As a rugby nation, we are back in the black
BOY, that was close. Scotland looked like we might beat New Zealand for this first time in our history but, in the end, we were just not quite good enough.
The All Blacks were there for the taking and we might never get a better chance to beat them. Over the last number of years, I’ve had to draw the positives out of defeat after defeat and sometimes it’s been tough to do. Not so from Saturday.
There were so many positives, the main one being that Scotland are a credible team on the international stage again. Granted, this was not the New Zealand first team but has there ever been a poor All Black or a poor All Blacks side?
These players might not be first choice in New Zealand but they would be in many other countries. So to match them in many parts of the game, to completely dominate them at line-out time and to be in touching distance right at the end was hugely encouraging.
I would have loved Greig Laidlaw to have kicked over that penalty which would have given us the lead with 10 minutes to go. I would have loved to see how Scotland would have reacted to taking the lead and how New Zealand would have reacted to going behind.
We probably know the answer to that one as, more often than not, they find a way to win the game. What we don’t know i s how Scotland would have coped with the pressure of trying to close out a game against a team they have never beaten.
But to be contemplating such a scenario proves how far this young team have come in these last two games. They put everything into the game and j ust came up short — but what a learning experience it was for many players. Rob Harley was immense. He went toe-to-toe with t he great Ri ch i e McCaw and more than matched him. He should take huge confidence from playing so well in that company.
Finn Russell was another who was up against one of the best stand- offs of all time i n Dan Carter. This time last year, Russell was playing for Ayr and there he was, one year on, smashing Carter back in the tackle and running the game for Scotland. He has a big future and could be our stand-off for many years to come. I was really impressed with Scotland’s desire to take the game to New Zealand. They were prepared to try things even when deep in their own 22 and asked huge questions of t he visiting defence. When it stood firm, Scotland were still able to recycle the ball and try again, which proves how good they were in contact. In the past, we would have conceded a penalty or a try from turnover ball. This team plays with real ambition but also has the accuracy and quality to back it up.
It was a great experience being at BT Murrayfield on Saturday night. For years, the pre-match entertainment there has been the best of any venue I’ve been to, but then the team’s performance hasn’t matched it. The light show was amazing and created a wonderful spectacle for the game to follow and, at last, we now have a team that can live up to the hype.
They have real quality and real character. I liked how they reacted to conceding an early try. It came from a bad missed tackle by Alex Dunbar, but he shrugged it off and put in a huge performance.
They pressured New Zealand into making mistakes, like when Tommy Seymour intercepted McCaw’s pass for our try. It was a brilliant example of reading the situation and it brought us right back into the game.
Considering the average margin of defeat in the last four games against the All Blacks has been 35 points, a defeat by only eight suggests real progress. Scotland are moving in the right direction. Vern Cotter has made a big difference, and the future looks bright.