Only one loss compares to Scotland's near miss on All Blacks win
Crestfallen Gregor Townsend rued Scotland’s inability to see out an historic victory after New Zealand fought back in the closing quarter of Sunday’s Test to win 31-23 at BT Murrayfield.
The Scots looked on course for their first-ever triumph over the All Blacks when they scored 23 points without reply to wipe out the visitors’ early 14-0 lead and take a nine-point advantage themselves.
But Townsend lamented the fact they were unable to maintain their dominance into the closings stages as tries from Scott Barrett and Mark Telea turned the match back in New Zealand’s favour.
“I feel mainly disappointment,” the Scotland head coach said. “We don’t get to play New Zealand every couple of years like we used to, it has been five years (since the last meeting). That will be the biggest lead we have had over New Zealand in our history and we didn’t win.
“We scored 23 points to nil during a 50-minute period. With those margins you have to kick on and win. You have to see out the win and we did not do that.”
Townsend admitted it was one of the sorest defeats of his reign.
“Probably Japan in the (2019) World Cup will be up there with this,” he said. “But this is disappointing because you don’t get to play New Zealand (often) and we have never beaten them in our history so when you play like that and get a lead, you feel you should win and we didn’t.”
Townsend praised his team for the way they turned around the early 14-0 deficit but was equally disappointed by the manner in which they relinquished their own nine-point lead after they lost Jack Dempsey to a yellow card.
“We were nine points up and controlled a fair bit of our own destiny in those last 15 minutes,” he said. “New Zealand were always going to come back into it, they are a very good team, and we allowed them to get better field positions and penalties.
“I didn’t think they were doing anything different and we were containing them.
“Our management of when to play and when to kick was excellent, our chase was outstanding, but we let them back in with a couple of errors. The yellow card put us under pressure. Yellow cards lift the opposition and that is when they did damage.”
Townsend praised Finn Russell after the stand-off, who was recalled last week after being contentiously left out of the initial autumn series squad, was successful with all four of his kicks at goal, putting 11 points on the scoreboard.
“I thought he was very good,” he said. “His decision-making around where to play, when to pay, was very good. His goal-kicking was excellent.”
Townsend was gutted Scotland were not able to get a victory in front of Doddie Weir, his 52-year-old former international team-mate who presented the match ball before kick-off on a rare return to the national stadium as he continues to fight motor neurone disease.
“It was a big occasion for Doddie and his family,” Townsend said. “It was brilliant to hear the crowd show their appreciation for him. We wanted to win the game for Doddie and we didn’t.”
New Zealand head coach Ian Foster was “proud” of the way his side fought back in the final quarter.
“We were against a Scottish team that we think has grown in strength and is on the rise,” he said. “They’ve been able to win some big Tests the past two years. It was one we were a wee bit nervous about, so I am delighted to get a good win.
“When you are away from home against a team that’s got their tails up, it’s hard to turn it around. It’s a Test win we are very proud of.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Should've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
90 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to comments