Scotland's long-awaited quest for a first-ever victory over New Zealand continues after a heroic second-half fightback ultimately proved insufficient in a gripping 25-17 defeat at Murrayfield.
Disastrous First Half Puts Scotland on the Back Foot
Gregor Townsend's side found themselves staring at a 17-0 deficit at half-time, a scoreline that harshly reflected their early endeavour. The All Blacks silenced the home crowd within just three minutes when Cam Roigard sliced through to score after a spectacular one-handed pick-up from Josh Lord, with Beauden Barrett adding the conversion.
Scotland responded with significant pressure and came agonisingly close twice, only for wing Darcy Graham to be held up over the line by desperate New Zealand defence. The visitors extended their lead through a Barrett penalty in the 29th minute, and despite All Blacks wing Leroy Carter being sin-binned for a cynical trip on Graham, the Scots failed to capitalise on their numerical advantage. The half ended in the worst possible fashion for the hosts as Will Jordan finished clinically on the left, giving the Kiwis a commanding 17-point lead at the break.
Stunning Scottish Resurgence Levels the Contest
The second half witnessed a remarkable transformation. Hooker Ewan Ashman crashed over from a lineout maul in the 46th minute, with Finn Russell converting. The momentum swung decisively in Scotland's favour when All Blacks captain Ardie Savea was yellow-carded for attempting to collapse the maul.
With the extra man, Scotland struck again. Kyle Steyn bounded over on the left in the 51st minute following a slick pass from Blair Kinghorn, and Russell's conversion brought the score to 17-14. The Scots were now in the ascendancy and looked certain to take the lead in the 56th minute, only for a miraculous tackle from Roigard to prevent Graham from grounding the ball. Russell then calmly slotted a penalty on the hour mark to level the scores at 17-17, setting up a grandstand finale.
All Blacks Weather the Storm to Secure Victory
The pendulum seemed to be swinging firmly towards Scotland, especially when Wallace Sititi became the third New Zealand player to be yellow-carded for a deliberate knock-on. However, the experienced All Blacks weathered the storm and regained their composure in the decisive final stages.
Substitute Damian McKenzie scored a brilliant try in the 73rd minute to edge the visitors back in front. Although he missed the conversion, he made amends six minutes later by slotting a monstrous 45-metre penalty to seal a 25-17 victory, extending Scotland's winless run against New Zealand to 33 matches over 120 years.
