Scotland 17-25 New Zealand: Hosts' 17-point comeback vs All Blacks in vain as historic first win denied late on
Scotland come from 17-0 to level at 17-17 on hour mark vs All Blacks at Murrayfield seeking first-ever win over New Zealand, but Damian McKenzie scores late to win it for visitors; Scotland faced 14 players for 10 minutes in final quarter after Wallace Sititi sin-bin but could not score
Last Updated: 08/11/25 11:44pm
A Scotland comeback from 17 points behind in search of a historic first victory over New Zealand fell short on Saturday, as the All Blacks broke Scottish hearts to win 25-17 late on.
The All Blacks got to half-time 17-0 to the good after tries from scrum-half Cam Roigard (3) and full-back Will Jordan (40), in addition to seven points via the boot of Beauden Barrett.
Scotland roared back in the second half, though, scoring two tries in five minutes through hooker Ewan Ashman and wing Kyle Steyn, and missed two further efforts when Pierre Schoeman and Darcy Graham both knocked on a metre from the try-line.
Scotland 17-25 New Zealand - Score summary
Scotland - Tries: Ashman (46), Steyn (51). Cons: Russell (47, 52). Pens: Russell (60).
New Zealand - Tries: Roigard (3), Jordan (40), McKenzie (74). Cons: B Barrett (4, 41). Pens: Barrett (29), McKenzie (79).
A Finn Russell penalty improbably brought Scotland level at 17-17 on the hour mark, and when Wallace Sititi collected New Zealand's third sin-binning of the day for an intentional knock-on, opportunity knocked for Scotland.
The hosts couldn't score against the All Blacks' 14 men though, and instead Damian McKenzie produced two stunning pieces of play for the visitors, first striking an exquisite 50:22 for field position, and then finishing marvellously in the corner for the lead.
McKenzie then left the result in no doubt with a 79th-minute penalty to ensure victory.
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The visitors silenced the home support by taking the lead within three minutes. Second-rower Josh Lord produced a magnificent one-handed pick and go off the back of a ruck on the halfway line and drove forward before releasing Roigard through a gap to score on the left. Barrett duly converted.
The Scots responded strongly and asked questions of their visitors without showing the conviction to get themselves on the scoreboard.
Shortly after Scotland wing Graham was held up over the line by some brilliant All Blacks defending, the visitors stretched their advantage to 10 points with a close-range penalty from Barrett in the 29th minute.
The hosts were given an opportunity to crank up the pressure when All Blacks wing Leroy Carter was sin-binned in the 33rd minute for cynically tripping Graham as he hacked through to try to get on the end of his own kick.
But the Scots failed to make the numerical advantage count. After Rory Hutchinson became the second Scottish player to be held up over the line, the Kiwis increased their lead to 17 points in the last action of the half when Jordan finished on the left after being set up by Sititi, with Barrett kicking the conversion.
The Scots started the second half strongly, however. Hooker Ashman scored off the back of a lineout maul in the 46th minute, with Russell adding the extras.
The resurgent hosts were further buoyed by the sight of All Blacks captain Ardie Savea being yellow-carded for trying to pull the maul down.
This time the Scots made the extra man count as Steyn bounded over on the left after being set up by Blair Kinghorn's pass in the 51st minute. Russell was again on point with the conversion.
The Scots' tails were up and they looked set to go ahead in the 56th minute, only for Roigard to make a brilliant tackle to stop Graham grounding the ball on the right.
Russell then levelled a pulsating encounter with a penalty on the hour mark, setting up a grandstand finale. It looked like the pendulum was swinging in the Scots' favour, particularly when Sititi went to the bin.
But the visitors weathered the Scottish storm and got their noses back in front in the 73rd minute when McKenzie produced a brilliant finish on the left.
The try-scorer slightly blotted his copy-book by making a mess of his conversion attempt, but he made no mistake six minutes later when launching a penalty from 45 metres between the posts to put the outcome beyond doubt.
What's next?
Scotland next host Argentina at Murrayfield next Sunday November 16 at 3.10pm.
For New Zealand, they travel to face England next week at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham on Saturday November 15 at 3.10pm.
Italy stun Australia with comeback victory
Also on Saturday, Italy upset Australia with a come-from-behind 26-19 victory with the son of a Wallaby great scoring one try and an Australian-born winger the other to snatch a famous victory for the hosts.
Louis Lynagh, born in Italy when his father Michael played for Treviso, and Melbourne-born Monty Ioane proved Italy's heroes as they won for only the second time in 20 Tests against the Wallabies.
Australia scored three tries without reply in the opening 51 minutes at the Stadio Fruili before a late surge from the Italians turned the Test on its head, with the 100-per-cent kicking return from fly-half Paolo Garbisi proving the difference.
The result continued a miserable year for Australia who were beaten by England at Twickenham last week and have won five of 13 Tests this year.
Fourteen-player South Africa dig deep to humble France
World champions South Africa recovered from 14-6 down and the sending-off of powerhouse lock Lood de Jager to overpower France 32-17 in a bruising Autumn international on Saturday.
France cracked completely under pressure as their discipline disintegrated, throwing away an early lead despite the Springboks being reduced to 14 players on the stroke of half-time.
Two years after their agonising 29-28 World Cup quarter-final loss to the Springboks on home soil, Les Bleus appeared poised for revenge.
Still without injured captain Antoine Dupont, France looked irresistible early on as winger Damian Penaud scored twice to become his country's all-time leading try scorer with 40, surpassing Serge Blanco's long-standing record.
A succession of reckless infringements and a costly yellow card, however, handed the initiative to the Springboks who punished every mistake.
South Africa fought back with tries from Cobus Reinach, Andre Esterhuizen, Grant Williams and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who also slotted two penalties and three conversions.
