ALL BLACK EDGE

With more than four years spent living in the country and a mother, Linda, from Carluke, Brisbane-born Ben Toolis feels verymuchscottishthesedays.

Playing his part in the fine win over the Wallabies in Sydney during the summer marked a further important step in that transition but the Edinburgh lock admits he may be drawing on a bit of his Aussie side this weekend when Scotland attempt to beat the All Blacks for the first time in history.

While the New Zealand rugby team are treated with something approaching awed reverence in Scotland, Toolis grew up in a country that views Kiwis more as the bumpkin little cousins. The All Blacks may be well ahead in the headto-head with the Wallabies but, generally, Australia tends to look down with a mostly friendly, though not always, contempt for its fellow Anglo outpost at the end of the world.

“Yeah, I think so,” said 25-year-old Toolis when asked if he might be mining a bit of that trans-tasman needle on Saturday evening. “Growing up in Oz you always have that next door neighbour enemy lines I guess, and if that’s what’s going to help me get into the right mindset I’ll definitely bring that.

“I think it will help us as a team if I’m involved and deep down there’s always that aggressive edge in wanting to beat them in anything. Even when I was playing other sports, playing against New Zealand you always wanted to get one up on them as well, so yes, I’m excited.”

Australia are the country who have played New Zealand the most and have beaten their old rivals 43 times in total, with 111 defeats and seven draws.

In comparison, South Africa have beaten them 35 times and England just seven. The northern hemisphere country with the most successes against them is France with 12 wins.

Scotland, meanwhile, remain stuck on a duck, with only two draws, 0-0 in 1964 and 25-25 in 1983, since 1905. When the Sevens team beat the Kiwis back in May en route to winning the world series Twickenham event it was the first time a Scotland team in any form of the game at any age level had beaten a New Zealand side.

Such utter dominance must lead to a kind of psychological block which is notably lacking in the Australian mindset. The All Blacks have reasserted their authority in recent years, including some thumping

“I’ve been living here in Scotland and playing for them now, I have an understanding of how important it is to win the game and make history” “Deep down there’s always that aggressive edge… wanting to beat them in anything”

BEN TOOLIS