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Fresh off a dominant Championship, the world champion All Blacks have marched north of the equator to Scotland as they take on the original highlanders.
Join us on The Roar for scores and leave your updates and comments as the game comes to us from Edinburgh, Monday 1.30am AEST.
This is the tourists’ first leg of an international tour to Scotland, Italy, Wales and England.
A near sell out crowd of 68,000 Scots are expected to fill the stadium to see if their team can back up a massive undefeated tour earlier this year which saw them dispose of Samoa, Fiji and Australia.
For the Scottish, a win against New Zealand would be their first in 28 games and 107 years, while the kiwis will be looking to keep a lid on the notion they can be beaten by any team in the world.
The average historical score between these two nations is 10-29 with the Scottish on the wrong side of winning. And while they’ve never beaten the All Blacks, the Scots managed a draw in 1964 and again in 1983, both at Murrayfield.
Aside from the historical, New Zealand has an ancestral tie with Scotland; in this week’s team players such as Thomson, Crockett, McCaw and Williams have Scottish names. The Otago Highlanders are also a nod to this heritage.
The All Blacks’ team has a new look to it this week with backrowers Kieren Read and Liam Messam rested for Adam Thomson and Victor Vito.
Aaron Smith is rested for Tawera Kerr-Barlow who will be hoping to get his first cap, chosen on the bench ahead of Andy Ellis. Dane Coles joins him as debutant, getting the nod for third choice hooker ahead of Hika Elliot.
Julian Savea has been picked ahead of Hosea Gear, while Tamati Ellison and Ben Smith get a crack in the midfield. Ma’a Nonu takes a spell on the bench and Conrad Smith gets to wear a tie and blazer this week as he watches from the stands.
Ali Williams gets a guernsey as he’s picked on the bench. This is an interesting decision from coach Steve Hansen; Williams hasn’t done much in the last few years yet he’s been chosen ahead of Brodie Retallick following recent recovery from his knee injury.
Hansen explained of his decision to give Williams another go, “It came down to the [the fact that] we have a 75 Test veteran,”
“Yes, he has not played a lot of rugby because of injury but we know he has got the mental capacity to do the job on the field. He brings with him a huge amount of experience, to which we know he is good at assisting the young guys and Brodie Retallick and Luke Romano – two of the four locks on tour – will benefit from that.”
In the other notable changes, Beauden Barrett is in the dugout in place of Cruden.
Richie McCaw, Dan Carter, Israel Dagg and Cory Jane are all starting.
In the Scottish camp, former England and now Scotland coach Andy Robinson said he’s looking to emulate the Australians’ 18-18 draw with the ABs in Brisbane last month by going toe to toe in a highly physical contest. In this manner, he will also be looking to emulate the French after they bashed the Wallabies into submission on Sunday.
There’s plenty of new blood in the Scottish team for this clash. One such player, winger Tim Visser, said of his opposite Cory Jane “I’ve done my homework. I have been doing all I can to learn about Cory Jane. He is a world-class player who has been blessed with great pace, fantastic footwork, reliability under the high ball and an ability to find gaps in the opposition defence.
“I know I have to be at my best to get the better of him but feel I can do that.
“To run out at Murrayfield on Saturday in a Scotland jersey will be one of the proudest moments of my life.”
Another newbie, 22 year old centre Matt Scott noted “It’s not going to come easy. We’re going to have to play the game of our lives, but we’ve got nothing to lose.
“It’s never been done before by a Scottish team and that’s a major motivation for us, knowing that we’ve got a chance to make history. We’re in quite a good place. We’ll be going in as underdogs, but Scottish teams in the past have enjoyed that label.”
Favouritism status is a label the All Blacks enjoy. Yet Scotland’s victory over Australia should serve as a reminder that you still need to turn up if you want to win.
Having said that, the All Blacks have the unique proposition of a clean balance sheet to consider.
And that puts a certain extra vinegar into everything they do.
Join us 1.30am Monday on The Roar for live scores and your say on the game.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.