Even then, Scotland kept coming at them and refused to give in. the margin was that they were pursuing a lost cause by then, but it made for a spine-tingling occasion.
New Zealand hardly helped its cause by producing an absurd stream of offenses. A definition of anticipation was starting to build around Murrayfield. Insurmountable nervousness about leads was far from the. As fraught as it was in the stands, Scotland kept their composure on the pitch, being bold when they could and tidy at all other times.
Suddenly New Zealand got back within a score in the 62nd minute with new energy about the tourists, a side with a well-founded reputation for finishing strongly.
Kate Rowan – The Telegraph
After blowing history could not be made by Scotland a nine-point lead over New Zealand with 20 minutes to go. Scotland played with promise intensity but, perhaps not wishing to tempt fate, the Murrayfield faithful remained cagey throughout.
There was a sense of familiarity in how ruthless New Zealand’s attack was had to look up to the coaching box to see former Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt understand why.
Where Scotland perhaps lost the game is not taking all the chances presented to them.
Hogg may have looked like a man possessed throughout the match scrum-half TJ Perenara almost matched that from the touchline warm-up furiously. He replaced Scottish-born. Finlay Christie with the induction of fellow all Blacks veteran hooker Codie Taylor – they both brought a ferocity to the ruck speed that let Scott Barrett and Mark Telea seal their mounts to fix the match for New Zealand and halt Scottish hearts.
Michael Aylwin, The Guardian
they did everything but take their cases; they did everything but hold their nerve as history tempted them. They did everything in short, against you can’t do all Blacks. And so the hunt goes on.
One of the two teams that invented international rugby 151 years ago, Scotland has still not beaten New Zealand. They defeated for all the first 10 minutes and the last. They cut New Zealand time In between. They performed their way to within a hair of the try line, but that killer blow.
They had that information of more than one score as the game entered the final quarter. It is just mind can bend in virgin territory. Hogg missed a high ball. All Blacks performed their way into the Scottish half. A penalty at a scrum gave Jordie Barrett a chance to pull them back to within six, their first points since the seventh minute.
New Zealand put the game to with five minutes remaining to bed. The penalty count had turned decisively in their favor now. Rieko Ioane put a mark from another raid, Telea over for his second, and Jordie Barrett converted from the touchline.
All Blacks may have scored in another victory over Scotland, but they barely got a pass mark from the critics. And one current England global says the All Blacks are ready to fall at Twickenham.
World reaction
Reports concentrated on Scottish heartbreak after their 23-31 defeat to the Sam Whitelock-led All Blacks at Murrayfield.
Thomas Duncan wrote the BBC the beleaguered All Blacks fought back to win a thriller, saying Ian Foster’s men had been on the back foot for most of the game.
A BBC headline said the sluggish All Blacks had given a scare. And it highlighted Scotland coach Gregor Townsend’s claim they had missed the best opportunity in our history finally beat New Zealand.
The All Blacks were relieved men as they walked off the pitch, knowing they pushed all the way, it wrote.
All the reports highlighted a rare appearance at Murrayfield by Doddie Weir, a longtime Scotland forward who battling the motor-neuron disease. Weir’s presence gave Scotland a strong motivational factor.
Meanwhile, former England Back Mike Brown predicted England would beat New Zealand at Twickenham this Sunday.
It’s not a vintage All Blacks he wrote in a Daily Mail column, analyzing England’s lopsided victory over Japan.
The last time the All Blacks were in Edinburgh in 2017, only a Beauden Barrett try-saver on Hogg stopped a potentially historic victory, as the tourists held on for a five-point win.
Then, as now, the Scotland players and fans were inspired by the presence of Doddie Weir. The legendary lock presented the match ball five years after launching his foundation, which has raised millions for motor neuron disease research.
But even with that emotional lever to reach for, few had any hope of a repeat of the 2017 close game, never mind a first-ever win over New Zealand. Even this flawed version of them.
And any at Murrayfield who did have hope might have thought of heading for the pub when Taukei’aho hit over with the visitor’s first attack Telea pounced on a cross-field kick for a debut score to make it 14-0 after seven minutes.
Whatever Scotland found it is they misplaced at the end of 2021. Townsend’s team rediscovered some power, accuracy, and inspiration.
Hogg backs to his best to break the line and kicked through, forcing Anton Lienert-Brown to take him out to prevent a try. Off the center went to the bin, and Scotland had seven points.
It was shortly 14 when Graham chose off David Havili, slack pass, and sensationally rushed past two black shirts.
The main protagonist Russell having been parachuted straight in at fly-half after not being picked for the earliest team, added a sentence to his conversion to give the Scots a 17-14 lead at the break.
It could have been more. Graham flew in at the corner but had a foot in touch, Jamie Ritchie did for a double movement over the line, and Duhan van der Merwe was stopped just short.
When play continued, the ordinary-looking All Blacks roamed offside the nerveless Russell made the lead six. Was the incredible unfolding?
Hogg went inches away from a try, and a scrum penalty allowed Russell to extend the gap to nine points and 23rd in Scotland without reply.
Murrayfield sprayed with belief. New Zealand was in double figures for a penalty conceded, their aura fading fast.
Jordie Barrett, correction made it a six-point game again as the tourists stopped the flow of Scottish matters with 18 minutes left.
Then came the turning point. Dempsey was sin-binned for a planned knock-on as he raced off the line to thwart an All Blacks surge, and from the resulting scrum, the visitors pounced.
Scott Barrett mined over from close range, and brother New Zealand Jordie altered to put about in front by a single point.
There was in that stage of inevitable the outcome. The All Blacks made and enough the victory safe.
