Highlights: Scotland 21-43 New Zealand
By
Thomas Duncan
BBC Sport Scotland at Murrayfield
- Published6 minutes ago
Scotland's defence needs work
Law changes in rugby union have favoured attacking teams, whether it's advantages for driving mauls or how the breakdown is refereed, and Test matches have more points now.
Nonetheless, Scotland are leaking too many. The Springboks and All Blacks have passed 40 points in the Nations Championship encounters, while even in victory against Argentina Scotland shipped 38.
That's a total of 21 tries in four matches in the Nations Championship.
It's not that tackles are being missed and Scotland are being exposed all over the pitch. But against the top teams, the Scots have been too soft on their own line.
Defence coach Lee Radford will be searching for some answers.
Ashman's remarkable strike rate
There has been a change of guard at hooker for Scotland with the rise of Glasgow pair Gregor Hiddleston and Seb Stephen, but Ashman is the clear first choice.
His strike rate of 17 tries in 38 Tests puts him only eight behind Huw Jones in the all-time list, remarkably.
Yes, maul tries have a lot to do with it, as Ashman bagged another two against the All Blacks. But his speed is remarkable for a hooker and his carrying against the All Blacks was ferocious. For his second try, he barged past the giant Wallace Sititi as if he were a puny scrum-half.
In the words of the great Bill McLaren, he charged around like a bull with a sore head. His lineout throwing has improved immeasurably since he broke on to the scene too.
All Blacks are out of reach
Gregor Townsend felt his side fell well short of the standards they set against France and England in the Six Nations - and he was right.
However, this iteration of New Zealand under Dave Rennie are resembling the All Black teams of old with their combination of brutality and attacking rugby.
With players like Jordie Barrett and his brother Beauden hitting world-class form again, and incredible athletes like Tupou Vaa'i and Quinn Tupaea running amok, it is hard to envisage even a near perfect Scotland display being good enough to beat them. Quite simply, New Zealand have better players and more of them.
Rennie has more talent to come back into the fold like Ardie Savea and Richie Mo'unga who would walk into every Test side.
Scotland are right to hold themselves to higher standards and back their own ability to beat anyone, but the All Blacks and Spirngboks are, quite simply, a level above.
