Ewan Ashman became only the fifth player ever to score a hat-trick against New Zealand, but it was not enough to prevent Scotland going down to yet another defeat in this fixture.
The Scots sensed an opportunity to end their long wait for a first victory over the All Blacks after Edinburgh hooker Ashman notched a treble to keep them within three points of their visitors at the end of an epic, seven-try first half.
But the hosts lost their way after the break as Dave Rennie’s on-song side closed out an ultimately comfortable 43-21 Nations Championship triumph.
Scotland, who were given something of a reality check as they were unable score a point in the second half, have now failed to defeat New Zealand in 34 meetings since they first locked horns in 1905.
There was a moment’s applause ahead of kick-off in memory of former Edinburgh captain Ally Donaldson, who died in September, and long-serving All Blacks head of security Logan Cadwallader, who died in Edinburgh last weekend.
Since Scotland last played, against Fiji almost four months ago, New Zealand – ranked second in the world – had been involved in 10 matches, including a gruelling four-game series against South Africa.
The battle-hardened visitors went ahead in the fourth minute as back-rower Wallace Sititi capitalised on some slack Scottish defending to score off a lineout. Damian McKenzie was off target with the conversion.
The Scots responded in the eighth minute as Ashman squeezed over from a lineout, with Finn Russell converting.
After All Blacks wing Will Jordan was held up on the line by Ben White, the visitors regained the lead in the 16th minute as prop Ethan de Groot bulldozed his way through three Scots to notch from close range. McKenzie converted.
Hooker Codie Taylor then scored from a lineout maul in the 20th minute, but McKenzie’s conversion was short of the required distance as the All Blacks entered the second quarter with a 10-point advantage.
Scotland responded strongly and New Zealand flanker Peter Lakai was sin-binned in the 23rd minute for repeated infringements.
Within three minutes, the deficit was reduced to three as Ashman powered through after brilliant work by Rory Darge and Sione Tuipulotu, with Russell adding the extras.
Just as Gregor Townsend’s side looked to be in the ascendancy, 14-man New Zealand reasserted their authority as Beauden Barrett found a gap after being fed by McKenzie, who duly added two more points from his boot.
New Zealand were struggling to maintain their discipline amid the mayhem and Sititi was sin-binned for cynical play just as Lakai returned to the fray in the 33rd minute.
The hosts made the extra man count in the 37th minute as Ashman became the first Scot to score a hat-trick against the All Blacks following another lineout maul, and Russell again converted to make it 24-21 to the visitors at the break.
Scotland were unable to maintain their first-half intensity after the restart, however.
Once restored to their full quota of 15, New Zealand seized control of the scoreboard with a couple of quickfire tries, scored by Josh Moorby and Barrett, either side of Scotland captain Tuipulotu being sin-binned in the 51st minute for multiple team infringements.
The Scots’ hopes of a fightback were all but extinguished in the 68th minute as substitute Asafo Aumua capitalised on more dismal defending at a lineout.
“I’m clearly disappointed that we didn’t put one of our best performances out there,” said head coach Townsend after Scotland’s winless streak against the All Blacks stretched to 34 games over more than 120 years.
“You obviously prepare to try and win games, but it’s more about can we deliver a performance we can be proud of, and it wasn’t there today, so that’s frustrating.
“I think what the team has done in previous games, whether it’s in Pretoria or Cordoba or here in the Six Nations, there have been much better performances than we delivered today, so that’s a real disappointment.“ much better performance might not have led to a victory, but it’s more the disappointment that we didn’t deliver what we set out to do.”
PA
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