Sione Tuipulotu to captain Scotland against New Zealand at Murrayfield on Saturday
Sione Tuipulotu will captain Scotland when they host the New Zealand All Blacks at Murrayfield on Saturday, the latest attempt to beat a side Scotland last faced 12 months ago.
Scotland's route to this match has been turbulent: in the previous meeting they fell 17-0, rallied to 17-17 and then conceded late to Damien McKenzie; a separate Test saw a 21-0 lead against Argentina collapse into defeat and prompt serious questions about the future of head coach Gregor Townsend; and the campaign began with a loss to Italy in Rome in this year's Six Nations. Since those setbacks Scotland have recorded notable wins — ending England's 12-game winning run, putting 50 points on a Grand Slam-chasing France, scoring seven tries in Argentina over the summer and taking world champions South Africa close in Pretoria — and, as Jack Dempsey put it, "We can be the best team in the world for 20 minutes and we can be the worst team in the world for 20 minutes." Tuipulotu said: "We've been through a lot in the last 12 months, as a coaching staff, as a playing group and as a team."
Comparing the France side Scotland beat in March with the New Zealand team arriving in Edinburgh, the match is described in the Scotland camp as not necessarily a step up in class; Scotland have beaten France six times in the Townsend era and France's regular presence in the Six Nations diminishes some of their unfamiliarity. The article also notes that the 2025 All Blacks, in the final months of Scott Robertson's reign, "was not vintage All Blacks," a factor in how last year's missed opportunities are viewed.
The All Blacks under Dave Rennie, with ex-Scotland scrum-half Mike Blair on his staff, are portrayed as having been reset back to what the article terms their "factory settings" — "pace, power, ambition and freedom to play." Townsend described them this week as "A proper All Blacks team." Tuipulotu agreed New Zealand look cohesive: "You could see that in the Greatest Rivalry series [against South Africa]."
Tuipulotu expanded on New Zealand's leadership and style, saying: "I thought the way Ardie [Savea] was leading the boys before he got hurt was pretty inspirational. I thought that really brought them together since he's gone down [injured]. Other boys have had to step up, but I thought his mark on the All Blacks as a leader was evident. They've carried that on. Obviously they've had two really good victories against Australia and they're probably playing a brand that the players really enjoy. It's a brand of rugby that you would traditionally associate with New Zealand teams, one which the fans really enjoy. We do play a similar sort of style."
On the contest itself Tuipulotu was clear about the physical contest it will present, saying: "A big part of this match will come down to who can be tougher for longer." The match is referenced in related coverage, including the Scotland Rugby Podcast episode titled: Podcast: Can Scotland end 121 years of history against All Blacks?
Scotland and New Zealand meet at Murrayfield on Saturday, with Scotland seeking to convert the mixture of recent highs and lows over the past 12 months into a first win over the All Blacks in the team’s ongoing pursuit of that objective.