Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend is aiming to secure a first-ever victory over New Zealand when the sides meet at Murrayfield on Saturday. The All Blacks have never lost to Scotland in 30 encounters spanning 112 years, with only two draws — 0-0 in 1964 and 25-25 in 1983 — offering any Scottish consolation.
Townsend, who faced New Zealand six times as a player without success, including a record 69-20 defeat in 2000, acknowledges the scale of the challenge. 'Their front five pass the ball more than any team in the world,' he said, praising the All Blacks' pace and tempo.
Scotland will be without 14 players due to injury, but nine of the starting XV are facing New Zealand for the first time, including prop Zander Fagerson and No8 Cornell du Preez. Captain John Barclay, who made his debut in a 40-0 loss to the All Blacks in 2007, dismissed the weight of history: 'It's just a stat. We have 80 minutes to try and change that record.'
Full-back Stuart Hogg expressed confidence, saying, 'We are more than capable of knocking them over. If you don't believe that, you are in the wrong place.' Lock Ben Toolis added, 'There's always going to be areas you can find to exploit and do damage.'
Scotland's summer win over Australia under Townsend provides a template, with Barclay noting, 'We played with good intent that day, with a lot of accuracy. We have to play with the same intent, be aggressive and try to score tries.'
