Scotland player ratings: Scotland’s 121-year quest for victory New Zealand continues the longest winless streak in Test rugby which stretched to 34 matches after another disheartening defeat at Murrayfield.
Gregor Townsend’s side were in touch at the interval after winger Ewan Ashman scored a hat-trick in their efforts to keep All black people within three points at 21-24.
But two quick goals early in the second half, including Beauden Barrett’s 50th try, put New Zealand in the clear and Asaf Aumua’s sixth try condemned Scotland, who failed to score a point in the second 40, to their 22nd successive defeat in the game’s history.
Here’s how Scotland’s players fared:
15. Kyle Rowe – 5
Preferring to start through Blair Kinghorn and Tom Jordan, Rowe looked a threat when he got onto the ball, pouncing on Tuipulotu’s offload in the build-up to Ashman’s second try and returning the restart into the hands of Brown. But he couldn’t get involved enough and was replaced by Kinghorn after 52 minutes.#
14. Kyle Steyn – 6
He looked composed and competent in everything he did, whether it was covering the back in defence, taking high balls or stepping in from his right flank to sustain the attack. But another who didn’t see enough ball in attack as Scotland struggled to stretch New Zealand over the bar.
13. Hugh Jones – 7
Preferred over the unfortunate Rory Hutchinson, Jones showed his eye for the gap is still as sharp as ever. In the first half alone, he tackled Russell’s cut passes three times for a great performance. He couldn’t ground the ball over the line after a short burst near the line.
12. Joan Tuipulotu – 5.5
Tuipulotu showed some nice moves in attack, one offload to Rowe in particular, and took the fight to New Zealand with ball in hand. But De Groot cleared him a little too easily for New Zealand’s second try and a yellow card for an offside offence, with his side under the basket, ended a disappointing day for the Scotland captain.
11. Jamie Dobie – 6
Picked ahead of Scotland’s top goalscorers Darcy Graham and Duhan van der Merwe, Dobi saw little space in attack and was unable to break through in the left corner in his one chance in the first half. Worked hard but couldn’t make much of an impact on the game.
10. Finn Russell – 7
An early cross for Steyn went straight into touch but he then found his attacking groove in his 100th Test – this was his 96th for Scotland, plus four for the Lions. A beautiful strike 50-22 set the platform for Scotland’s opening try and he killed Jones three times in the first half with some brilliantly floated passes. He kicked three out of three on goal, but right after the hour mark.
9. Ben White – 7.5
Great defensive work early on Toulon scrum-half, makes a vital tackle on Sitita, holding on Jordan over the line and then kicking the All Blacks wing back in another kick. His serve was mostly smooth before giving way to Horne just after the hour mark.
1. Rory Sutherland – 4
Preferring to start the game ahead of Schoeman, Borderer made half a dozen tackles in his 30 minutes on the field but squeaked out a scrum and just one tackle before departing before the break.
2. Ewan Ashman – 8.5
He cemented his first-choice hooker status with a stunning hat-trick of tries to extend his record for a Scottish forward to 17 tries in his 38th Test. He finished driving mauls for his first and third, while a dive on a short pass from White for his second showed his speed and power. One uneven throw aside, he also hit his targets on the way out.
3. Zander Fagerson – 6
A big defensive move with 13 tackles, including 11 in the first half alone, but not quite his usual performance with ball in hand and was pinged a few times in the scrum, where New Zealand had the upper hand for the majority.
4. Gregor Brown – 7.5
Versatile Glasgow the striker brought a lot of energy with his ball carrying in a strong first half and eventually won a key penalty for a loose ball on the floor. He was moved into the back-row early in the second half and continued to hit the visitors, finishing as Scotland’s top scorer with 14 and also had 14 tackles in an industrious outing.
5. Scott Cummings – 6.5
A dominant force on the line, where he took responsibility for calling many throws on himself and was at the epicenter of the drives that led to Ashman’s first and third tries. He also made his usual significant contribution in defense.
6. Matt Fagerson – 5.5
A couple of strong bursts in the first half, but maybe not on the ball as much as he would have liked. He moved to No.8 early in the second period when Dempsey left and did his fair share of the match, but could find his place under the emerging threat of Liam McConnell.
7. Rory Darge – 7.5
He played a key role in keeping the move going for Ashman’s second try and kept the energy level going for the full 80, linking the attacks with 11 carries and introducing a big shift in defence, finishing as Scotland’s best forward with 14.
8. Jack Dempsey – 5.5
The former Wallaby admitted last week that he had taken his game “to another level” when he faced the All Blacks, but coming into this game after just one pre-season game in Japan, Dempsey did not have the impact he had in this match 12 months ago. A strong performance from the first shot, but only six. He weighed in with nine tricks, but disappeared after 52 minutes.
Substitutions: 5
Pierre Schoeman, an early replacement for Sutherland, added more punch with the ball in hand, while Josh Bayliss brought energy and athleticism to proceedings and Max Williamson some weight. Blair Kinghorn’s range of passes added to Scotland’s attack, but Jordie Barrett’s header was cleared when he threatened to break clear. Tom Jordan was 20 minutes into the half, but the game had already gone south by the final quarter, when Gregor Hiddleston and George Horn also joined the fray.
