Nations Championship
Scotland (21) 21
Tries: Ashman 3 Cons: Russell 3
New Zealand (24) 43
Tries: Sititi, De Groot, Taylor, Barrett 2, Moorby, Aumua Cons: McKenzie 4
Ruthless New Zealand blew Scotland away in a high-class, seven tries to three Nations Championship victory at Murrayfield.
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Despite a historic first-half hat-trick from Scotland hooker Ewan Ashman, the All Blacks were mostly magnificent, unrelenting and classy. It was the 34th Test between the nations and New Zealand’s tally has yet another win – 32 now, with two draws going back to 1905.
Wallace Sititi scored early in a breathless first half. Ashman responded. Ethan de Groot and Codie Taylor hit back to make it 17-7 at the end of the first quarter.
New Zealand’s Peter Lakai was binned and Ashman got his second while he was off. The sensational Beauden Barrett scored the first of his double straight after. Then, as the bonkerdom stretched on, Sititi was yellow-carded and Ashman made the All Blacks pay with his hat-trick try.
Only three points divided them at the break, but the All Blacks outclassed Scotland thereafter. Josh Moorby, Beauden Barrett again and Asafo Aumua struck in the second half. Scotland were beaten out the gate in the end.
We hoped for a classic and a classic it was, with bells on. If only for 40 minutes. Beyond that thrilling opening spell it was one-way traffic, a vicious exhibition of All Black class and might.
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Just like last year, when New Zealand drew first blood, the visitors came roaring out, punishing a penalty given away cheaply with a piece of trickery at a close-range line-out that bamboozled the Scots. A couple of dummy runners broke away and took enough of Scotland’s attention with them. Sititi thundered through a gap to score.
Thus began the ding-dong. Kyle Rowe’s magnificent 50-22 gave Scotland the field position to strike off a driven line-out – Ashman driving over for the first of his three tries. Unlike his counterpart, Damian McKenzie, Finn Russell converted. Scotland led by two.
New Zealand turned the screw again, forcing Scotland into big defensive set after big defensive set. There’s only so much of that you can soak up, though. The visitors looked lethal from all corners. Beauden Barrett’s surge downfield, hotly pursued by Matt Fagerson, was the catalyst for their second score.
Fagerson was done on the floor, New Zealand went to touch and De Groot went over the line. McKenzie converted; New Zealand by five. And, soon, New Zealand by 10. Another Scotland penalty was punished to the max, the All Blacks executing from the resultant line-out maul. Taylor getting it down this time.
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This all happened inside the first quarter. On it went. Lakai, the terrific openside, was binned for persistent New Zealand offsides. Huw Jones almost scored but got held up. Scotland came again. Off a penalty advantage, Ashman blasted through Sititi to score. Two for the hooker. With Russell’s conversion it was a three-point game.
Scotland needed to kick on, but instead they got pushed back. The wondrous Beauden Barrett sliced through following huge work from his pack; on the face it simple, but in reality, complex and beautiful. McKenzie restored the 10-point lead, but it didn’t last long.
Sititi was binned for going off his feet. Scotland had a crack at 13 All Blacks for a brief minute but couldn’t break them despite going painfully close through Jones. Lakai returned to make it 15 versus 14 – and that’s when Scotland struck.
It was that old reliable again, the line-out maul proving devastating. Ashman got on the end of it and over he went for his hat-trick. For a flurry of penalties and back-to-back yellows, New Zealand got what they deserved. Those cards cost them 14 points.
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Seven first-half tries and three points between them at the break. Now it was time for Test match animals to emerge. When they did, they were wearing New Zealand white rather than Scotland blue.
The All Blacks played those key minutes in Scotland’s 22, forcing errors and penalties and opportunities. Off a scrum, Jordie Barrett’s skip pass found Moorby in space and he sauntered over. Ruthlessness again. McKenzie converted; 29-21. And worrying.
More New Zealand heat and more Scotland penalties. Then, a yellow for Sione Tuipulotu. It could have been Ben White just as easily. The pressure the visitors were applying was just suffocating.
With the captain off the pitch, New Zealand made it pay – Quinn Tupaea to McKenzie and on to Beauden Barrett for his second of the day. Skill-set through the roof.
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McKenzie’s conversion made it 36-21. At 50 minutes, the game was over far too early for Gregor Townsend’s side. To rub salt in the wound Aumua finished a gorgeous set-piece to land try number seven; 43-21 and 19-0 in the second half.
Scotland had hopes of winning or, at the very least, of taking New Zealand to the wire. The uneasy truth for Townsend and his players is that despite their excellence in the opening half, they were utterly bossed in the second.
These All Blacks are far more formidable than the version that appeared at Murrayfield a year ago. Meanwhile, Scotland’s long, long wait for glory against the Kiwis carries on and on.
Scotland: Kyle Rowe; Kyle Steyn, Huw Jones, Sione Tuipulotu (capt), Jamie Dobie; Finn Russell, Ben White; Rory Sutherland, Ewan Ashman, Zander Fagerson, Gregor Brown, Scott Cummings, Matt Fagerson, Rory Darge, Jack Dempsey.
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Replacements: Gregor Hiddleston, Pierre Schoeman, Will Hurd, Max Williamson, Josh Baylish, George Horne, Tom Jordan, Blair Kinghorn.
New Zealand: Beauden Barrett; Will Jordan, Quinn Tupaea, Jordie Barrett, Josh Moorby; Damian McKenzie, Cam Roigard; Ethan de Groot, Codie Taylor (capt), Fletcher Newell, Scott Barrett, Fabian Holland, Tupou Vaa’i, Peter Lakai, Wallace Sititi.
Replacements: Asafo Aumua, George Bower, Pasilio Tosi, Christian Lio-Willie, Anton Segner, Cortez Ratima, Timoci Tavatavanawai, Rieko Ioane.
