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'We can go toe-to toe-with these boys': Scotland wing Darcy Graham wants more All Blacks Tests
By PA
Darcy Graham is psyched for the challenge of trying to help Scotland defeat New Zealand for the first time ever on Saturday after playing his part in a near-miss against the All Blacks three years ago.
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The sides have met 32 times in the past 120 years, with two draws and 30 defeats for the Scots.
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The most recent of those encounters offers some hope for Gregor Townsend’s men, who – with the aid of a Graham try – led their illustrious visitors 23-14 after an hour in 2022 before succumbing to an agonising 31-23 defeat.
In the only other meeting between the teams during Townsend’s reign, the Scots lost by just five points in 2017.
“Growing up, you always want to play against the All Blacks so you don’t get any bigger occasions,” Edinburgh wing Graham said. “It’s going to be a special Murrayfield game.
“When you see the four (autumn) games, the one that stands out is the All Blacks, that’s the one you want to be starting in.
“The last two games were close. I just wish we had the opportunity to play them more often and really test ourselves.
“I feel like if we played them more, that confidence would increase and we’d end up believing in ourselves even more, that we can go toe to toe with these boys.
“A Scottish team has never done it before so hopefully we can do it now. We can go toe to toe with anybody, but we need to be at our best for a full 80 minutes.
“They’re no mugs, they’re an incredible team with the chemistry they’ve got behind them so they’re going to be coming here as favourites. Everyone knows we’ve got that monkey on our back, never beating them before, so it’ll be a very special occasion.”
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Key New Zealand pair Jordie and Scott Barrett will miss out due to injury on Saturday, but Graham laughed off any suggestion that the All Blacks’ aura as a world rugby powerhouse has slipped in recent times.
“Not really, no!” he said. “They’ve got quality across their whole team, they can swap boys in and out. They’re world class. So, no, they’re not really slipping at all. We know the challenge is coming on Saturday. It’s exciting, I can’t wait for it.”
Graham, who has been hindered by injury in recent seasons, goes into Saturday’s Test buoyed by moving level with Edinburgh team-mate Duhan van der Merwe at the top of Scotland’s all-time try-scoring charts after bagging a hat-trick in last weekend’s 85-0 rout of the United States.
“I’m feeling good,” he said. “But I always expect more from myself and want more, so I’ll never be one to be happy with my game.
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“In my head, I’ve got more in me and I can get better. I’ll keep my head down, keep working as hard as I can and try and improve week on week.
“The more running games you get, the more confidence you build, the better you feel, that’s when you can go and get more touches and do more magical stuff on the pitch. The more games you play, it builds that confidence.”
It's a jam-packed November! Watch these Autumn internationals on RugbyPass TV, or via your local broadcast partner!
