Scotland v New Zealand | Saturday 8 November | Murrayfield
Objective one is complete for the Kiwis. Last weekend, New Zealand claimed a measure of revenge at Soldier Field, exorcising some of the ghosts of 2016 with a 26-13 victory over Andy Farrell’s Ireland in Chicago. While the scoreline looks comfortable, the Kiwis were made to work hard against an underprepared Irish side.
New Zealand gained an early advantage when Tadgh Beirne was controversially red-carded just four minutes in. Ireland returned to 15 men 20 minutes later and even held the lead until the final quarter, but as the game entered the last 20 minutes, fatigue began to tell. Cam Roigard, Wallace Sititi and Tamati Williams crossed for tries in quick succession, giving New Zealand what appeared, on paper, to be a straightforward win.
Scotland, by contrast, had a much lighter weekend, running rampant over a hapless United States team. Gregor Townsend’s men exploited a porous American defence to record an 85-0 victory. While impressive, it’s worth noting that much of Scotland’s schedule this year has been against Tier 2 or Tier 3 sides, whereas New Zealand have faced some of the world’s elite over the past six months.
Team news brings a significant blow for the tourists, with both Scott and Jordie Barrett ruled out of Saturday’s clash. Josh Lord is expected to step in at fly-half, while Scott Robertson will need to consider whether to slot Anton Lienert-Brown inside or bring in Leicester Fainga’anuku, or move Quinn Tupaea into the centre.
Scotland arrive with a largely clean bill of health, with only Alexander Masibaka and Will Hurd unavailable.
Verdict: Scotland (+)
While the handicap is slightly shorter than expected, I fancy Scotland to stay within it. The Kiwis have lost two key players this week, and I expect both their set piece and general play to feel the impact.