New Zealand 48 Scotland 14

Date:  01 Jul 2000
Venue:  Auckland-Eden Pk
Attendance:  Not Recorded
Referee:  Erickson w.

Josh Kronfeld celebrated his 50th Test in style, scoring the opening try, as New Zealand wrapped up the series against Scotland, winning 48-14 on rain-drenched Eden Park.

His team wanted to party and played high-risk rugby, which often came unstuck because of the slippery ball.  But they still scored eight tries, giving them 19 for the series, and gave a further demonstration of the exhilarating rugby they are prepared to play under Wayne Smith and Tony Gilbert.

The match was in many respects a carbon copy of the first Test in Carisbrook with Scotland enjoying a huge advantage in possession again, but lacking the players of the skill of Tana Umaga, Andrew Mehrtens, Christian Cullen and Ron Cribb who proved again tries can be scored from anywhere on the park.

How do you relate a half-time score of 24-nil to the fact Scotland had enjoyed 70 percent of the possession?  Seventy percent, a staggering statistic.

Yet as at Carisbrook, the All Blacks scored a series of long-range tries, with Mehrtens always looking to set his dangerous outside backs alight.

While there was disappointment that more cohesion was not possible from the All Blacks, skipper Todd Blackadder said that was a by-product of still trying to play in attacking style in the wet conditions.

"Scotland was more committed than last week.  We had trouble getting our hands on the ball at times.  Their ball retention tonight was outstanding," he said.

"We probably tried too much at times.  We were trying things but they didn't come off.  We were disappointed with that, it was a tough night."

All Black coach Wayne Smith said the Scots deserved a lot of plaudits.  "They fronted physically, and we were too positive for our own good in the conditions.  Their defence was a lot better tonight, they were a lot sterner," he said.

"We wanted competition for places and the guys who have had their first tests have obviously fronted.  Some have put their hands up higher and we have to assess that now," Smith said.

One try they didn't score would have been the most incredible of all, after the backs flicked the ball along behind their own posts to centre Mark Robinson who broke loose and took play to halfway before a handling mistake snuffed out this daring counter-attack just as the fans were rising to their feet.

The All Blacks have obviously adopted the Crusaders mentality, that it doesn't matter how little ball you have as long as you attack wholeheartedly with what you do have.

Umaga was again a revelation and it must have been a huge relief to the Scots when Smith subbed him with 15 minutes to play.

He scored two tries, created a couple more, missed two others through a forward pass and an offside and was dynamite every time he handled the ball.

Jonah Lomu also had his moments, setting up a try for Ron Cribb as only Jonah could as he ran outside his marker Cameron Murray and held him at bay till Cribb arrived.

Newcomer Mark Robinson grew in confidence as the game developed and made some electrifying breaks in the second half, to give the selectors plenty to think about as they prepare for the Tri-Nations opener in Sydney.

If Kronfeld was the star of the New Zealand forward effort, there were also mighty contributions from Norm Maxwell, till he retired after a heavy collision, the multi-talented Cribb and front rowers Carl Hoeft and Kees Meeuws.

With all the possession they enjoyed, the Scots should have scored more than two tries, those two coming from All Black errors in midfield.

Andrew Mehrtens conceded the first when what was meant to be a deft chip kick lodged in the hands of fullback Chris Paterson who had an unobstructed 50-metre sprint to the tryline.

The second came when Gregor Townsend intercepted a hasty Umaga pass on the halfway line and cleverly punted downfield, winger Murray having the toe (just as well) to get to the ball ahead of Anton Oliver.

The Scots competed doggedly up front, as they always do, with major input from front rowers Tom Smith and Gordon Bulloch, lock Ian Fullarton and flankers Martin Leslie and Jason White.

Scotland captain and halfback Andy Nicol was delighted his players had produced the effort the Scottish jersey deserved.

"I'm proud of that effort.  For a large part of the game we matched an All Black team that is very good.  Our new caps have come through the tour well," he said.

Scottish coach Ian McGeechan said he was a little disappointed with the final result in the match.  "There was a lot of good rugby from us in the game.  In rugby terms we were a lot closer," he said.

Man of the match
Although Tana Umaga was again a human dynamo in midfield, sentimentality insists that the award go to Josh Kronfeld who scored a try and gave a command performance as an openside flanker.

Villain of the match
Hughie, he who is responsible for the weather over Auckland.  He has to be a Scot with a complex because every time Scotland come to town, it rains.  A shame because it took some of the gloss off what could have been a truly spectacular contest.

Moment of the match
Even though it fizzled out on halfway, it had to be the All Blacks' audaciousness to launch a counter-attack by spinning the ball behind their own goalposts.  With an attitude like that' anything's possible in the internationals ahead.

The Scorers

For New Zealand:  Tries by Tana Umaga (2), Josh Kronfeld, Ron Cribb, Alama Ieremia, Mark Robinson, Justin Marshall and Christian Cullen.  Andrew Mehrtens kicked three conversions and Tony Brown kicked one.

For Scotland:  Tries by Chris Paterson and Cameron Murray.  Duncan Hodge kicked two conversions.