Scotland's Alex Dunbar, right, and Greig Laidlaw hang on to New Zealand's Jeremy Thrush. Photo / Getty Images
For All Black lock Jeremy Thrush, a standout performer for his team at Murrayfield which was recognised with his award as man of the match, the tone for the test was set in the first scrum.
On Scotland's ball, both packs put in such a concerted shove that the ball
stayed in the middle, neither hooker able to get a foot to it because of the pressure. It was reminiscent of a similar incident in Paris this time last year when the All Blacks and France pack went at it, lock Sam Whitelock later saying he felt he almost lost consciousness.
"I closed my eyes and was just pushing and I could hear the calls and I opened them and the ball was still sitting there," Thrush said. "I guess that set the standard. Neither team was going to give an inch and that's the way the game went. We knew their forwards were going to try to take us on at set piece and I guess they got one up at the lineout but I thought our scrum held pretty well."
The black scrum held up well and so did Thrush, who surely played the best test of his career in the 24-16 victory. Thrush was good against Argentina in Napier in September when he came on for Whitelock and good again the following week against the Boks in Wellington, but this was a tour de force for the 27-year-old late bloomer who capped off his night with the try which made the game safe for the All Blacks.
