Scotland vs. New Zealand result, highlights and analysis as All Blacks complete impressive comeback to win at Murrayfield

Jonathan Burnett

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Scotland vs. New Zealand result, highlights and analysis as All Blacks complete impressive comeback to win at Murrayfield image

A fantastic second-half comeback saw New Zealand score two late tries, getting out of jail right at the last to beat Scotland 31-23 at Murrayfield.

Scotland had staged a comeback of their own in the first-half, recovering from 14-0 down to head into the break 17-14 ahead. However, that was as good as it got for the hosts, who were unable to cross the try-line again while the All Blacks did so twice, as Scott Barrett and Mark Telea's late scores won it for New Zealand.

The visitors' rapid start had alarm bells ringing around Murrayfield straight away, as Samisoni Taukei'aho crossed from close range with barely three minutes on the clock. Within moments of that score being converted, the All Blacks were in again, as Jordie Barrett's cross-field kick found Telea, who dived over to score an eighth-minute try on his New Zealand debut.

Watch Mark Telea cross for his first of two tries that helped New Zealand to victory on his international debut (NZ):

This second score sparked Scotland into life though, and the hosts were soon on the board via a penalty try. The impressive Stuart Hogg kicked ahead and looked certain to score, but he was held back by Anton Lienert-Brown, who was sent to the sin-bin as the referee awarded an automatic seven-point score. Darcy Graham's interception soon afterwards saw the little winger dart over the line to lock up the scores, and suddenly the All Blacks looked rattled.

Three penalties from recalled fly-half Finn Russell either side of half-time edged Scotland's lead out to nine points, and they held onto this advantage for large swathes of the second half. New Zealand narrowed the gap to six thanks to Jordie Barrett's penalty, but while Scotland clung to their lead, the sense that the visitors would hit back grew around Murrayfield, compounded by Jack Dempsey's sin-binning for a deliberate knock-on.

Down to 14 men, Scotland's dogged defence was finally breached, as Scott Barrett crashed over for their first score of the second half. His brother Jordie's conversion put the All Blacks a point up on the scoreboard, and the hosts' lead vanished. New Zealand's pressure told once again late on, after Telea grounded Rieko Ioane's offload in the corner to edge them six points clear. Jordie Barrett maintained his perfect record off the tee to make the lead eight, and that's how it finished as the All Blacks completed their comeback.

Stoic Scotland see historic victory slip away

Right up until the final quarter, it looked as if Scotland were heading for their first ever victory over the All Blacks in 117 years of international contests with the Southern Hemisphere giants, but it wasn't to be, as New Zealand's world-class tendencies saw them turn the game around in the dying embers.

However, Scotland's performance for the vast majority of the game was world-class in itself, and they'll need to take as much of that quality as possible into their final autumn test against Argentina, a side who have toppled both New Zealand and England on their own patches so far this year.

Lessons learned for men in black despite late comeback

Ian Foster and his players will know that despite digging deep to find a result at Murrayfield, they were indeed very lucky to come away from that match with a victory. After racing into an early two-try lead, the All Blacks' intensity dropped like a stone, and lazy indiscipline crept into their play.

Lienert-Brown's binning was the most glaring example, but the all-too frequent conceding of cheap penalties gave Scotland ample chances to put the game out of sight.

At Twickenham next weekend, England may not be so wasteful, and despite the quality they showed to win it late on, New Zealand simply cannot afford to let another game get away from them, as this one threatened to.

The Sporting News followed the match live, providing live updates and commentary below.

Scotland vs. New Zealand full-time score

  1H 2H FT
Scotland 17 6 23
New Zealand 14 17 31

Tries: Penalty Try, Graham; Taukei'aho, Telea (2), S.Barrett

Conversions: Russell; J.Barrett (4)

Penalties: Russell (3); J.Barrett

Scotland vs. New Zealand full commentary, highlights

FT: That's all from us today, after New Zealand did what they do best, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. They have a short trip south to Twickenham, where they'll face an England side back in form after a big win against Japan. Scotland will host Argentina, looking to end their autumn series with another improved performance and hopefully a win against one of the Southern Hemisphere's in-form sides.

Watch debutant Mark Telea score his second of the game to seal the win for New Zealand:

FT: New Zealand turn the game around late in the day to break Scottish hearts, denying the home side a first-ever victory over the All Blacks at Murrayfield! When Finn Russell's early penalty put the hosts nine points up early in the second half, Scotland fans began to dare to dream. However, they couldn't kill the game with any more points, while New Zealand scored 17 without reply as their bench took control, scoring tries late on through Scott Barrett and Mark Telea to ensure a 20th straight victory against the Scots.

80 mins: Another penalty goes against Scotland, and replacement fly-half Stephen Perofeta kicks to the corner to seal the win for New Zealand at Murrayfield!

78 mins: Russell's wide kick is chipped ahead by Graham, evading Clarke in the process but not Jordie Barrett, who calmly collects before bumping off Graham and hitting contact with brute force!

76 mins: Dempsey's back on as Scotland return to their full compliment of 15 players, and he'll need to make an impact if Scotland are to have any chance of rescuing this game.

75 mins: TRY - Scotland 23-31 New Zealand! That could well see Scotland off! Frizell busts through tackles as he breaks down the left, and Perenara passes back to the right. They recycle possession quickly, and Rieko Ioane races onto a pass, before offloading to Telea who finishes in the corner! Barrett's conversion squeezes over from the right-hand touchline, and The All Blacks lead by eight!

71 mins: Tryscorer Scott Barrett is down with blood pouring from the side of his face, and despite claiming he was punched, gets only a discerning look from the referee as he heads off to be replaced by Tupou Vaa'i.

Watch Scott Barrett's try that has the All Blacks back in the lead at Murrayfield:

67 mins: TRY - Scotland 23-24 New Zealand! With Dempsey off for 10 minutes, Tuipulotu has to join the scrum, leaving Scotland a man short in the backline. The All Blacks peel off quickly, and after two carries are held up by desperate defence, Scott Barrett smashes his way to the line and scores for New Zealand! His brother Jordie converts, putting the All Blacks back into a one-point lead!

66 mins: YELLOW CARD - New Zealand looked to have spilled possession, but on closer inspection it's Dempsey who taps it down for Scotland, and given that he's defending right on the tryline, he's yellow carded for a deliberate knock-on.

65 mins: The All Blacks surge into Scotland's 22 as replacement hooker Taylor makes a line-break. Telea is trapped down the right soon after, so they move the ball back to the centre. Scotland continue to hold out, but Papali'i scoots for the line from close-range, but he's stopped short and the ball comes loose again!

62 mins: PENALTY - Scotland 23-17 New Zealand. The All Blacks gain penalty advantage and Beauden Barrett chips to the corner. It's too long for Clarke though, so play comes back for the penalty, which is slotted over by his brother Jordie to close the gap to six.

60 mins: New Zealand shift the ball wide and Jordie Barrett's bullet pass finds Telea. The debutant breaks down the right flank but finds himself isolated, and he's bowled into touch by the cover defence of the hosts!

58 mins: A spot of kick tennis at Murrayfield, as an under pressure Hogg hoofs a beauty down the field, which initially evades Beauden Barrett before he returns serve. Russell shapes to run  after catching, but chips over the top and the ball bounces out.

54 mins: PENALTY - Scotland 23-14 New Zealand! The All Blacks push too early in a scrum, gifting Scotland yet another penalty, and Russell slots three more points between the sticks to put the hosts' lead beyond a converted try!

52 mins: A Scotland clearance is brought back by Telea, who offloads to Beauden Barrett. He's tackled, and his brother Jordie attempts to gain quick ball, but spills it on the edge of his own 22 and Scotland have another great chance to attack!

48 mins: Scotland pile on the pressure again from a penalty line-out, throwing the ball left. Hogg pins his ears back and charges for the line, but he's held up short and the All Blacks win another crucial penalty on the floor!

43 mins: PENALTY - Scotland 20-14 New Zealand. Good carrying from Van der Merwe helps Scotland make good metres in the All Blacks' half, and after Lienert-Brown is penalised for being offside, Russell notches three more points to extend Scotland's lead.

41 mins: Russell kicks the second half off, and we're back underway at Murrayfield!

HT: We're set for an absolute cracker of a second half, with Scotland leading by a mere three points. The All Blacks are yet to be behind at any stage of a game so far this autumn, so it'll be intriguing to see how Ian Foster's side respond to Scotland's superb first-half comeback. It's not often a 14-point lead for New Zealand is wiped out within seven minutes, and they'll know another fast start is needed if they're to wrestle back control over this game.

Watch Darcy Graham's equalising try for Scotland at Murrayfield:

HT: Well, what a half of rugby! The first 20 minutes saw points galore as the All Blacks raced, into a 14-0 lead, with Taukei'aho crossing within minutes of kick-off before Telea darted over in the same corner to score on his international debut. Scotland's response was immediate and effective though, and after Hogg was prevented from touching down a certain try, they had their first points on the board. With Lienert-Brown in the sin-bin, they scored again almost straight away, as Graham intercepted a pass to race over the try-line. Russell's penalty gives Scotland a three-point lead, and completes a superb turnaround for the hosts!

40 mins: The clock ticks over into the red as Scotland pile bodies into every carry and every ruck on New Zealand's line, but Savea wins the All Blacks win a penalty on the floor and they'll survive until half-time at least!

39 mins: Matt Fagerson peels off the back of a line-out maul to burst clear for Scotland, but he's brought down on halfway. It's chipped forward and collected by Jordie Barrett, but the hosts had penalty advantage and so will get the ball back once more!

35 mins: The All Blacks have their first spell in Scotland's 22 for a good long while, but the hosts' defence is exemplary, shooting up to on Havili's pass to deny Clarke a clean run towards the line, and absorbing several carries before forcing a knock-on from Christie!

31 mins: PENALTY - Scotland 17-14 New Zealand! The hosts attempt to use their latest penalty advantage as Russell grubbers to the in-goal, but Hogg can't get there and play comes back. Russell steps up to kick the three points, and he's successful, putting Scotland into the lead for the first time!

29 mins: Oh so close for Scotland! They gain penalty advantage as they throw it right for Hogg. He scythes through before offloading to Graham, who finishes acrobatically in the corner! He's put a foot in touch on his way though, so it won't count, but what a diving effort that was from the winger!

27 mins: A spell of quick ball from rucks helps both sides make metres in midfield. A Scotland line-out is thrown straight over the top to Matt Fagerson, and the hosts keep possession well as Van der Merwe drifts inside to take another carry, before Scotland win another penalty.

23 mins: Scotland win a scrum penalty and Price takes the quick tap. It's thrown left to Van der Merwe, who cuts back inside before being met by Whitelock with a massive shot! Akira Ioane gets over the ball and wins the penalty for New Zealand, as Lienert-Brown returns from his 10-minute spell on the sidelines.

19 mins: Scotland think they're in again, but Ritchie is pinged for a double-movement and New Zealand get the penalty! What a reprieve for the All Blacks!

18 mins: Hogg punts a kick forward into New Zealand's 22. Jordie Barrett's back there to collect, but the Scottish chase is brilliant and the Kiwi full-back is dumped over the sideline by Watson just 10 metres from his own try-line!

15 mins: TRY - Scotland 14-14 New Zealand! What a response from Scotland! They look left and supply Van der Merwe with quick ball, but after he breaks down the sideline, New Zealand turn it over. They too shift the ball to the left, but Graham intercepts a pass, evades Clarke, and steps Jordie Barrett to race over in the corner! Russell converts, and just like that, Scotland are level with the All Blacks!

12 mins: PENALTY TRY - Scotland 7-14 New Zealand! Hogg latches onto a great ball from Price and chips over the top of the All Blacks defence. He's chasing the bouncing ball into the massive in-goal area at Murrayfield, but is tackled by Lienert-Brown off the ball before he can get there! The referee and TMO check the incident, and give the penalty try, as well as sending Lienert-Brown to the sin-bin!

8 mins: TRY - Scotland 0-14 New Zealand! The All Blacks are in again, as they turn the ball over and Beauden Barrett grubbers through to Clarke. The big winger surges onto the ball and advances, before being brought down on the edge of Scotland's 22. New Zealand recycle possession and Jordie Barrett kicks to the opposite wing, where Telea catches the loose ball to score a debut try! What a start for the visitors, who lead by 14 following a successful conversion.

5 mins: Scotland look for an immediate response after the All Blacks knock the ball on in the own half. Watson busts through a tackle and makes a half-break, and the hosts pile on the pressure. Russell's short ball almost sends Gilchrist through a hole, but Lienert-Brown gets over the ball to win a crucial turnover penalty for New Zealand!

3 mins: TRY - Scotland 0-7 New Zealand! That didn't take long! A good run down the right flank from the debutant Mark Telea wins the All Blacks a penalty, and they kick to the corner. Some strong carries take the ball right to the line, and Taukei'aho picks and goes to crash over from close range! Jordie Barrett converts, and the visitors lead by seven already!

Kick-off: And we're off! Beauden Barrett's kick gets the game started, and this test match is underway at Murrayfield!

5 mins to kick-off: A moment's silence precedes the anthems on this day of remembrance across the world, followed by two passionate renditions of God Defend New Zealand and Flower of Scotland, and now the All Blacks prepare to perform the haka!

10 mins to kick-off: A packed-out Murrayfield awaits the two teams, and here they come! The two matchday 23's trudge onto the pitch, and following the national anthems, we'll be ready to go here!

15 mins to kick-off: Against Australia, Scotland gave half-backs Tate McDermott and Bernard Foley far too much space, both from dummy-half and when kicking out of hand. They'll be well aware of Beauden Barrett's threat from fly-half, and will also need to keep tabs on Finlay Christie, the All Blacks' number nine who was born in Peebles in the Scottish Borders.

30 mins to kick-off: Three of the All Blacks' five try scorers make the XV for this game, with Samisoni Taukei'aho starting at hooker, man-of-the-match Ardie Savea packing in at number eight, and Jordie Barrett, who crossed twice, moving from inside centre to full-back. He's flanked on either wing by Caleb Clarke and Mark Telea, the latter of whom is making his New Zealand debut.

45 mins to kick-off: Scotland have made one key change to their team, with enigmatic fly-half Finn Russell called in from the cold to start against New Zealand. Having been left out of the squad prior to the autumn tests, the Stirling-raised star was recalled following an injury to Adam Hastings, and will be looking to take the game right to the All Blacks at Murrayfield.

60 mins to kick-off: The Kiwis' first game in Tokyo saw them get very lucky, beating Japan 38-31 following the bravest of performances from the Blossoms. They reacted to that close-run victory by giving Wales a rugby-playing lesson in the second half, running out 55-23 winners at the Principality Stadium and scoring eight tries in the process.

75 mins to kick-off: Scotland's run so far this autumn has been disappointing for coach Gregor Townsend. They lost 16-15 to Australia despite scoring two tries to one, as continual penalties and issues with their discipline allowed the Wallabies to kick their way to victory. They did get past Fiji in the following match, but needed to come from behind to eventually run out 28-12 winners.

90 mins to kick-off: Hello, and welcome to live coverage of this international test in Rugby Union's autumn nations series, as New Zealand's All Blacks take on Scotland at Murrayfield. Hosts Scotland have won one from two so far, while New Zealand are yet to lose on their Northern Hemisphere tour, squeezing past Japan before smashing Wales last weekend.

Scotland continue their end-of-year campaign with a third successive match at Murrayfield, and this one is set to be their toughest yet, as New Zealand's All Blacks travel to Edinburgh looking for a third consecutive victory on their tour of the Northern Hemisphere.

Scotland's two Tests this autumn have been a mixed bag, with Gregor Townsend's men unable to produce a complete performance in either. They start brilliantly against Australia in their first game, scoring a beauty of a try through Ollie Smith, but continuous penalties saw them marched towards their own try-line time and time again, and Bernard Foley's accuracy off the tee saw them lose by the agonising score of 16-15.

New Zealand's first match in Tokyo was one in which they also weren't firing at their usual success rate, never being able to keep the Brave Blossoms at bay in a tight, end-to-end match. The All Blacks' five tries to Japan's four proved crucial in the end, as a late score from the hosts made it 38-31 to the All Blacks at full-time, which was a let-off for Ian Foster's side to say the least. 

Scotland had the chance to react to the Australia defeat against Fiji last weekend but a dreadful start as George Turner's early try was cancelled out by two scores from the visitors. The hosts rallied, and Adam Hastings' try right on half-time edged them back into the lead. Duhan van der Merwe and Ben White crossed in the second period to see out Scotland's first win of their autumn series, albeit one which was far from convincing despite the 28-12 scoreline.

On the other hand, convincing was exactly the word to describe New Zealand's win over Wales, as the All Blacks pulled away in the second half to rack up a record-equalling 55 points, with the hosts' 23 in reply being far from enough to save the game. New Zealand gave a rugby exhibition in the last half-hour, scoring eight tries in total. Codie Taylor, Aaron Smith and Jordie Barrett all crossed twice, while unplayable No. 8 Ardie Savea was the clear man of the match.

MORE: How Scotland gifted Australia victory from the jaws of defeat at Murrayfield

Scotland vs. New Zealand lineups

The headline inclusion in Townsend's matchday side is undoubtedly the man donning the No. 10 jersey. Dropped altogether from the squad ahead of this autumn's Tests, Finn Russell is back in the Scotland fold, coming straight into the starting XV following Adam Hastings' injury against Fiji.

The introduction of Ben White from the bench helped Scotland seal the win against Fiji with a 74th-minute try, and he'll look to do the same in this game if and when he replaces Ali Price at scrum-half. Duhan van der Merwe also crossed early in the second half to continue the hosts' fightback and retains his place on the left wing for the third straight game, as does Darcy Graham on the right.

New Zealand give Blues winger Mark Telea a Test debut on the right, and he'll be looking to offer some attacking verve to match the destructive ball-running of his Auckland team-mate Caleb Clarke on the opposite flank. Completing the back three is Jordie Barrett, who scored twice in Cardiff and moves from inside centre to full-back for this game, displacing his brother Beauden.

Aaron Smith and Richie Mo'unga reached double figures for points in hand and off the tee respectively against Wales but are absent from the All Blacks' matchday 23 at Murrayfield, with Beauden Barrett starting at fly-half. He's joined at the base of the scrum by Scotland-born Finlay Christie, who starts in the No. 9 jersey.

MORE: All Blacks fans still to be convinced by Foster after slim Japan victory

How to watch Scotland vs. New Zealand

  UK Australia New Zealand US Canada
TV channel — — Sky Sport — —
Stream Amazon Prime Video Stan Sport Sky Sport website/app FloSports DAZN

UK: The Test match is available to stream via subscription service Amazon Prime Video in the UK.

Australia: All matches in the Autumn Nations Series, as well as this Test, will be streamed via Stan Sport in Australia.

New Zealand: Sky Sport is the place to catch the end-of-year international matches.

USA: Subscription service FloSports has exclusive rights to the Autumn Nations Series with matches available to stream online.

Canada: Canadian fans can follow the series through DAZN, which offers a monthly subscription for $24.99 or a year for $199.99.

When is Scotland vs. New Zealand?

Scotland host New Zealand at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh, Scotland on Sunday, November 13. The game kicks off at 2.15 p.m. GMT.

  UK Australia New Zealand USA Canada
Date Sun, Nov. 13 Mon, Nov. 14 Mon, Nov. 14 Sun, Nov. 13 Sun, Nov. 13
Time 14:15 GMT 01:15 AEDT 03:15 NZDT 09:15 ET 09:15 ET

Scotland vs. New Zealand odds

The All Blacks' convincing disassembly of the Welsh defence last weekend puts them at long odds not to taste victory in Edinburgh. They're being offered at 1/10 and 2/17 to win by Sky Bet and BetMGM respectively, and Ladbrokes' offering of 1.11 is of a similarly confident vein.

The backing of a Scotland win is optimistic, with Ladbrokes' 6.00 the longest odds for the hosts to topple New Zealand. Sky Bet and BetMGM are a only a touch shorter, with their odds of a home win being at 11/2 and 5/1 respectively. Sports Interaction are similarly pessimistic about a home victory.

  UK
(Sky Bet)		 Australia
(Ladbrokes)		 US
(BetMGM)		 Canada
(Sports Interaction)
Scotland win 11/2 6.00 5/1 +440
New Zealand win 1/10 1.11 2/17 -769

Jonathan Burnett

Jonathan Burnett Photo

Jonathan is a freelance content producer and commentator for Sporting News UK, with a focus on international rugby tournaments like the Six Nations and Rugby World Cup. He also works as a commentator for StatsPerform’s football network, covering matches across Europe including the Champions League, 2022 FIFA World Cup, and the 2023 Women's World Cup. He’s a regular contributor to the history and statistics website Rugby League Project.

Jonny graduated from Leeds University with a journalism degree in 2021 and was Head of Media at Widnes Vikings RLFC in 2023. A self-confessed nerd of rugby league, union and football (soccer). Jonathan’s coverage across several sports can be found on the TSN site.