Scotland coach Gregor Townsend hopes the planned biennial Nations Championship will allow his side to end a quarter-century wait and challenge the All Blacks on New Zealand soil.
The Scots are currently in Auckland, preparing for Friday’s clash against Samoa at Eden Park in what will be their first test in New Zealand since the 2011 Rugby World Cup, when Townsend was an assistant coach.
However, it’s been even longer since Scotland last faced the All Blacks on Kiwi soil – all the way back in 2000, when Townsend was a player.
To put that gap into perspective, nine members of Scotland’s current 37-man touring squad weren’t even born when that match took place.
Since then, New Zealand have hosted Samoa (two), Argentina (three), France (15), Italy (two), Ireland (12), Fiji (5), England (10), Wales (six), Tonga (one), Canada (one) and the British and Irish Lions (six) during the traditional June and July test window.
Scotland were scheduled to play the All Blacks in Dunedin in 2020, but the match was cancelled because of Covid-19.
Speaking to the Herald, Townsend hopes the proposed changes to the global calendar, which could take effect next year, will bring his squad back sooner rather than later.
“Absolutely,” said Townsend. “I think we’re going to get those opportunities in the future with the Nations Cup.
“Whether we play New Zealand here or play them at home, that’s the way it’s going to work out. I think if we miss them in 2026, I’d hope that they would change it around and we get to play them in 2028.
“There’ll be more regular competition now for the Six Nations countries and the six countries that are involved from the Southern Hemisphere, so I would hope that means that we get to play the All Blacks out here.”
For the majority of the squad, this tour has been their first experience in New Zealand. Scotland opened with a 29-26 win over the Māori All Blacks in Whangārei before suffering a costly 27-14 defeat to Fiji in Suva.
Now back in Auckland for their final test of the season, Townsend says the tour has been an eye-opener for his youthful squad.
“We’ve really enjoyed the tour,” said Townsend. “The 10 days we had in New Zealand leading up to the Māori game was excellent and we loved the culture.
“It’s made it unique, it’s brought us closer together, and it’s made us realise that rugby can be a number one sport in a country.
“We want to make sure that the tour is memorable for our rugby performances too. We’ve had one good one, one not so good, so finishing on a high would make this tour even more memorable.”
Scotland are missing more than 10 first-choice players, including co-captain Sione Tuipulotu and star first five-eighths Finn Russell, who are on British and Irish Lions duty in Australia.
Their absence has created opportunities for others, with Auckland-born utility back Tom Jordan showing his versatility, while former Crusaders playmaker Fergus Burke made his test debut in the loss to Fiji.
Townsend said Burke had an “excellent debut” and should be proud of his efforts in the loss and hinted the 25-year-old could feature again against Samoa.
Scotland will be desperate to finish their campaign with a win, particularly after being outclassed by Fiji, a result that dropped them to eighth in the world rankings.
Their long-term goal is to crack the top six by the end of the year, before the draw for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, which takes place in December.
However, they will have to make history if they’re to beat Samoa. Scotland have never won at Eden Park in six attempts, which includes five defeats to the All Blacks and a 2011 World Cup loss to England.
“Last summer, Samoa beat Italy, a Six Nations team that’s been very competitive over the past couple of seasons,” Townsend said.
“We know what we’re up against. They’ll be playing in front of lots of passionate supporters at Eden Park, which will be a massive boost for them.
“It’s a privilege for us to play there too. It’s a venue we’ve never won at, so this is our chance to make history and finish the tour on a real high.”
Sadly for Jordan, his long-awaited first professional match in New Zealand will have to wait, after being ruled out of Friday’s game with a fractured hand, while loose forward Jamie Ritchie won’t play because of a foot injury.
They will also be without winger Darcy Graham, who has been called into the Lions squad ahead of Saturday’s first test against Australia in Brisbane.
The All Blacks and Scotland have faced off 32 times since 1905, but just 11 of those matches have been in New Zealand. Two have taken place at neutral venues, with the rest held in Edinburgh. New Zealand have won 30, with the remaining two ending in draws.
The two nations are set to meet again in November at Murrayfield for the first time since 2022.
Ben Francis is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers breaking sports news.