Scots finally get to face the All Blacks
Kiwis among opposition for Autumn Tests
SCOTLAND will face New Zealand for the first time in five years after the fixtures for this year’s Autumn Test series were announced yesterday.
It is the first time the All Blacks have locked horns with the Scots since 2017, when Gregor Townsend’s side came agonisingly close to beating them in a thrilling match at Murrayfield.
The game will be played on Sunday, November 13, with a 2.15pm kick-off. It is the third match in what will be a tough series of games for Townsend’s side.
Dave Rennie’s Australia are the first opponents on Saturday, October 29, with a 5.30pm kick-off. But that game falls outside the official Test window, so the Scots will have to pick a domestic-based squad.
Scotland have a good record against the Wallabies in recent years, beating them on each of the past three occasions.
Townsend’s men triumphed over the Aussies 15-13 last November — and also thrashed them 53-24 in 2017.
Fiji and Argentina are the other two opponents who sandwich the game against the All Blacks, which is the standout fixture.
The Scots came close to a firstever victory over New Zealand back in 2017 when Stuart Hogg’s scintillating late run brought the Murrayfield crowd to its feet.
He was hauled down just short of the try line by All Black fly-half Beauden Barrett as the visitors held on to win 22-17.
But New Zealand aren’t quite the force they were back then. They are currently ranked No3 in the world behind world champions South Africa and
Six Nations Grand Slam winners France.
The All Blacks lost to both France and Ireland in last year’s Autumn Test series and the Scots will look to inflict similar damage when the time comes.
The run of four games in successive weeks represents a stern test for Townsend’s side as they look to build momentum ahead of next year’s Six Nations and World Cup. They will actually play Argentina four times this year, with a three-Test tour set to take place in the summer.
The game against Fiji will be the first meeting between the sides since Tommy Seymour scored a hat-trick in a 54-17 win for the Scots in 2018.
‘The Autumn Nations Series provides a great opportunity for us to take on some of the leading teams in the southern hemisphere in front of our supporters as we look to improve ahead of next year’s Six Nations and the World Cup,’ said Townsend.
‘We know Australia well having played them a number of times over recent years and it’s always a special occasion when they come to BT Murrayfield.
‘Fiji are an exciting team to watch with their free-flowing and powerful brand of rugby.
‘Our contest against New Zealand will be eagerly anticipated by our supporters and players alike, providing world-class opposition. We’re really looking forward to playing them after missing out on the opportunity on two occasions over the past two years.
‘Our final fixture will be against Argentina, which will be another familiar challenge for our squad on the back of this summer’s tour to South America.
‘This final fixture means we will have played three out of the four Rugby Championship sides in a month which will be a great experience for our players.’