Late McKenzie Heroics Deny Historic Scottish Victory
Scotland's long wait for a first-ever victory against the All Blacks continues after Damian McKenzie's late intervention secured a 25-17 win for New Zealand in a thrilling Autumn Nations Series encounter at Murrayfield. Despite playing nearly half an hour with a numerical disadvantage and surrendering a 17-point lead, the visitors demonstrated their championship qualities when it mattered most.
Scotland's Valiant Comeback Falls Short
The match followed a familiar script for Scottish rugby fans - immense bravery ultimately undone by New Zealand's clinical edge. After falling 17-0 behind at halftime, Gregor Townsend's side produced a stirring second-half performance to level the scores at 17-17 with twenty minutes remaining.
The momentum seemed to be with Scotland when New Zealand received their third yellow card of the match, with Wallace Sititi sent to the bin for a deliberate knock-on. However, just as Murrayfield dared to believe history might be made, the All Blacks produced their trademark response.
McKenzie's Decisive Moment
With ten minutes remaining and the scores locked, Damian McKenzie produced a stunning 50-22 kick that set up New Zealand's first significant attacking position of the half. The playmaker then demonstrated remarkable athleticism to contort his body and ground the ball in the corner for the decisive try.
McKenzie compounded Scottish misery by landing a penalty from an angled 45 metres with just one minute remaining, putting the All Blacks more than a score ahead and sealing the victory.
Scotland had earlier fought back through tries from Ewan Ashman and Kyle Steyn, with Finn Russell's penalty on the hour mark completing the recovery. Gregor Brown and Jack Dempsey delivered outstanding performances in the Scottish back row, but ultimately the hosts couldn't find the final breakthrough against the fourteen-time world champions.
The result extends Scotland's winless run against New Zealand to 31 matches from 33 attempts, maintaining one of international rugby's most enduring records.
