Townsend never felt he could beat All Blacks as a player, but as a coach…
Gregor Townsend says Scotland have the belief and ability to challenge New Zealand now, unlike when he faced the All Blacks as a player in the 1990s. His comments come ahead of Scotland’s 34th meeting with New Zealand, a fixture in which Scotland have yet to win, and before a significant run of tournaments and World Cup preparation for his side.
Townsend lost heavily to New Zealand as a player, including defeats by 62-31 and 69-20, but his three matches as coach have been much closer, with Scotland losing 25-17, 31-23 and 22-17. He says Scotland’s recent performances have created chances but lacked composure to take them. A planned World Cup warm-up in Dunedin will be Scotland’s first away Test against the All Blacks since 2000; Townsend also named Newcastle flanker Ollie Leatherbarrow in his squad.
In short
- Townsend says Scotland now believe they can beat New Zealand.
- Scotland have never won in 33 previous meetings.
- A Dunedin Test will end a 26-year wait for an away match.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Scotland can reasonably believe they are now capable of challenging New Zealand: recent matches under Townsend have been far closer than the heavy defeats he experienced as a player, and his side have created scoring chances. Building belief and composure could help Scotland take the next step, while a demanding away fixture in Dunedin offers valuable preparation for future tournaments and the World Cup.
The case against
The record still gives grounds for caution: Scotland have never beaten New Zealand in 33 meetings, and even the closer recent contests ended in defeat. Belief and promising performances may not be enough against a side that has repeatedly found ways to win, so claims of a genuine shift in Scotland’s prospects should be judged by results, particularly in the difficult away Test.
Explained simply
Scotland and New Zealand are long-standing rivals in men’s rugby union, but Scotland have never beaten the All Blacks, New Zealand’s national team. Gregor Townsend played for Scotland in the 1990s and later became the team’s head coach.
The teams’ past meetings reflect a big gap in results: Scotland lost heavily when Townsend was a player, while their three matches under him as coach have been closer. Scotland are also preparing for future tournaments and a World Cup, so matches with leading teams such as New Zealand offer a measure of their progress.