Match Report: All Blacks v Scotland | Nations Championship, 2026

In touch at half-time down 21-24 after two All Blacks sin-binnings, Scotland couldn’t add to their score; frustrated by a string of penalties, they conceded 13 to eight and were unable to penetrate a dogged All Blacks defence.

A key turnover by centre Quinn Tupaea, a constant threat in the midfield, regained momentum midway through the second half, when the game was meandering, to extend the All Blacks’ lead.

Fullback Beauden Barrett benefited from the All Blacks’ attacking approach with two tries, including his 50^th in Tests, but the pack's power took the sting out of Scotland.

Lock Fabian Holland dominated the lineouts, supported by flanker Tupou Vaa’i, while the front row were controlled and consistent.

That was evident when the first scrum of the game came in the 33^rd minute, as the All Blacks, with only seven in the scrum, relieved pressure on their line. Then six minutes into the second half, off their own feed, their power earned a penalty out from Scotland’s line.

While they didn’t score on the first chance, another Scottish infringement, this time in front of the posts, allowed halfback Cam Roigard to throw a long pass to second five-eighths Jordie Barrett, who threw another long ball to the unmarked left wing Josh Moorby, who scored.

Three minutes later, after 51 minutes, Scotland captain Sione Tuipulotu was yellow-carded. The All Blacks took immediate toll, kicking for a lineout and winning the ball with Tupaea playing as stand-off to feed first five-eighths Damian McKenzie, who linked with Beauden Barrett to join the line for his second try of the game, his 50^th, to take a 36-21 lead.

Barrett pulled off a big defensive play in the 56^th minute to break an 18-phase Scotland build-up and deny wing Kyle Steyn a potential try.

The play lost momentum, but once Tupaea pulled off a superb tackle and won a turnover penalty, the All Blacks used their lineout to regain it. Vaa’i took the ball deep in the line and fed Lakai on the blindside, where replacement hooker Asafo Aumua ran unchallenged to score.

Seven tries told the story of the action-packed first half, four of them to the All Blacks. Flanker Wallace Sititi scored after three minutes from a clever dummy lineout move, and prop Ethan de Groot (15 minutes) crossed off a tap penalty by halfback Cam Roigard just out from the line.

That was followed by captain and hooker Codie Taylor (19 mins) crossing from a lineout drive. They lost Lakai to the sin-bin after the All Blacks conceded five consecutive penalties. But the All Blacks countered after a lineout penalty gave McKenzie the chance to throw a long pass to Beauden Barrett (30 mins), who raced into a gap to score.

Scotland utilised their lineout drive for hooker Ewan Ashman to score two of his hat-trick of tries (seven and 37 minutes). He was required to run a little further for his third after Scotland ran the ball to the midfield where he made use of a gap created after Sititi’s 32^nd minute yellow card.

Scotland took the All Blacks on with their backlines, several times creating openings and forcing defensive penalties, while Moorby denied them a try by getting his hands under the ball in a goal-line tackle.

The Scots were forced to make 143 tackles compared to 132, while they were unable to make the most of a breakdown advantage of 109-86. The All Blacks denied Scots dangerman first five-eighths Finn Russell to have an influence and that told in the final outcome.

Scoring Summary: All Blacks v Scotland

Scotland 21 ( Ewan Ashman 3 tries; Finn Russell 3 con) New Zealand 43 (Wallace Sititi, Ethan de Groot, Codie Taylor, Beauden Barrett 2, Josh Moorby, Asafo Aumua tries;  Damian McKenzie 4 con). HT: 21-24