All Blacks’ centre Malakai Fekitoa finds Scotland’s defence up to the task

by Paul Cook –

The All Blacks have been given an almighty scare by a gallant Scotland side, coming home 24-16 in a tight one at Murrayfield in a game marked by uncharacteristic New Zealand errors.

Scotland have never beaten the reigning world champions, two draws in 1964 and 1983 the closest they have come to victory but they have rarely been better placed in recent history to pull off an upset than they were on Saturday night in Edinburgh.

Down 14-10 at the break against a Kiwi side admittedly shorn of front line players such as Kieran Read, Brodie Retallick, Sam Whitelock and Smiths – Conrad and Aaron, the Scots were well in the contest for the full 80 minutes, going on to produce their best effort against New Zealand since a 13-6 loss in the 1991 World Cup 3rd place play-off.

The average deficit in the 13 games since that defeat was just over 30pts before kick-off so this Scotland side, firmly on the up under coach Vern Cotter – a Kiwi himself – can take plenty of credit from their performance but you get the feeling they will look back on this one as an opportunity missed to create history.

A confident start from Scotland, no doubt buoyed by last week’s result against Argentina, saw them camped inside the All Blacks’ 22, depriving the visitor’s of any ball for a full five minutes. But from their first insurgency into enemy territory, New Zealand procured a penalty, unusually missed by Dan Carter.

It took only nine minutes for the world champions to cross the chalk and it was a soft score that would have frustrated coach Cotter. A sloppy pass wide from Jeremy Thrush bounced into the hands of Victor Vito, who appeared to have a fairly well set Scottish rearguard in front of him.

However, a missed tackled from inside centre Alex Dunbar and a slip from Finn Russell opened a pathway for Vito to plunder and the no.8 had just enough left in the tank to see off the attentions of Greig Laidlaw and Stuart Hogg to claim the opener.

Victor Vito dives home for the All Blacks’ opener

Carter’s missed conversion was perhaps symptomatic of the star flyhalf’s paucity of game time in the last year but he still wouldn’t have expected to be back under his own posts two minutes later watching Laidlaw add the extras to a Scottish try.

It came from a rare lapse of concentration from Richie McCaw, a loose pop pass from the captain on halfway plucked from the air by the alert Tommy Seymour, who raced away for his second intercept in two weeks to put Scotland into a surprise lead after quarter of an hour.

As the game ticked over to the 25th minute, the status quo remained with the All Blacks struggling to find any rhythm. An unusual amount of dropped ball, passes to ground or passes in behind was capped off by the loss of a lineout on their own throw as Scotland, donned in unfamiliar red jerseys, applied themselves with plenty of vim, vigour and aggression across the park.

The only downside for the Scots was the loss of Mark Bennett to injury and the influential flyhalf Russell for a concussion test in the same time frame and when Carter predictably rediscovered his kicking mojo to restore New Zealand’s lead from an offside penalty, the hosts were faced with a backline reshuffle as they sought to build on their early good work.

Russell was given the green light to continue but his return was subsequently dampened by the departure of Euan Murray down the tunnel as Scotland’s starting XV bore the toll of trying to stay with the world’s best.

When Carter punished another offside penalty just after the half hour for an 11-7 advantage, it seemed as though all Scotland’s early promise was beginning to unravel. Three points from in front from captain Laidlaw after the restart was a timely boost for both team and supporter morale but another indiscretion inside their own 22 allowed Carter to take his team to the sheds with a 4pt lead.

So Near Yet So Far: Scottish fullback Stuart Hogg agonises over what might have been

Returning to the recently relaid Murrayfield turf – parasitic worms no more – Scotland clearly had a flea in their ears from coach Cotter as to their increasing lack of bravado with ball in hand as the first half had worn on. As a result, they began the second stanza firmly on the front foot, keen to run from everywhere and ask a few more questions of the New Zealand defence.

And it worked, Seymour almost through with another anticipated intercept but the subsequent attack still milking a penalty, summarily dispatched by Laidlaw.

The second forty progressed as a fairly even contest, Scotland’s blooming intent causing enough consternation for the All Blacks to wheel out the big guns, Sonny Bill Williams and Julian Savea joining the fray while Colin Slade replaced the off colour Carter.

A Slade penalty on 64 minutes was cancelled out by another from Laidlaw a minute later and with 15 minutes to go, the dream was very much alive as Scotland trailed by a point at 17-16.

When Laidlaw was presented with the chance to restore Scotland to the front eleven minutes from time, the Murrayfield crowd were already halfway out of their seats, ready to foist their leader with praise. But the scrumhalf’s radar let him down at the most vital of moments, the All Blacks receiving a let-off that you simply can’t afford them.

As history has shown, if you don’t take your chances against New Zealand when you have them by the throat, in all likelihood, it will come back to burn you. And so it was again in the 73rd minute when Slade took a tap and go penalty and put up a crossfield bomb to instigate a match winning period of phase play.

Ben Smith took the tap down with aplomb, the forwards piled in to support and after a handful of darts at the heart of Scotland’s defence, Man of the Match Jeremy Thrush picked the right line to dive over and seal one of the All Blacks less convincing wins of recent times.

New Zealand 24 (Victor Vito, Jeremy Thrush tries; Dan Carter 3 pens, Colin Slade con, pen) defeated Scotland 16 (Tommy Seymour tries; Greig Laidlaw con, 3 pens)