Gregor Townsend identifies why the All Blacks are different under Dave Rennie

Gregor Townsend believes experience can help his Scotland side as they attempt to break their duck against New Zealand.

Scotland have never beaten the All Blacks in 33 previous meetings but have given them some challenging games in recent years and Townsend is banking on those near misses helping his players when the teams meet in the Nations Championship in Edinburgh on Saturday.

The last four encounters have been settled by eight points or less and Scotland fought back from losing the first 17 points last year to level the scores and look the likelier winners until Damian McKenzie scored late on for the visitors.

Winger Kyle Rowe and second-row forward Gregor Brown are the only two players in Townsend’s starting line-up with less than 20 caps but both will hit that milestone on Saturday.

Townsend said: “A lot of people in sport know the All Blacks is the iconic rugby team. But our players have played against them, so that will help.

“It helps again that we will play at Murrayfield. The atmospheres in this game in recent years have been amazing. Sometimes for different reasons, with Doddie (Weir) being at the game in 2017 with his family.

“But I also think with the way the two teams play, it sets it up for open rugby, and I think our supporters appreciate when the All Blacks come, but I also think they appreciate how we play against them too.”

Townsend will come up against his successor as Glasgow head coach, Dave Rennie, in the opposite dugout.

“They’re playing some excellent rugby right now and it’s our first game of the season, which is always the toughest challenge for us too,” he said.

“It’s a different New Zealand team. It’s a team that is playing much more ambitious rugby. They’re informed, they’re cohesive. They played a lot of Test matches over the summer.

“We’re going to have to find ways to win, find ways to stay in the fight because they’ll have a lot of possession too.”

Kyle Steyn and Jamie Dobie have been handed starting places on the wing as Townsend named 10 Glasgow players in his starting line-up.

Former Glasgow centre Huw Jones will reform his partnership with Sione Tuipulotu in midfield while Warriors’ Rowe starts at full-back.

Finn Russell and Ben White make up the half-back partnership while there are six Glasgow players in the pack: Rory Sutherland, Zander and Matt Fagerson, Gregor Brown, Scott Cummings and Rory Darge.

Former Warriors number eight Jack Dempsey, now at Toshiba Brave Lupus, also starts along with Edinburgh hooker Ewan Ashman.

Gregor Hiddleston will provide cover at hooker on the bench along with fellow forwards Pierre Schoeman, Will Hurd, Max Williamson and Josh Bayliss.

Scrum-half George Horne and versatile backs Tom Jordan and Blair Kinghorn make up the replacements.