đź”— Share this article Can the Scottish team finally end the long-standing losing streak? New Zealand implemented multiple changes to the squad that defeated Ireland Autumn Nations Series: Scotland v New Zealand Venue: Murrayfield Stadium, the Scottish capital Date: Saturday, 8 November Time: 3:10 PM GMT Things were simpler then. The fourth meeting of Scotland and New Zealand. A heaving Murrayfield, a scoreless tie, winter of 1964. Euphoria at full-time. Fans flooding the field to reflect the home team's momentous achievement. Having beaten Ireland, Wales and England, New Zealand had at last been stopped in a international match. A contemporary reporter was nearly overcome with excitement. "An unforgettable sporting spectacle," he announced excitedly and somewhat optimistically. "Where Scottish rugby preserved British pride." Exiting the ground after the match, home supporters would have had optimism about what was to come. Multiple efforts to defeat the All Blacks and no wins, but obvious indications that maybe one was not far off. Three years later, New Zealand beat the Scots. Half a decade later, history repeated itself. Three years further on, same story. Five more years went by and, yes, the pattern continued. Modern Encounters Two decades of matches later. Twenty All Black wins. Across New Zealand and beyond, from the Southern to Northern Hemisphere - the landscapes have changed but results remain consistent. During his tenure, Gregor Townsend has broken winless streaks in major European venues, but this is another level. This is 32 games across 120 years. One of sport's greatest hoodoos. Team News Over the past seasons the landslide 20, 30 and 40-point wins have reduced to eight points, five points and eight points in 2014, 2017 and 2022, but the All Blacks always find a way. Via their excellence, their power, game management, they get the job done. We're now at the point of the week where positive expectations that supporters maintained for a Scottish win is probably beginning to fade. Hope is colliding with history. Key Absences Recent updates revealed that Fagerson was unavailable. To Scottish ambitions it was like a kick in the guts. Fagerson hasn't played since April, but he's exceptional and had he been declared fit then the long gap without a game would not have been too worrying. During modern rugby long before the hour-mark, his endurance stands out. Unmatched playing time in the Six Nations. Squad Depth Another absence is Jones but his replacement is in excellent form with Northampton. There's no such quality replacing big Zander. While Rae is capable, his international experience consists of 73 minutes stretched across six years. And when Rae is finished, his replacement takes over. Millar-Mills is a decent prop, there's little to suggest that he can match New Zealand's standard. Coaching Choices The coach has made unexpected selections, some logical, some curious. Steyn's tactical awareness replaces van der Merwe's physical approach. The back row has no recognisable truffle dog, Rory Darge starting on the bench. Onyeama-Christie's omission is notable. Past Encounters Graham crossed the line in the 31-23 defeat to the All Blacks in the previous encounter Facing the Irish, the All Blacks secured the first leg of what they hope will be an undefeated tour. They took an age to get going, despite numerical advantage, but their final surge did the trick. That and Ireland's defensive shape, their attack, their line-out and their scrum collapsing. By the Numbers Despite late-game surges, the final quarter is not where the All Blacks do most of their damage. In all of their Tests recently, they've scored 87 tries in opening periods and fewer after halftime. They've scored 39 in the first quarter, 48 in the second, 26 in the third and 34 in the fourth. They come exploding out of the traps. What Scotland Needs During their last meeting, New Zealand scored early in the opening seven minutes. Leading 14-0, victory seemed assured. Scotland fought back impressively to dominate temporarily. The clear message is that, figuratively speaking, Scotland must put the boot on the throat from kickoff - and keep it there. In recent years, successful opponents have needed to score in the upper twenties. Scottish scoring only occasionally against New Zealand. Final Analysis Perfect execution is required for Scotland. Everything. Wasted opportunities then forget it. Disciplinary issues? Repeated infringements? A battered scrum? It's over. But what if everything does go right? Explosive start. Vocal support. Electric atmosphere. Clinical finishing. Finn Russell's magic. Darcy Graham's brilliance. Fantasy rugby, maybe. We haven't seen an 80 minutes from Scotland that would be sufficient against New Zealand. If the capability exists, now is the moment; 120 years is enough of a wait.