Three All Blacks Starters Who Flopped vs Scotland — And Who Should Replace Them

Three players looked a step slow, a touch off the pace, and, frankly, a bit lucky to leave Edinburgh with the win. Scotland smelled blood, and for a while, it looked like the centuries-old stranglehold could be in jeopardy.

So who flopped, and who could have turned the tide? We’ve got the answers—and the replacements who would have slammed the door shut before Scotland even knew what hit them.

Rugby Pass 5, Planet Rugby 5, STUFF 5

Newell had a tough night in the scrum against Pierre Schoeman, conceding two penalties, one of which directly contributed to Scotland’s second try. He also missed three tackles and was brushed aside by Gregor Brown. While his aggression in breakdowns helped, overall it was a below-par performance.

Planet Rugby: "Not as dominant as we expected in the scrum and was penalised in the second period for going in on the angle. Put in a shift but Newell has had better days this season."

STUFF: "Not the same kind of scrum dominance we have seen plenty of this year, and pinged at one for angle on his ball trying to promote the open side. Solid otherwise, making nine tackles with no misses. "

Rugby Pass: "Had a tough night going against Pierre Schoeman, ending up conceding two scrum penalties, with one leading to Scotland’s second try. Although his aggression was put to good use in the breakdown, Newell missed three tackles and was brushed aside by Gregor Brown."

Tosi came off the bench to stabilize the lineout and the breakdown, offering solid defensive contributions. He also showed glimpses of attacking threat with some heavy-duty carries into contact.

Rugby Pass 4, FloRugby 4, Planet Rugby 5, STUFF 3

The wing’s start to Test rugby has been promising, but Carter’s indiscretion proved costly. A cynical trip on Darcy Graham led to a yellow card, interrupting New Zealand’s momentum. His overall involvement was limited, with just four carries and two tackles, making for a quiet and undisciplined outing.

STUFF: " Cut a frustrated figure out on the right wing when he probably should have had a couple of balls his way when unmarked. Maybe it played into his 33rd minute yellow card for a cynical foot trip on Graham."

Planet Rugby: "The wing’s start to Test rugby has been pretty smooth so far, but Carter found himself in hot water after a cynical trip on Darcy Graham, resulting in a yellow card. Had some good moments outside of that, but Scott Robertson won’t like the lack of discipline."

Rugby Pass: "The 5-cap wing was barely on play and still managed to find himself on the wrong side of things, as he was caught tripping Darcy Graham ten minutes before the break, with Nic Berry sending Carter to the sin bin."

FloRugby: "Not quite the vintage performance from the former 7s specialist; his yellow card was an unnecessary error.  On the whole, it was a relatively quiet showing by Carter, who struggled to get up to the pitch of the contest with just 4 carries and 2 tackles."

McKenzie’s introduction changed the game. Shifting him to fullback with Will Jordan on the wing added control and attacking impetus. McKenzie scored a critical try following a clever 50/22 and slotted the match-winning penalty, demonstrating why he should start in such high-pressure scenarios.

Taylor’s lineout duties were reliable, but he lacked impact elsewhere. His offensive contributions were limited, and while he made some carries and tackles, the overall effect on the game was muted.

Rugby Pass: "While he didn’t make any mistakes in his lineout duties, Taylor seemed to be off pace and unable to impact the All Blacks’ offensive manoeuvre."

Planet Rugby: "Set-piece went well enough and there were a couple of trundles in the loose, but it was a solid rather than spectacular shift."

Taukei’aho brought energy and physicality from the bench, driving momentum in the final stages. He carried five times, completed six tackles, and maintained a perfect lineout record, proving decisive in New Zealand’s finishing push.

Think you know your rugby legends? You have 5 minutes to name all 56 players on the list of the world’s most-capped international rugby players. No cheating! Can you recall every single name, from Alun Wyn Jones to Courtney Lawes?

Tip: Focus on the stars from Wales, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and other top rugby nations – but don’t forget the surprise entries!