealand have some possession for what feels like the first time in an hour. From the scrum the ball is given to Tupaea to have a run in midfield before Barrett sends a cross-kick out on the full. Scotland can’t capitalise as the lineout is stolen by Sam Darry, who has joined the game from the bench.
66 mins. The scrum takes a few mins to complete, and Roigard clears it to touch from the base.
63 mins. White puts the ball up from his boot in the All Black 22. Jordan can’t grasp it and Dempsey is this close to grabbing it but it goes agonisingly forward of his fingers.
YELLOW CARD! Wallace Sititi (New Zealand)
61 mins. The backrow flaps one hand at a Scotland pass and slaps it forward. It was deliberate and he’s off for the third yellow of the game for the All Blacks.
PENALTY! Scotland 17 - 17 New Zealand (Finn Russell)
60 mins. All the NZ chasers were offside on the Roigard kick, so Russell calls for the tee and levels the scores!
Updated
59 mins. Lakai wins a magnificent turnover to give his side a lieout in the Scottish hald a real pressure reliever from the Number 8.
Or it would be, expect the lineout is flung straight to Dempsey who gallops into open pasture but doesn’t have the legs to go all the way. He’s hauled down by Jordan and the ball is lost for Roigard to boot it downfield.
56 mins. A wayward throw from replacement hooker Turner loses the ball at the back of the lineout, but it’s quickly ripped back by Millar-Mills. It moves to the right via the centres to Graham who wrestles his way free of two tackles to squeeze to the corner; where he just loses the ball forward under pressure from Roigard as he attempts to ground it!
IT’S ALL HAPPENING”!
Updated
54 mins. It’s now all Scotland as they pepper the NZ line again with short carries after a brilliant run up the left touchline by Ashman, flying like a winger. They are held up short by inches three times before Schoeman loses it forward in the tackle.
That all ended up a bit frantic from the home side when patience is the order of the day for them, there is loads of time left…
TRY! Scotland 14 - 17 New Zealand (Kyle Steyn)
51 mins. A maul is formed from the lineout that the All Blacks hold up to quell the danger. Russell calls for the ball for Tuipulotu to have a massive carry to within a few metres before the ball moves left with precision, Kinghorn firing a long pass to his winger to run in and touch down.
Russell converts and this game is now unrecognisable from the one we had 10 minutes ago.
Updated
49 mins. Everything is going the way of Scotland as they win their first scrum penalty against the seven man NZ pack. Russell pins them back on their 5m line with his kick.
YELLOW CARD! Ardie Savea (New Zealand)
The captain is off as he deliberately collapsed the ruck in the run up to the try.
TRY! Scotland 7 - 17 New Zealand (Ewan Ashman)
46 mins. The ball is won from the lineout with another advantage for Lord jumping across. Again, the cross-kick option is taken but Jordan is first to it.
Another lineout is won, and this time the maul is formed and driven five metres for Ashman to ground it and finally score some points for his side. Russell converts for the best possible start to the second half.
Updated
44 mins. Schoeman hammers into the NZ defence to knock them back to their 5m line. The phases start from the Scotland forwards and the pace of the recycling forces the All Blacks offside. Nothing comes of the attempt to spray it wide on the advantage and a 5m lineout is incoming.
2 mins. Lakai spills the kick-off forward, but Scotland can’t capitalise due to Russell overcooking a cross-kick that Graham is unable to gather. There will be another chance for the home team after NZ are offside in the next phase.
Second Half!
Kinghorn boots us back underway
The story of the half is that Scotland were over the line twice, as were New Zealand, yet the visitors have seventeen points and the home side have zero. Fine margins that lead to a probably insurmountable lead.
That said, NZ do look the more penetrative side and it is notable that both their touchdowns were clear of defending bodies, while Scotland were failing to force their way through a crowd. This is due to the All Black’s ability to break the line with something like ease via their more direct attack, while Scotland’s more lateral approach is easier to defend than the punchy NZ strategy.
Half time!
PEEP! That’s a killer way to end the half by New Zealand.
TRY! Scotland 0 - 17 New Zealand (Will Jordan)
40 mins. What we expect to be the final attack of the half is from an NZ scrum on the Scotland 10m line. It leads to a penalty advantage that the All Blacks run left through hands to Jordan,who scores after receiving and inside pass from Sititi.
The conversion is added.
Updated
38 mins. A fantastic solid scrum from Scotland gives a brilliant attacking platform that White opts to run blind. Bad idea, as he’s met by Savea who clamps him like a sinewy vice to win a penalty when the scrum-half doesn’t release the ball.
36 mins. More bonkers possession thrown about by both sides ends with a knock-on from NZ on their own 22. Everyone sucks in air like broken bellows after a frenetic period.
34 mins. The home side race to the line from the penalty lineout via brawny Gregor Brown carry. The ball fizzes left to Russell who puts his head down to go for the try but is held up by a blanket of All Black defenders.
YELLOW CARD! Leroy Carter (New Zealand)
33 mins. The game has gone barmy here. Both teams lobbing the ball about, drilling kicks, running them back and offloading all over the place; like a violent bleep test to test endurance.
As the last act, Graham hacks a loose ball forward and is tripped by the All Black winger as he chases it. Carter is marched off the field for 10 minutes.
PENALTY! Scotland 0 - 10 New Zealand (Beauden Barrett)
29 mins. The All Blacks move back into the 22 and Scotland are caught offside in defence. It’s in front of the posts and Barrett wastes no time calling for the tee to extend the lead.
27 mins. From a slightly clumsy lineout the ball moves right via Hutchinson and Kinghorn to Graham who races towards the line. Ardie Savea converges on him to hold the ball up over the line. That was Scotland’s best few minutes of the match, but they remain without a point.
25 mins. On a penalty advantage in his own half, Russell creams a magnificent 50:22 on a quite tight angle. An absolute momentum shifter after the recent defensive efforts to repel NZ.
23 mins. Scotland hold their ground in the scrum and force NZ to move the ball away. Steyn makes a great decision to bite into midfield to make a strong tackle to close the door on the blindside attack. The All Blacks move quickly the other way, with Sititi dropped a few feet short before Tupaea loses the ball in the next tackle.
That is fantastic, tenacious defence from Scotland. But what has this taken out of them for when the game reaches the business end later?
21 mins. After a penalty for Scotland offside again New Zealand come, and once more the home side are penalised close to the line as their defence scrambles frantically. Ref Berry tells Captain Tuipulotu that another penalty will be a card.
As if to make a point, NZ take the scrum option from the pen under the posts.
19 mins. There is a clear difference between the two attacks; Scotland all wide passes after some fast rucking, while NZ focus instead on rapid short passes or offloads to good support runners, and sheer bloody power.
So far, the All Black are far more successful, with the latest collection of phases stomping up into the Scottish 5m zone.
Updated
17 mins. Tuipulotu enters the game with a strong run into midfield following a scrum. He finds Hutchinson to pop pass to a looping Russell who is absolutely powdered in the tackle, the ball squirting out to Graham who can do nothing but slice it into touch as the NZ tacklers envelop him.
14 mins. Ben White opts for a quick tap and go after his pack is awarded a free kick at scrum time around halfway. Russell fires it long left to Steyn who does well to keep the ball alive to Graham, but Kinghorn subsequently fumbles possession forward when one more pass would have put Steyn in.
It’s a frustrating afternoon so far for an inconsistent Scottish attack.
10 mins. New Zealand are clearly not here to mess about. From the scrum in their own 22, the ball moves right for a big run from Tupaea before they come all the way back left to Sititi. The backrow pops an offload to a support runner and, just like that, they’ve moved sixty-plus metres in two phases. The home defensive scramble is a good one, however, and the ball is won back via a ruck penalty awarded to Scotland.
7 mins. The home side are not letting that setback ruin their afternoon and are straight back into the NZ half and working phases right and left. Russell and White are calling runners in to punch into the All Black defence, but momentum is lost the longer it continues before Matt Fagerson knocks on.
TRY! Scotland 0 - 7 New Zealand (Cam Roigard)
4 mins. Josh Lord simply picks the ball up from the ruck and canters through a yawning gap left by Cummings and Ashman who were supposed to be guarding the breakdown. he big man races 30 or so metres before feeding Roigard to walk in.
Barrett converts for the best possible start for the All Blacks.
Updated
2 mins. A very solid receive, recycle and boot drill from Scotland, featuring 0% nonsense, despatches the ball to touch. NZ warm some of their carriers’ hands with the possession won from the lineout, but it comes to nothing before the ball is spilled forward.
Kick Off!
Barrett puts his foot through the ball to get the test match underway
HAKA WATCH!
Codie Taylor, brandishing a traditional Maori blade, leads the pre-match challenge. This is met by a rousing chant of “Scotland, Scotland” as the home side stare on.
The teams are streaming out of the tunnel and into a delightful autumn afternoon in Edinburgh. They form the requisite lines for a moment of remembrance, with anthems to follow.
Updated
Officials for today’s match, if you want to prepare for who to be unreasonably and pointlessly angry at later.
Referee: Nic Berry (Australia)
Assistant Referees: Karl Dickson (England), Craig Evans (Wales)
TMO (Television Match Official): Marius Jonker (South Africa)
“Historically this is probably Scotland’s best chance,” reckons Alistair Connor, “with a battle-hardened team, and an All Blacks side full of doubt. They were unconvincing in Chicago, against Ireland who are clearly past their best.”
“As a New Zealander living in France, I will be unpatriotically backing the Scots, but I’m aware that heroic defeat is what they do best.”
Some reading while you wait
Is there much optimism out there Scotland fans, or are New Zealand the one side you can never be too hopeful in the face of? And what about you Kiwis, are you less worried that some quarters suggest you should be?
Send answers to these questions and any others you fancy to to me on the email.
Teams
Scotland:
Blair Kinghorn; Darcy Graham, Rory Hutchinson, Sione Tuipulotu (c), Kyle Steyn; Finn Russell, Ben White; Pierre Schoeman, Ewan Ashman, D’Arcy Rae; Scott Cummings, Grant Gilchrist; Gregor Brown, Matt Fagerson, Jack Dempsey.
Replacements: George Turner, Rory Sutherland, Elliot Millar Mills, Marshall Sykes, Rory Darge, Josh Bayliss, Jamie Dobie, Tom Jordan.
New Zealand:
Will Jordan; Leroy Carter, Leicester Fainga’anuku, Quinn Tupaea, Caleb Clarke; Beauden Barrett, Cam Roigard; Ethan de Groot, Codie Taylor, Fletcher Newell; Josh Lord, Fabian Holland; Wallace Sititi, Ardie Savea (c), Peter Lakai.
Replacements: Samisoni Taukei’aho, Tamaiti Williams, Pasilio Tosi, Sam Darry, Du’Plessis Kirifi, Cortez Ratima, Billy Proctor, Damian McKenzie
Updated
Preamble
National stereotypes often have some element of truth to them, but my experience of people from north of the border suggests the “dour Scotsman” trope does not. This erroneous view is never more evident than when applied to the subject of the Scotland national men’s team in the November tests. Like a crystal clear stream feeding a distillery producing bottles of an adeptly aged, 80% cask strength spirit of optimism, hope springs eternal from fans and commentators alike among the reddening leaves and mellow fruitfulness.
Past history suggests this is not misplaced as the Autumn has gleaned more Scotland wins than losses vs tier 1 opposition, including recent victories over Australia and current world champions South Africa. But, despite a couple of narrowish results in 2017 and 2022, a triumph over New Zealand has eluded the boys in blue. If rugby history has taught us anything, it’s that the Blackness is hard to overcome.
This year though the optimism has been slurped greedily from the bottle; with a Scotland team of very decent talent fresh off the back of a enlivening hammering of the USA ready to take on a not exactly vintage All Black outfit.
Could this be the one? Probably not, but we’re all here to find out, nonetheless.
