How the world’s media reacted to the All Blacks’ 25-17 victory over Scotland at Murrayfield.
Michael Aylwin, The Guardian
A 33rd attempt, a 31st defeat and crucially still no win for Scotland against the All Blacks. And so the search will go on. Let us not resort to that familiar lament, if Scotland could not win it here, will they ever.
It is true, they had as gilt-edged a chance as they ever had, New Zealand forced to play a total of half an hour a man down, having been shown three yellow cards. It is true, Scotland showed remarkable spirit to recover from 17-0 down at the break to level on the hour. But the All Blacks remain deadly, deadlier than Scotland.
This Scotland team [are] deadly too, but it is a question of deadliness when it matters. That is where they continue to come up short. New Zealand wrote the manual – and did that a long time ago.
Martyn Simpson, Edinburgh News
It was without a doubt a frustrating first half, not just for the coach but for everyone inside Murrayfield not associated with the All Blacks. However, the pride came from an exceptional 30 minutes in the second half where the Scots played the visitors off the park to level the scores at 17-17.
Ultimately though, the game was changed by the New Zealand replacements and they managed to get back ahead in the final 10 minutes and secure the victory. The Southern Hemisphere heavyweights remain unbeaten against Scotland as the 120-year wait for a Scottish victory goes on.
Jared Wright, Planet Rugby
Could’ve, should’ve, would’ve will be the words most used by the passionate Murrayfield faithful as they exited the stands gutted that once again Scotland fell oh so short of beating the All Blacks.
But frankly, Gregor Townsend’s men deserve a bit more praise than that after producing a glorious comeback second-half performance led by the likes of Gregor Brown, Sione Tuipulotu, Jack Dempsey and Scott Cummings in particular.
As per usual, Dempsey topped the carry count for the men in blue, racking up 18 in total, gaining 110 running metres in doing so, twice the next best tally in the match by [Will] Jordan.
The 24-year-old Brown again showed why he is so highly regarded with an abrasive and aggressive performance all across the park while Cummings continued his late British and Irish Lions form.
It was a brave, brave Scottish effort as they overturned a 17-point deficit, but they just simply didn’t have enough in the tank to get the job done.
Mark Palmer, The Times
Murrayfield, the grand old dame of Scottish rugby, has hosted some brilliant days over the past 100 years. For sheer drama, head-wrecking plot twists and the cruellest of denouements, few can hold a candle to what was witnessed here.
At halftime, Scotland were dead and buried under a mountain of their own shortcomings and 17 unanswered All Black[s] points. But through a heady cocktail of ambition, enterprise and guts — not to mention three yellow cards for an increasingly erratic New Zealand — Gregor Townsend’s side came roaring back.
So did a capacity crowd who formed a vivid, brilliantly vociferous backdrop to this comeback for the ages on the day the stadium’s centenary was officially marked. Scotland were level on the hour, and all the momentum was theirs.
Alas, just like 2017 and 2022, there was a sting in the tail — of course there was. Just as we dared to dream of 120 years of pain being confined to history, the All Blacks flared again, the replacement Damian McKenzie contorting his body quite spectacularly to score in the left-hand corner, despite Blair Kinghorn’s best attempts.
McKenzie fluffed the conversion but landed the most perfect of kicks to the nation’s solar plexus right at the death with a penalty that finally settled this helter-skelter of a contest. Scotland gave it everything, but left with nothing yet again.
James Corrigan, Daily Telegraph
Scotland produced a great fightback and Finn Russell enacted his finest Braveheart impression by playing for most of the game on one leg. Yet ultimately, there was no history made and this was the All Blacks doing what they do best in situations like this – finding a way, even when they are out of sorts.
So, New Zealand go to Twickenham next weekend halfway to their first Grand Slam over the home nations in 15 years. Yet Scotland must be resigned to seeing their winless streak over the All Blacks stretching to 121 years and, very probably, longer.
England will not be that impressed with the tourists, especially their second half. Yet there is no doubting the Kiwis’ ability to pull it from the fire, even when the environs are an absolute cauldron, just like Murrayfield became on what could have been a famous afternoon.
New Zealand were clinical. First when their second-rower Josh Lord capitalised on some wretched defending at the ruck by Ewan Ashman, when picking up with one hand, nursing through and then putting in Cam Roigard with another one-handed offload of wonder.
And then on the brink of the break, when, with a man in the bin, they conspired to make the most of extreme Tartan sloppiness, as the ball was allowed to drift through the hands before Will Jordan sauntered across the whitewash. This was gloomy.
Yet in Leroy Carter’s yellow card – which he received for stupidly and cynically tripping Darcy Graham – there was a ray of hope. Five minutes after the restart, captain Ardie Savea was also handed 10 minutes’ rest, and then 14 minutes later so, too, was his back-row partner Wallace Sititi, for his own dimwitted deliberate knock-on. That was three yellows in 24 minutes. Horrendous discipline and coach Scott Robertson was evidently fuming.
Mark Atkinson, The Scotsman
Scotland had only claimed two draws in the previous 32 meetings between the two nations prior to this match, going close to where no other Scotland team has gone before.
Gregor Townsend’s brave players fought back from a 17-0 deficit at the break to level the scores at 17-17, before the visitors regrouped and maintained their unbeaten record over Scotland.
It was a painful end for Scotland, who had put in so much to a gripping test match.
Tom English, BBC Scotland
Some of the best rugby I have seen from a Scotland team. I thought it was over at halftime. But the power, accuracy, and ruthlessness from Scotland was incredible. Epic, epic performance.
Scotland need to go again.
This will test their resolve and their professionalism.
Gregor Brown was immense, Rory Hutchinson was outstanding, Jack Dempsey different class.
You could go through them all. That’s the problem – nearly all of them played exceptionally well against a New Zealand side that had three yellow cards and they still didn’t win.
Liam Napier, NZ Herald
It’s the hope that must hurt Scotland the most.
The All Blacks survived three yellow cards in a dramatic, gripping, chaotic contest befitting Murrayfield’s centenary celebration to preserve their 120-year unbeaten record against Scotland.
The bagpipes fell silent as the All Blacks, leading 17-0 at halftime, seemed set to ease to a comfortable victory to continue their quest for a fifth successful Grand Slam.
Any thoughts of a historic Scottish upset appeared dead.
Modern test rugby has a way of defying the script, though.
Maybe there was complacency but a shaky start to the second half rattled the All Blacks. They botched the opening kickoff and, in the space of 10 minutes, they conceded two tries, lost Ardie Savea to a second yellow card and had Damian McKenzie replace Caleb Clarke on the left wing after the latter copped a head knock.
Wallace Sititi produced many magic moments but his yellow card for an attempted intercept gone wrong further entrenched the All Blacks on the back foot.
The sold-out crowd, largely subdued in the first half, roared to life when Finn Russell slotted a penalty to lock up the contest.
Not long ago, such a scoreline seemed unfathomable.
Anthony Brown, PA
Scotland’s search for a first-ever win over New Zealand continues after their spirited second-half fightback ultimately proved fruitless in a 25-17 defeat at Murrayfield.
Gregor Townsend’s side went in 17-0 down at the break, despite being twice held up over the line.
The Scots roared back to make it 17-17 by the hour mark after tries from Ewan Ashman and Kyle Steyn, and they looked the likelier winners as the match moved into the fourth quarter.
But the All Blacks – who had three players yellow-carded – regained their composure in the closing stages, with a try and a long-range penalty from substitute Damian McKenzie taking the game away from the hosts, who have now failed to win this fixture in 33 attempts over 120 years.