All Blacks honour Logan Cadwallader in 43–21 win over Scotland
All Blacks captain Codie Taylor said the players wanted to win for Logan Cadwallader after a 43–21 Nations Championship victory over Scotland at Murrayfield capped an emotional week for the touring squad.
Cadwallader, the All Blacks’ head of security, sadly passed away in Edinburgh in the build-up to the Test. He had been part of the team for ten years. The players wore black armbands in his memory, and squad members outside the match-day 23 joined in the pre-match haka to pay their respects.
“We wanted to win for him,” Taylor said. “This week’s been a lot bigger than rugby.”
Taylor said he felt the emotion during the anthem and could see how much the occasion meant to the management group. He only learnt afterwards that the non-playing squad members had joined the haka. They had wanted a way to pay their respects alongside the players wearing the jersey, he said.
Head coach Dave Rennie noted a number of players were visibly upset at the final whistle, and that after a week that had taken a heavy emotional toll on the squad, he was proud of how they had come through it together.
Watch: All Blacks Review Scotland Result | Press Conference (Edinburgh)
Contestable kicks turn the pressure back on Scotland
The All Blacks led 24–21 at halftime after a seven-try opening half. Scotland hooker Ewan Ashman scored a hat-trick, while yellow cards to Peter Lakai and Wallace Sititi compounded a spell in which New Zealand repeatedly conceded penalties.
Rennie traced some of those problems back to the All Blacks’ exits. Scotland got in behind an uneven kick chase, and New Zealand made poor decisions when contesting the ball at the breakdown. Taylor said Scotland were able to hold possession and build pressure after receiving long kicks.
After the break, the All Blacks put up kicks their chasers could compete for. Taylor said the change brought turnovers and put Scotland under pressure in the air. Rennie also credited a more connected defensive line and stronger work in the tackle for giving the team time to get organised.
Josh Moorby, Beauden Barrett and Asafo Aumua scored the All Blacks’ three second-half tries as New Zealand added 19 unanswered points. Rennie praised the scrum for giving his side a platform to apply pressure, though he wanted more patience close to the Scotland line and sharper handling when turnovers created chances.
Watch: MINI MATCH | All Blacks v Scotland | Edinburgh, 2026 (Nations Championship)
Beauden Barrett reaches 50 Test tries
Barrett’s two tries from fullback took him to 50 in Tests. Rennie said his performances at No 15 in the provincial games in South Africa had helped earn him the chance to stay there, with Damian McKenzie at first five-eighth.
The coach also singled out Barrett’s work during stretches when he was out of the side, saying he continued to help teammates prepare even when he wanted to be playing himself.
Up front, Scott Barrett and Fabian Holland both played the full 80 minutes. Rennie praised Scott Barrett’s work in the tackle, on the carry and at the breakdown, and said Holland had delivered another big performance.
Watch: HIGHLIGHTS | All Blacks v Scotland | Edinburgh, 2026 (Nations Championship)
Wales next on the Northern Tour
The All Blacks head to Cardiff to face Wales with injuries to assess. Jordie Barrett failed a head injury assessment, while Will Jordan picked up a suspected hamstring injury. Rennie said the severity of Jordan’s injury still needed to be assessed and Barrett’s availability was unclear.
Taylor said the second half showed how well the side could respond to changes at the break. Scotland’s success from the lineout drive and the pressure they created when the All Blacks struggled to exit their own half gave New Zealand clear areas to address before Cardiff.
Watch: Inside All Blacks Preparations for the Scotland Test | Press Conference (Edinburgh)
Full Post Match Interview Transcript
Dave, your assessment of that this afternoon?
"A lot more proud, because it was an important day for us. I thought boys barred up well. I think if you looked at the game itself, probably ill-disciplined first half, couple of yellow cards, if you give Scotland opportunities in your finish zone they're going to hurt you. But yeah, we were better in the second half. We went to a contestable kick game, to limit their time from a counterattack point of view, and we we'e a lot more clinical and we dominated territory a bit better. So not as not as clinical today as we have been, thought we just lost our shape a couple of times, and from turnover we had two or three really gilt-edge opportunities that we spilled, but I thought we defended really well second half. A lot of brutality, a lot of time in tackle, which gave us more time to get organised, which was which was better. As we've talked about, it was a tough week. A massive emotional toll on the group and there was some, you would have seen some players visibly upset on the final whistle. So yeah, proud of the men to to get through that."
Did you get the feeling at halftime if you tied it up a few areas you would be able to?
"Yeah, before we got wrong, you know, we had a couple of yellow cards, but before we got wrong, we're still in front, and so when we had possession, you know, we scored, one stage we had 14 on the field, and so we got our run-catch-run and our winning races and brutality going where, you know, we've got some good athletes who can hurt you. When we got that right, we were good. We were confident that, just got to look after the ball better, defend better, don't give away penalties."
Well, if we can talk about that, it was 20 minutes before you guys gave away the first, then within the space of I think eight, three penalties, five advantages, two yellow cards. How did things go from so good to so bad so quick?
"Possession, I mean, we're in possession, they're getting penalised a lot. You're down the other end and we got a couple of things wrong around kick and then our kick sprint and connection, and they've got in behind us and then we've had a couple of poor decisions on jackling and trying to have a crack at the ball. The referee's deemed that as cynical and yeah, we were well aware the penalty count was 5-0 and then it was 8-5 at halftime. So yeah, it was was one of the things we talked about at halftime."
Kickoff retention as well seemed to improve quite a bit in the second half. Was that an area where you guys had to have a chat?
"Yeah, I mean, they went short and so we'd squeezed up. Ironically, we'd done a fair bit of work on that during the week, anticipating them going short. So yeah, I think we lost maybe two of the first three, but beyond that, we might have lost one. But yeah, I think you go short, you get a hand to it and the idea is we try and pick up some scraps. So, yeah, like we've got to be better I guess."
On the positive side, scrum seemed pretty dominant there, from the first three resulting penalties. Couple free kicks...
"Yeah, scrum was excellent, gave us a platform to apply a bit of pressure. There were a couple times where maybe we should have done better and just being a little bit more patient. Certainly what we were seeing was that a side that goes multi-phase in the finish zone was getting rewarded through penalties and there's a couple times where we tried to throw blind offloads which you go back to a penalty, but we've lost the chance to really bring the ref into the game."
Dave, what would be the main work on for the rest of the Northern Tour at this point?
"Look we're trying to grow our game. It's not always the same thing after a performance. I think, you know, we weren't very well connected defensively first half, but I thought we were excellent second half. So, that that was a good shift. And Tana talked about some things at halftime. I think attack-wise, like I said, we just weren't quite as connected. You know, when we're sweeping around, occasionally we were one pair of hands short and could have really put them under the pump. So, yeah, we'll look at all that, but I was happy with the work ethic, happy with the the the physicality or brutality that we often talk about, and happy that, you know, for Logan, we got a good result tonight."
Really pleased with how things turned around with the second half in terms of the physicality that came from Scotland? You feel like you guys pushed away? Must been quite the halftime talk, Codie?
"Yeah I think we just needed to tidy up the way we were getting out of our our own half, like first half we probably kicked long a couple times and like Dave said, we weren't quite connected in our line and then, you know, Scotland want to hold the ball and put you under pressure and then that's where the penalties come on the back of, so we went to that contestable game and it turned us, put the pressure back on them in terms of the air, and we were able to get a couple turnovers off that. So yeah, that's pretty much what you want from a halftime, is to be able to come in, take a few learnings, and then apply those changes. And I feel like that was a good response from us."
Just last from me, you wanted to put in a good performance for Logan. You feel like you guys have achieved that?
"Yep. We wanted to, you know, win for him. Like I said earlier, this week's been a lot bigger than rugby, it's about acknowledging one of our brothers that have fallen and and a husband, father, son, who was highly respected in our group, and to be able to go out there tonight and and get the result, you know, I know there was a lot of emotion in the anthem, and looking across to the management and how much they were feeling it as well. So there was definitely a bit more of a motivation there to front up in the jersey and represent him."
Dave, how important has Scott Barrett's return been, and his combination with Fabian Holland over the last couple of weeks, and tonight?
"Yeah, he's been awesome. He's just got a big, big engine. A lot of unseen stuff around tackle and carry and clean. Barge, which is our counter-ruck type thing. So yeah, he's been great. I thought Fabian had a big game again tonight, and you know, both the big men going 80. We've got a number of second rowers who've got big engines who can play 80 minutes which is a bonus for us."
How's Jordie recovering? And then also Will (Jordan), has he pull his hamstring when he went off?
"Yeah, Will, he might have tweaked a hammy. We'll assess that. I'm not sure of the severity of it. Jordie failed his HIA. So yeah, not sure whether he'll be available this week, but we'll get a bit of clarity."
Just on the last Barrett brother, Beauden didn't get many opportunities in the first half of the year, but what are you seeing from him now? Two tries today.
"Yeah, look, everything we we know about Beauden, you know, there's people out there thinking that he's passed it, but you know, he's in an environment here where like we really value his experience. He's a true professional. Everyone wants to play and even when he's not playing, it's hurting. He's doing everything he can to help others and prepare the team well. And what we were confident of was that if he got his opportunity, he'd bar up and front. And he played well at 15 for us in a couple of the provincial games in South Africa. So obviously it's the reason we've left him at 15 and played Damian at 10. So he's been excellent and I'm really wrapped for him. He's an important part of this group and yeah, nice that he's playing well as well."
Codie, on the field did Scotland present you with the intensity you expect? And if yes or no, where does that leave you for your next fixture in the Northern Hemisphere?
"Yeah, every game against Scotland here has been pretty tight, and it's just the way they play. You know, they want to get downhill. They're physical. They back their set piece. you know, a couple more tries which hurts as a forward, but you've always got to expect Scotland's best when you come here, especially obviously with, you know, I suppose the record that, you know, they probably want to grab on to, or beat. But hey, we're we're still growing, you know, like Rens said, some things we'll be happy with, but some things we'll want to critique and make better for Wales."
Codie, the non-playing reserves did a haka, while you were doing the Haka, which I don't think I've ever seen before. Are you able to tell us how that came about and why that happened?
"Yeah, I wasn't actually aware at the time, but I talked to Richie and what I know is that everyone wanted to pull the jersey on tonight, but obviously that can't happen. So from what I hear, their thinking was we want to be a part of the haka, cause we can actually pay our respects that way. So, I wasn't aware, but to hear that is just goes to show the connection of the group and how much um Loag's meant to us."
