ABs fail to mask deficiencies in shaky showing

Crisis averted. The All Blacks stared an ugly defeat in the face at Murrayfield, and did not blink. In a year that has served up some disconcerting low points, the New Zealanders’ ability to dig their way out of a tight spot and secure a sixth test victory on the bounce has to be celebrated.

Make no mistake, yesterday’s test in Edinburgh, won 31-23 from a 23-14 second-half deficit, was far from an emphatic performance from the All Blacks who, really, still have yet to post back-to-back powerhouse showings this season. They started strongly and finished well, but spent a big chunk of an intriguing test on the back foot against a typically brave and committed Scottish side.

Ian Foster made a handful of strategic changes to his lineup, and it’s hard to say they did not have an effect on performance. This was a step backwards from Cardiff, with the forwards unable to assert the same dominance, and the backs spending long periods starved of possession. At times the Scots, who rattled off 23 unanswered points through the middle stages, made the men in black look decidedly ordinary.

In fact, there was a period in this entertaining test where the All Blacks looked in grave danger of falling to another of those historic defeats that studded the early part of their season. That they were good enough – and lucky enough, with a marginal second-half yellow card call going their way – to dig their way out of a tight spot and run their win streak to six was far and away the most positive aspect of a middling overall performance.

The match turned either way on two yellow cards, and it was the All Blacks in the end who were good enough to make the most out of the one that went in their favour – the 65th-minute sinbinning of replacement Scotland loosie Jack Dempsey for a ‘‘deliberate’’ knockon. The Australia-born loosie looked hard done by as he flicked the ball forward while wrapping a tackle on Shannon Frizell, but the call changed the contest in its tracks.

At that stage it was all the Scots, who led 23-14 a dozen minutes into the second spell, and 23-17 when Dempsey’s stray hand earned the ire of Irish referee Frank Murphy. From there the New Zealanders conjured tries to Scott Barrett and a second to wing Mark Telea – outstanding on debut, and the big mover from the afternoon – to edge out to the eightpoint margin. Sure, they had help, but the composed finish was a step up on earlier in the year.

The All Blacks bench were pivotal in swinging this match back in their favour, with Codie Taylor, TJ Perenara, Rieko Ioane and Shannon Frizell all making big impacts. Telea (a team-high 92 metres on the carry) was outstanding and would have given Foster plenty to think about, while Ardie Savea, Dalton Papalii and Samisoni Taukei’aho, who crossed for his 10th try of the year, also made positive contributions.

It was not the best of matches for the midfield of David Havili and Anton Lienert-Brown. The centre, of course, gave away the penalty try early, and soon after Havili threw an intercept that enabled Darcy Graham to scurry away and put his team on level terms. To his credit, Lienert-Brown stayed the course and played his part in the strong finish.

The Scots offered plenty. Their blockbusting back three of Hogg, Duhan van der Merwe and Graham had a wonderful match, Finn Russell pulled the strings well at No 10 and their loosies stood up well.

For long periods they made the visitors look decidedly beatable, before the correction came in the nick of time.

England will not exactly be shaking in their boots.