Talking points: New Zealand can take heart from Canada draw with England

New Zealand scored 10 tries to Scotland’s two to record a comfortable win at Hive Stadium in Edinburgh in the WXV Global Series clash, as they build up to England next weekend.

The world’s second-ranked side had never played in Scotland before and showed their class at times in a 66-14 triumph.

New Zealand took just two minutes to get on the scoreboard, with tighthead prop Mo’omo’oga Palu powering over for a try under the posts and full-back Braxton Sorensen-McGee converting.

Six minutes later second-row Maama Mo’onia Vaipulu scored their second try and the visitors were 12-0 up.

Scotland then started to defend with a bit more structure and by the end of the first quarter, the score remained the same.

The home full-back Chloe Rollie then intercepted a pass from her opposite number Sorensen-McGee and ran 70 metres. The Scots showed good patience and after a few phases in the 22nd minute, No.8 Evie Gallagher scored a try and stand-off Helen Nelson added the extras

That was 12-7, but soon after it was 17-7 when New Zealand put width on the ball and winger Justine McGregor scored their third try.

Try number four came for the Black Ferns on the half hour mark via back-row Elinor-Plum King. Sorensen-McGee’s conversion made it 24-7.

However, Scotland were being more physical at times than against Canada last time out, and Gallagher scored her second try in the 33rd minute.

New Zealand’s fifth and sixth tries by back-row Layla Sae and centre Amy du Plessis made it 38-14 at half-time.

The Black Ferns came firing out of the blocks in the second half and converted tries came via replacement Amarante Sititi, scrum-half Tara Turner – who was later named player of the match – and Sae with her second to make it 59-14.

The rest of the game was scrappy as conditions worsened, with New Zealand centre Alena Saili’s try finishing things off.

Here are the game’s main talking points…

New Zealand’s speed too hard for Scotland to handle in first half

Six tries came from the Black Ferns in the first 40 minutes and while a number of their big carriers like Mo’omo’oga Palu and Layla Sae were getting them on the front foot, it was the speed that their forwards and backs were playing at in unison that really stretched Scotland.

Their passing was very on point in general and when you have those basic skills, along with power and most importantly pace, it is very hard to stop.

The Black Ferns also managed to step things up a notch whenever Scotland threatened to get back into things in that half and that is a quality that top teams like them possess.

Two good tries for Scotland in first period when they brought physicality

Scotland had some lulls in the first half and periods where the Black Ferns were in complete control, but when they played with a bit more edge and physicality, they threatened New Zealand.

That resulted in two tries for their best player on the park Evie Gallagher and both scores owed much to the carries of the likes of Lana Skeldon, Emma Wassell and Holland Bogan.

Indeed, Bogan is only young, but she has really impressed in her international career to date and has a hardness and fearlessness to her game that supporters love.

Five tries in 11 minutes either side of half-time show New Zealand’s ruthless streak

Top teams can crank things up when they need to and boy did New Zealand do that between the 36th and the 47th minute.

Layla Sae, Amy du Plessis, Amarante Sititi, Tara Turner and Sae again scored tries during that short spell either side of the interval and with Braxton Sorensen-McGee kicking all five conversions suddenly things had gone from 24-14 to 59-14 in the blink of an eye.

They had scored 35 points during that onslaught, but they will just be frustrated that they did not score any in the final 33 minutes.

New Zealand can take heart from Canada draw with England

With Canada earning a 26-26 draw against England in Exeter and stopping their 39-game winning run, New Zealand are next to face the Red Roses and head coach Whitney Hansen and her charges will be looking forward to the challenge of playing at the Allianz Stadium.

They will watch the game back and will be able to take pointers from the way the Canadians took things to John Mitchell’s side.

They will also have taken a lot of heart from their recent wins against Australia, South Africa, France and now Scotland and Hansen and her coaching team will have some really positive selections decisions to make this week.

The game on Saturday promises to be a cracker.

Australia is the big one for Scotland

Realistically it was always going to be hard for a rebuilding Scotland squad to compete with the might of Canada and New Zealand in the last two weeks.

They will be judged on how they do against Australia in a winnable game next Saturday though.

Scotland need to put the positives together from last two games, dust themselves down and get the best team out on the pitch they possibly can for that one, as it is the world’s seventh-ranked team in the world versus ninth in the world.

Captain Rachel Malcolm will have her troops up for that one.