The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Scots left to rue profligacy after All Blacks edge win in thriller
Scotland 23 New Zealand 31
Scotland were left with nothing but regret once more against the All Blacks as they let slip a golden opportunity to beat them for the first time in 117 years.
Leading 23-14 midway through the second half, the Scots seemed to have that long-elusive win in their sights.
They had bounced back from a nightmare start of conceding two tries in seven minutes and the All Blacks seemed to be reeling.
Scotland’s big-name players, Stuart Hogg and Finn Russell, had orchestrated a superb game plan. It produced a host of try-scoring chances and the pressure for a flurry of penalties.
But three turnovers from the visitors on their own line under severe pressure kept New Zealand in the game, and the Scots would eventually rue those missed chances.
Tries from Scott Barrett and Mark Telea in the final 10 minutes brought the All Blacks back to victory.
The first 15 minutes were as breathless as anything Murrayfield has seen in its 100-year history.
The emotion of the Remembrance observance and the pitchside visit of an ailing Doddie Weir maybe left the Scots a little overwhelmed.
They were certainly running after shadows as
New Zealand swept to two tries in the first seven minutes.
Stuart Hogg’s first action was a poor missed tackle on Mark Telea and a penalty in retreat.
New Zealand went for the corner, Scotland contested the lineout unsuccessfully and were left undermanned as Samisoni Taukei’aho fought through for the try.
Then two exquisite Beauden Barrett kicks opened up Scotland again, the second a pinpoint cross kick to Telea to score easily.
Jordie Barrett converted both and Scotland looked shell-shocked.
But on 12 minutes Russell’s inside ball sprung Hogg at full pace, and the former skipper was impeded by Anton Leinert Brown as he chased his own kick ahead. A clear penalty try and a yellow card for the All Black centre.
Then Scotland released Duhan van der Merwe on the left only for him to lose the ball in the tackle. But David Havili hesitated with options on his outside, and his pass was picked off by Darcy Graham.
The quicksilver wing scampered away from tackles by Caleb Clarke and Jordie Barrett to score his 13th try for Scotland.
Russell converted and the game had completely changed.
Jordie Barrett was cornered by Hogg and
Hamish Watson with 67,000 on their feet screaming their approval, although the flanker had to go off after the impact.
The Scots missed two great chances to score a third try, first when skipper Jamie Ritchie was called for a double movement as he drove for the line.
Just before the break the Scots were pressing again. But they went with the forwards once too many with an overlap on the wide right, and were turned over.
Graham nearly got in for a second try after a sublime combination between Russell and Hogg, but the stand-off kicked the penalty and the Scots led 17-14 at the break.
You felt the Scots needed to score first in the second half to keep momentum, and some purposeful attack put real pressure on New Zealand, for whom the penalty count was getting out of hand.
Russell booted two more penalties to stretch the Scots out to 23-14.
Yet they missed another great chance to put distance between them and the visitors. This time an amazing last-ditch tackle denied Hogg, and the All Blacks forced a saving penalty on their own line for a third time.
Jordie Barrett reduced the gap with a penalty and suddenly the Scots were in full retreat. Under siege on their own line, Watson’s replacement Jack Dempsey was yellow carded for an intentional knock-on.
New Zealand scrummed the penalty and lock Scott Barrett drove over for the try, converted by brother Jordie, that put the All Blacks on top again by a point.
And although the Scots managed the man deficit well for a while, they started to concede penalties under pressure at scrum and ruck.
New Zealand capitalised just before Dempsey returned as Telea got in at the corner. Barrett converted from the touchline and the game was safe for the All Blacks.