A sold out Murrayfield witnessed nine tries as the world champions, New Zealand, saw off the challenge of Scotland in the first of the EMC Tests.
Two tries from Tim Visser and one from Geoff Cross were not enough to hold off the might of the visitors, with head coach Andy Robinson immediately turning to the challenge of South Africa, the second in the November series.
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Scotland are the first team to score three tries against the world champions this year, but the quality of the visitors, and in particular Man of the Match Dan Carter, was too great across the eighty minutes.
Scotland’s head coach, Andy Robinson said: “If you sit off New Zealand in the tackle, you’ll be taken apart.
“We’ve got some work to do before we take on South Africa next week. They are a team who will be coming route one at us with a lot of mauling and a lot of kicking.”
It was two years ago that Scotland, off the back of defeat to New Zealand, shocked the touring South Africans.
Robinson added: “We have to show the spirit of 2010, when we were in a similar position. That’s what we’ll be looking to do after today.”
Scotland fell behind on a cold, clear and dry day at Murrayfield with barely a minute on the clock. Dan Carter converting a penalty chance from 35 metres after an infringement at the breakdown.
Far from discourage the Scots and the noisy home crowd, however, Andy Robinson’s side roared back into the game with 15 minutes gone.
With New Zealand stringing together attack after attack, Matt Scott pounced on a loose pass, intercepting and making the break downfield.
While the defence scrambled to keep up, Scott found his Edinburgh teammate Visser on his left shoulder.
Right place and right time is a key attribute for a finisher as lethal as Visser and he raced over the line to put Scotland in front. Greig Laidlaw’s conversion made it 7-3.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqP3gWVffQE&feature=player_embedded
Less than five minutes later however, the world champions went over for their first score of the game. A lovely step inside from Carter, not for the last time, evaded the defence and he fed Israel Dagg. Carter was successful with the conversion.
Both sides were forced into substitutions with barely 20 minutes on the clock. Scotland open-side Ross Rennie suffering a dislocate shoulder and replaced by David Denton. New Zealand’s try scorer Dagg also had to leave the field, replaced by Barrett.
Laidlaw and Dan Carter exchanged penalties with a quarter of the match gone to make it 10-13 to New Zealand.
The quality of handling and work at the breakdown by Steve Hansen’s side is a joy to watch for any rugby fan but it’s also a devastating supply of points. Swift handling in tight spaces created tries for Corey Jane and Andrew Hore in quick succession, in addition to the first of two scores by Julian Savea.
With all three scores converted by Carter, Scotland quickly found themselves with a 24 point deficit but weren’t going to go quietly into half-time.
A penalty on the stroke of 40 minutes was turned into a tap and go by Richie Gray and the Scots pounded the New Zealand lines. A TMO decision went against Matt Scott but another penalty award saw the Scots come again.
After yet more hard graft around the fringes, Edinburgh prop Geoff Cross was credited with the score and Laidlaw made the conversion.
HT: 17-34
The second half burst into life with a yellow card as Adam Thomson was sent to the sin-bin for excessive use of the boot when he made contact with Alasdair Strokosch’s head.
The citing officer, Ireland’s Murray Whyte is expected to deal further with the incident but a red, rather than yellow, card seemed the more probable outcome given what had unfolded.
With the opposition down to 14 men, Scotland’s pack tried to turn the screw. The ball was worked out wide where it looked as though New Zealand had won yet another turnover at the breakdown but the ball spilled loose.
Mike Blair was fastest to it and he fed his former club team-mate Visser, who once again demonstrated his knack for being in the right spot.
At 22-34 Scotland were still within touching distance of the World Cup holders, but once again Dan Carter made the difference with a deft clip over the top of the defence.
A kindly bounce into the arms of Savea made his job easier but it was his fast feet, which saw him step clear of the on-rushing Hogg and sprint for the line.
The Murrayfield crowd, in fine voice for the whole match, saluted the debut of Henry Pyrgos off the bench, but it was the class of the visitors, which told in the end.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srpa4oRtI0U
Scotland now face South Africa in the second of the EMC Tests on Saturday 17 November, with Tonga to follow in Aberdeen a week later.
Scotland line-up.
15. Stuart Hogg. 14. Sean Lamont 13. Nick De Luca (Sub – Max Evans, 64) 12. Matt Scott 11.Tim Visser 10.Greig Laidlaw (Sub – Ruaridh Jackson, 66)
9. Mike Blair (Sub – Henry Pyrgos, 74)
1. Ryan Grant (Sub – Allan Jacobsen, 66) 2. Ross Ford (Sub, Scott Lawson 68) 3. Geoff Cross
4.Richie Gray 5.Jim Hamilton (Sub – Alastair Kellock, 58)
6.Alasdair Strokosch 7.Ross Rennie (Sub – David Denton, 20) 8.Kelly Brown (Capt).
Unused: Kyle Traynor
New Zealand line-up.
15. Israel Dagg (Sub Barrett, 23) 14. Cory Jane, 13. Ben Smith 12. Tamati Ellison 11. Julian Savea, 10. Daniel Carter 9. Piri Weepu (Sub – Kerr-Barlow, 61)
1. Wyatt Crockett (Sub – Woodcock, 72) 2.Andrew Hore (Sub – Coles, 61) 3.Owen Franks (Sub – B.Franks, 61) 4. Luke Romano 5.Sam Whitelock 6.Adam Thomson 7.Richie McCaw (Capt) 8. Victor Vito.
Replacements : 16. Dane Coles, 17.Tony Woodcock, 18. Ben Franks, 19. Ali Williams, 20. Sam Cane, 21. Tawera Kerr-Barlow, 22.Beauden Barrett 23.Ma’a Nonu
ATT: 67144
Ref: Jerome Garces
AR1 : Pascal Gauzere
AR2 : Simon McDowell
EMC Man of the Match: Dan Carter (New Zealand)