To no avail

New Zealand overwhelms Scotland

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Posted: Sunday October 24, 1999 08:07 PM

Scotland's Gregor Townsend goes for a ride as he attempts to slow down New Zealand's Justin Marshall. AP

EDINBURGH, Scotland (CNN/SI) -- It was a funeral indeed, as New Zealand wore all black to bonnie Scotland's Rugby World Cup hopes at Murrayfield on Sunday.

The All Blacks dashed ahead to take a 17-0 lead within the first 20 minutes, and although Scotland battled gamely back in the second half, it was without success.

Although the statistics for possession at the end of the first half were not all that different the scoreboard presented a different picture, with the All Blacks holding a 20-3 lead.

The favorites ran in four tries, two in each half. But it was the All Blacks first-half dominance that gave it the edge over the passionate Scots who nevertheless rattled the All Blacks at times and racked up two late touchdowns.

Despite playing in wet conditions unsuited to their running game, the All Blacks' victory was never in doubt as they ruthlessly punished Scotland for its early errors and built up a 17-0 lead after 15 minutes to claim another scalp in their progress towards a much-coveted second World Cup trophy.

Winger Tana Umaga got two tries and fullback Jeff Wilson scored another as New Zealand took a 25-3 lead into the interval.

Jonah Lomu, who had a mostly subdued game, got a touchdown halfway through the second half, putting the result beyond doubt.

Flyhalf Andrew Mehrtens scored two penalties and two conversions.

But in a sensational second-half fightback, when All Black game master Mehrtens went off with a knee injury, the Five Nations titlist got richly deserved tries through flanker Budge Pountney and New Zealand-born winger Cameron Murray.

"I thought our performance was a mixture," New Zealand coach John Hart said, adding that his side played assuredly in the first half but then lost its composure after the break.

Scottish coach Jim Telfer, retiring after two decades in the job, said his side gave away the initiative early in the game.

"We made too many mistakes in the first 20 minutes and we gave them too big a lead," Telfer said. "We gave them no chance in the second half ... but by that time the game was lost."

The Scots came out fighting and looked impressive in the early minutes. They won two lineouts against the head and their do-or-die tackling appeared to unsettle the All Blacks.

But New Zealand regrouped and turned up the heat. Scotland buckled under the pressure as Mehrtens opened the scoring with a penalty. Five minutes later Lomu charged toward the line, Umaga picked up from the resulting ruck on the Scottish tryline and dived in for a score. Mehrtens converted.

The All Blacks sustained the pressure. Two minutes later, Mehrtens went on a scorching run down the middle and handed off for Wilson to sneak in at the corner. Mehrtens continued his deadly accurate kicking with a conversion from the wing.

Flanker Josh Kronfeld was a tireless worker for the All Blacks, scooping up loose ball and launching attacks while Mehrtens coordinated.

Winger Kenny Logan kicked a penalty goal after 20 minutes to keep Scotland in the game, but Mehrtens matched him five minutes later before missing a drop goal.

Scotland centers Alan Tait and Jamie Mayer provided steely tackling to prevent the All Blacks from extending their lead, and on the half hour the Scots showed some flashes of brilliance as they rolled the ball upfield and pinned their opponents inside their own 22.

But Scotland lacked the sharpness to make its dominance tell on the scoreboard.

On the brink of halftime, New Zealand scrumhalf Justin Marshall passed the ball out right from a ruck inside the Scottish 22, Wilson tapped it on and Umaga ran in for his second near the flag.

Scotland flyhalf Gregor Townsend scored a drop goal 10 minutes after the restart following a powerful push by his forwards.

Lomu continued to maraud down the flanks but he was repeatedly halted until finally he found space on the left and galloped to the tryline, slaloming through the grasping Scottish defense.

Then the Scots made their breakthrough.

A piercing run by Cameron Murray after 65 minutes blasted a hole in the New Zealand backline and ended in a ruck deep in New Zealand territory. Pountney hauled himself over for a try and the start of a Scottish renaissance. Logan converted.

In the final minute, Martin Leslie made a spectacular breakaway run down the middle and Murray came in to get Scotland's second touchdown, though Logan missed the conversion.

In its three previous games in the tournament New Zealand had ceded only a single try, but it had already inflicted the fatal damage on Scotland's aspirations in the first half.

New Zealand

Scotland

Referee: Ed Morrison, England.

 

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New Zealand vs. Scotland Match Summary
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.