All Blacks Defeat Scotland to Extend Winless Run
Scotland remain winless against New Zealand in 121 years of contests after the All Blacks recorded a 43-21 Nations Championship victory at Murrayfield on Saturday. Dave Rennie’s men continued their winning streak in the inaugural tournament courtesy of a ruthless attacking display and a second-half shutout. Both sides displayed glimpses of their running game resulting in 10 tries for the spectators, but yellow cards and mistakes proved decisive in the end. Scotland looked rusty as the visitors finished strongly to maintain their unbeaten record against the Scottish side, a winless run that now stands at 34 Tests.
Beauden Barrett and Ewan Ashman Score Tries
Veteran All Black back Beauden Barrett scored two tries to bring his Test tally to 50, latching onto a Damian McKenzie flat pass to score his 49th Test try during the encounter. Wallace Sititi, Ethan de Groot, Peter Lakai, Josh Moorby, Codie Taylor, and Asafo Aumua also crossed the line for the Kiwis, while Damian McKenzie kicked four conversions. For Scotland, hooker Ewan Ashman scored a hat-trick of tries in the first half following rolling mauls and a superb line that caught out Sititi. Ashman became only the fifth player ever to score a hat-trick against the All Blacks, with all three tries converted by Finn Russell.
Ashy making the boys proud 👏 Ewan Ashman gets Scotland on the board. pic.twitter.com/k7xkLL4BF3
Gregor Townsend Identifies Third Quarter Collapse
Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend told BBC Scotland that the final scoreline was decided in the third quarter and that his team’s first-half performance was not good enough despite creating chances. Townsend pointed to discipline issues and too many penalties given away within their 22-meter line. New Zealand also saw Peter Lakai and Wallace Sititi sent to the sin-bin during the physical contest, yet the All Blacks capitalized effectively on the numerical advantages.
South Africa Defeats Injury-Hit Italy in Turin
Earlier on Saturday, South Africa strolled past an injury-hit Italy with a 66-7 victory in Turin. Out-half Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu scored the first of nine Springbok tries and added another 21 points in a perfect kicking display, contributing 26 points in total. Rassie Erasmus’s side ran in six tries in a dominant opening half. Hooker Malcolm Marx went over twice, adding to scores by Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Morne van den Berg, captain Siya Kolisi, and Damian Willemse. Wilco Louw added another try after the break before Federico Ruzza got Italy on the scoreboard with a try converted by Tommaso Allan, and Springbok wing Ethan Hooker ran in the final score on the stroke of full-time.
🗣️ "Barrett's attacking efforts were rewarded with two tries which brought up a half century of five-pointers for the All Blacks at Test level." #SCOvNZL pic.twitter.com/HjkBLnKadK
Springboks Retain Top Spot in Southern Hemisphere Group
With two rounds left in the competition, the victory allowed the Springboks to keep hold of first place in the southern hemisphere standings, tying the All Blacks at 20 points apiece while holding the upper hand on points difference. Scotland next face Australia in their second Nations Championship Test of the autumn at Murrayfield on Sunday, November 15, with a 3.10pm kick-off. New Zealand travel to face Wales in Cardiff for their next Test on Saturday, November 14.
Common Questions About the Nations Championship Clashes
Why did Scotland remain winless against New Zealand?
Scotland’s 34-Test winless run against the All Blacks continued because New Zealand punished Scottish errors and discipline lapses during a dominant second half at Murrayfield. Gregor Townsend noted that giving away penalties and yellow cards forced his team to defend for long periods.
How many points did Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu score against Italy?
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu scored 26 points in Turin, crossing for the opening try of the match and kicking a flawless series of conversions and a penalty during South Africa’s 66-7 victory.
Who are Scotland and New Zealand playing next?
Scotland hosts Australia at Murrayfield on Sunday, November 15, while New Zealand travels to Cardiff to play Wales on Saturday, November 14.
Play is underway at Scottish Gas Murrayfield 🏴 0-0 🇳🇿 pic.twitter.com/W7bbE9mYOx
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