Wynne Gray: Latest win puts Scotland in right frame for next game

Julian Savea of the All Blacks is tackled by Ryan Grant during the international match against Scotland. Photo / Getty Images

North of the border there's a renewed bounce in Scotland's rugby step.

Nothing over the top, that's not the way they do things. Nor should they when you assess their record since the game went pro.

However, there's more enthusiasm than they felt in June when they were pasted 55-6 by a mix-and-match Springbok crew.

Five months was a long time for the nation's rugby followers to dwell on that flogging before they got another look at Vern Cotter's side. It was an agreeable revelation when they beat Argentina 41-31 last week.

Even Cotter removed his stolid public face and suggested his men deserved a few beers to celebrate their work before they got into their plans for their 30th test conflict with the All Blacks.

The Scots drew twice with the All Blacks and had other close scraps before the professional era ushered in some blowouts. In 11 meetings since 1996 with the bulk of those tests in Scotland, the All Blacks average 44-13 victories.

The closest the Scots have gone in these pay-for-play days was a 30-18 defeat.

Much of their historical success has connections to men like Jim Telfer, Ian McGeechan, Andy Irvine, the Hastings brothers, Finlay Calder, John Jeffrey and John Rutherford.

Not many of the current crew apart from the relocated Sean Maitland, are well-known to New Zealand and the jury will be out until Sunday's match to assess whether Scotland are making a sustained impression.

Telfer liked their set-piece work against the Pumas and nominated a few areas like ball retention Scotland needed to build to continue that improvement. Conceding turnovers against the All Blacks would be disastrous.

Attacking the breakdown was one area where Scotland should concentrate their efforts because the All Blacks spread their forwards across the field. Pinching some ball or slowing down the All Black supply would help restrict the flow their backline could create. If they got on a roll they were lethal and their remarkable winning record under coach Steve Hansen was often achieved with 30 per cent possession.

Scotland were as good as any Northern Hemisphere side on defence but that would be tested on the new Murrayfield surface.

"They are always half a step, if not a full step, in front of everyone else including England, who could be a great team," said Telfer. "Everyone is trying to catch up and they need to catch up quick."