There are losses that feel competitive, and there are losses that feel familiar. Scotland’s 43-21 defeat to New Zealand at Murrayfield fell firmly into the second category: a bright start, a standout individual performance from Ewan Ashman, and then the same old problem of the All Blacks finding another gear when it mattered most.
Scotland actually gave themselves something to build on in the first half. Ashman scored a hat-trick, and the match was open enough to produce seven tries before the break. But the game changed after half-time, when Scotland failed to score and New Zealand added 19 unanswered points to turn a tense contest into a clear win.
Why the scoreline matters
The final margin told the bigger story. Scotland did not lack energy or moments of quality, but they still could not turn that into control over 80 minutes. New Zealand’s seven-try performance underlined the difference between a team that can create moments and a team that can sustain pressure until the match breaks open.
That is what has made this matchup so frustrating for Scotland in recent years. This was their 10th defeat in their last 11 clashes with New Zealand, and the wait for a first win over the All Blacks goes on. Even when Scotland find a player capable of shaping the match, as Ashman did here, the overall balance still tends to swing back toward New Zealand.
Toward the second half
Gregor Townsend did not try to dress it up. He said teams obviously prepare to win, but that the bigger goal was to deliver a performance that the players and supporters could be proud of. In his view, that standard simply was not met, and he called the result frustrating.
That frustration is understandable because Scotland were not completely overrun from the start. The first half had enough attacking quality to suggest this could become a genuine contest. But once New Zealand settled after the break, Scotland had no response. In a high-profile home test, that gap in composure and finishing power was decisive.
For New Zealand, this was another reminder of why they remain such a difficult opponent to dislodge. For Scotland, it was another near miss in a rivalry that keeps offering hope and delivering disappointment. Ashman’s hat-trick stood out, but the result still belonged to the All Blacks.
