Ardie Savea says the All Blacks will take the field at Murrayfield on Saturday determined not to become the first New Zealand team to lose to Scotland.
The All Blacks boast a dominant record in the 120-year history between the nations, winning 30 of 32 Tests.
Scotland’s only glimmers of success have been two Murrayfield draws – a scoreless stalemate in 1964 and a 25-25 thriller in 1983.
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Savea, who captains the side in the absence of the injured Scott Barrett, says that legacy fuels their focus.
“You don’t want to be the first team [to lose to Scotland], so that puts us on edge a bit,” Savea said on Friday. “We also understand Scotland’s mindset and how much it will mean to them. It builds appropriate fear, and we don’t want that to happen.
“We’ve prepared well, done what we can through the week. Now it’s about turning up and playing.”
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New Zealand head into the clash on the back of a 26-13 win over Ireland in Chicago, while Scotland are chasing a statement performance in front of a packed Murrayfield crowd.
Savea knows from experience how tough the Scots can be. He featured in the 2022 Test when the All Blacks clawed back from 23-14 down to win 31-23.
“It’s an amazing place to play,” he said. “Scotland are a quality side. The last three games we’ve played have all been within eight points. They’ve got some world-class players, so that poses a threat. We’ve just got to turn up and nail our game.”
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Among those threats is flyhalf Finn Russell – one of the game’s most unpredictable playmakers.
“I don’t know if there’s a way to stop him,” Savea admitted. “It’s the beauty of a world-class player like Finn – he does things no one else can. We’ve just got to nail what we do and try to shut his time down.”
There’s nothing quite like leading your first Haka
Throwback to 2022 when Codie Taylor led the Haka at Murrayfield pic.twitter.com/NvBspUDRzh
— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) November 6, 2025
– AFP
Photo: Ross MacDonald/SNS Group via Getty Images
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