SCOTLAND TAKE POSITIVES DESPITE GREIG’S PAIN:

Laidlaw sore after penalty agony but soothed by Scots making big strides

SCOTLAND 16

NEW ZEALAND 24

IT will forever go down as one of the great ‘what if ’ moments i n Scottish sport. As Greig Laidlaw stepped up to take the penalty which would have put his team in front of the All Blacks with j ust 10 minutes remaining, a nation held its breath.

The skipper had been heard shouting: ‘Let’s make history’ at his team-mates on the pitch shortly beforehand. Now it was in his hands — or more pertinently at his feet — as the Scots sensed they were on the verge of beating New Zealand for the first time ever.

Silence. Perfect silence. Laidlaw had already slotted three penalties and a conversion. Surely he could put the importance of this one out of his mind and ram home another to give Vern Cotter’s men a 19-17 lead.

No Scotland fan will ever forget what happened next as his effort drifted agonisingly past the right post and with it this team’s chance to earn their place in rugby folklore.

It was one mistake too many against the side with the toughest mental fortitude of all. Normal service was resumed and two minutes later a converted try from second-row Jeremy Thrush made the game safe for the visitors.

Perhaps Cotter’s team — and poor Laidlaw — can console themselves with the events of some 30 years ago when Peter Dods missed a conversion that would have put Scotland ahead against the same opponents with just a few minutes left of a match that finished 25-25.

Four months later, Dods played a major role in the team who won the 1984 Grand Slam.

Given what we witnessed from the Class of 2014 prior to Saturday’s pivotal moment at BT Murrayfield, when they gave Dan Carter, Richie McCaw et al a bloody nose for much of the proceedings, there may still be much for them to look forward to in the near future.

Laidlaw, for his part, has the strength of character to bounce back like his fellow Borderer Dods.

‘We will never know whether we would have gone on to win but, clearly, I’m frustrated,’ said the 29-year- old, whose penalty effort was an eminently kickable one from 15 metres in from the left touchline.

‘The ball was just on the right post but it stayed there. It’s unfortunate that it didn’t come back in and I wish it had gone over, that’s for sure. I take pride in my kicking and I’m disappointed it stayed out.

‘Overall, though, the last couple of times we played them we shipped a lot of points and were well beaten by half-time. To be right in it near the end, we’ve got to take confidence from that but we’ve also got to learn from it. We can’t let it be a flash in the pan.’

Surely Cotter won’t allow that to happen. On the evidence of this performance and the recent win over Argentina, his team already seem to have shaken off some of the mental shackles that dogged Scotland under previous coaches, even if their mindset ultimately couldn’t match that of the All Blacks.

Yes, this was an under- strength New Zealand side. But haven’t we always been told that whoever pulls on the famous black jersey will run through walls in pursuit of victory?

They chanced their arm against the Scots, selection-wise, but did just enough to clinch victory. Yet there were enough odd l i ttle moments in the match for home fans to believe it might just be their day.

The legendary Carter, starting his first match in a year after a broken leg, dropped balls and failed to dictate play. It was no surprise when he was replaced after 55 minutes.

And what about captain McCaw’s telegraphed pass that was picked of f by Tommy Seymour f or Scotland’s only try?

The visitors looked disjointed and ill at ease at times, partly because Scotland never once took their foot off the gas. They threw down the gauntlet within the first minute when prop Euan Murray ran across the field to get in the face of McCaw during a stoppage in play.

From that moment on, there was no let-up in intensity, although a defensive aberration saw Scotland get off to the worst possible start.

After Carter missed an easy penalty, the All Blacks took the lead from a move which included a knockon from McCaw in the build-up.

Rough justice but there was still no excuse for allowing No 8 Victor Vito the opportunity to run from deep in his own half before crashing through a half-hearted tackle from Alex Dunbar to score.

Scotland responded when McCaw made the first of some uncharacteristic blunders. He wrongly thought an inside pass to Vito was on but Seymour saw it coming and snatched it with ease to run from the half-way line to dive over for the converted try.

Both sides were playing running rugby — sometimes from just in front of their posts in Scotland’s case — and it made for an open game.

New Zealand thought they had scored when TJ Perenara claimed he had got the ball over the line but even the TMO couldn’t decide and French referee Romain Poite ruled no try.

With Mark Bennett and Murray both off injured within the first half hour, i t was testament to the quality of Scotland’s play that the changes made little difference to their level of performance.

Even when Carter made it 11-7 with a penalty with eight minutes of the half left, Laidlaw cut the deficit with one of his own before the New Zealand No 10 added another just before the break.

Scotland were strongest out of the blocks in the second half with great breaks from Sean Maitland and Stuart Hogg leading to a penalty that Laidlaw put between the posts. New Zealand realised they needed to up their game and Colin Slade, on for Carter, kicked their fourth penalty. Laidlaw kept up the pressure by putting over another.

With one point separating the sides and 10 minutes left, Laidlaw was given the chance to put Scotland ahead after a superb break from Sean Lamont caught the New Zealanders offside.

The sighs of relief from the visitors were as audible as the groans of agony when his kick stayed out right.

Scotland never recovered and, six minutes from time, Thrush crashed over for a try converted by Slade.

‘I felt sorry for Greig,’ said Cotter. ‘If it had gone over and we’d gone in front, then you never know — but it didn’t and then we let them get back over the line.

‘It wasn’t for lack of courage and effort that we lost that match. That was a step forward. It is hard as a coach to be unhappy when you see that desire and determination.’

A golden opportunity missed, then, but enough promise shown to ensure that opportunity will still knock for this team in the future.

Scotland: Try: Seymour. Pens: Laidlaw 3. Con: Laidlaw. New Zealand: Tries: Vito, Thrush. Pens: Carter 3, Slade. Con: Slade.