Tortured Scotland remain under New Zealand's spell - this was the one that got away

Scotland seem to be blighted in this particular fixture. After staging the mother of all comebacks in the third quarter to draw level at 17-all, the hosts were sucker-punched by the brilliant Damian McKenzie.

New Zealand’s super sub stepped off the bench to wrench the game back in the favour of the visitors, scoring a try and a penalty in the final six minutes to clinch a dramatic 25-17 victory.

Scotland played some brilliant rugby but the wait goes on and, in truth, this was a missed opportunity. The hosts played with courage and verve in a hugely physical contest but they just couldn’t get their noses in front when all the momentum was with them. And for that, New Zealand deserve great credit.

It was the 33rd time these sides had met and the All Blacks remain undefeated having won 31 times and drawn twice.

The hosts looked down and out at half-time, trudging down the tunnel 17-0 behind. The way they responded after the interval was breathtaking and Murrayfield was in a ferment. Two tries in four minutes from Ewan Ashman and Kyle Steyn, both converted by Finn Russell, turned the game on its head. When Russell landed a penalty on 60 minutes to tie things up it meant Scotland had scored 17 unanswered points.

A wonderful yet gut-wrenching finale

That barely tells the story of the astonishing third quarter. New Zealand were rocking. Having lost Leroy Carter to the sin-bin in the first half for a cynical trip on Darcy Graham, two more yellow cards followed for the Kiwis, with Ardie Savea and Wallace Sititi both sent to the bin.

Unfortunately, Scotland only scored one try while New Zealand were short-handed. The visitors even managed to pinch a try of their own while Carter was off at the end of the first half. It proved costly.

But back to that sensational third quarter. Scotland were tearing round the pitch like their lives depended on it. Ashman went flying down the left wing and looked like he might go all the way; Ben White was stopped a metre short of the line; Graham fumbled with the line at his mercy under pressure from Cam Roigard and then Jack Dempsey brilliantly intercepted and took it all the way to the All Blacks 22 before being caught.

If they had managed to execute one of those chances they surely would have won. Ifs, buts and maybes.

McKenzie, the great Kiwi playmaker, was dealing only in certainties. With 10 minutes remaining, he launched a brilliant 50-22 deep into Scottish territory. It was their only attack of the half but turned the game back in New Zealand’s favour and four minutes later the same McKenzie was twisting his way over in the corner, breaking his run in mid-stride as Blair Kinghorn and George Turner went sliding past him.

It was a brilliant finish and nudged the All Blacks 22-17 ahead. He fluffed the conversion but it didn’t matter. His late penalty, from just inside the Scotland half, made the lead unassailable and Scotland looked anguished.

They will look back at this and wonder how they didn’t win. It was another narrow defeat to file alongside the Murrayfield games of 2014, 2017 and 2022.

While Scotland were aflame in the second period, the opening half belonged to New Zealand and they dealt Scotland devastating blows at beginning and end of the first 40.

A memorable occasion

It was the first meeting of the sides in three years and it felt like a huge deal. The pre-match preliminaries added to the sense of occasion, a mix of the solemn and the ceremonial ahead of Remembrance Sunday.

A fly past was heard but not seen, the jets lost in a mix of low cloud and cordite, and when the action finally got underway Scotland made the worst possible start. It took New Zealand only two minutes and 40 seconds to pierce the home defence, Josh Lord bursting through from a ruck unchallenged before offloading to Roigard to run in the opening score.

It was a terrible try to lose, Scott Cumming and Ashman allowing Lord to run between them unhindered, and it sucked much of the atmosphere out of the ground. Beauden Barrett’s conversion made it 7-0 and Scotland were already on the back foot.

Scotland felt their way into the game but their attacking momentum was stymied by a couple of handling errors.

New Zealand’s defence was ferocious and Russell and Graham felt the full force of it in quick succession. The Scotland stand-off needed treatment after a tackle by Caleb Clarke and was able to resume only after his left knee had been strapped. That seemed ominous and there followed a period of sustained All Blacks pressure.

Scotland were conceding a succession of penalties and were warned by referee Nic Berry. But, crucially, the defensive line held firm and when Quinn Tupaea was stripped of the ball on the Scotland line Murrayfield celebrated like it was a try. It had been a huge defensive effort by the hosts.

It felt like a shift in momentum and the home support was further roused by Russell’s spiralling kick to the corner which took Scotland up to the five-metre line. They managed to work it back out wide to Graham but the winger was held up over the line.

Barrett’s penalty made it 10-0 but then Graham was tripped by Carter as he attempted to dribble through. Scotland took heart but this time it was Rory Hutchinson who was held up.

Playing against 14 men, Townsend’s side were guilty of trying to force it and New Zealand made them pay, Will Jordan scoring after a brilliant break by Sititi.

The 17-0 lead looked handy enough but Scotland tore up the script after the break. Ashman scored off a lineout drive and All Blacks skipper Savea was sin-binned in the process. Four minutes later, Steyn received a long pass from Kinghorn and danced around his man to score. Russell converted (again) to make it 17-17 and Murrayfield dared to dream.

There followed a string of chances, none of which was converted and McKenzie had the final say to plunge a dagger into Scottish hearts.

Teams and scorers

Scorers: Scotland: Tries: Ashman, Steyn. Cons: Russell 2. Pen: Russell. New Zealand: Tries: Roigard, Jordan, McKenzie. Cons: B Barrett 2. Pens: B Barrett, McKenzie.

Yellow cards: L Carter (NZ, 33min), A Savea (NZ, 46min), W Sititi (NZ, 61min)

Scotland: B Kinghorn; D Graham, R Hutchinson, S Tuipulotu, K Steyn; F Russell (T Jordan 75), B White (J Dobie 54); P Schoeman (R Sutherland 54-67, 78-80), E Ashman (G Turner 54), D Rae (E Millar Mills 54), G Gilchrist (M Sykes 64), S Cummings, G Brown, M Fagerson (R Darge 61), J Dempsey (J Bayliss 65).

New Zealand: W Jordan; L Carter (B Proctor 65), L Fainga'anuku, Q Tupaea, C Clarke (D McKenzie 45); B Barrett, C Roigard; E de Groot (T Williams 27-39), C Taylor (S Taukei'aho 57), F Newell (P Tosi 54), J Lord (S Darry 61), F Holland, W Sititi (D Kirifi 72), A Savea, P Lakai. Replacement not used: C Ratima.

Referee: Nic Berry (Aus).

Attendance: 67,000.