Rugby, Nations Championship: winners in Scotland, the All Blacks continue their flawless performance

First undermined, the All Blacks were patient to achieve a valuable and improved victory in Scotland (21-43) on Saturday, to launch the autumn phase of the Nations Championship and keep pace with the South Africans at the top of the rankings. With this success punctuated by seven tries at Murrayfield, the New Zealanders continue their flawless performance with 20 points out of 20 possible. They remain in contact with the double world champions, at the top of the Southern Hemisphere rankings. The XV du Chardon, for its part, recorded a second setback in four days and could see England, which hosts Australia on Sunday, overtake it on the Northern Hemisphere side.

Led by a Beauden Barrett in great form, New Zealand deprived the Scots of the ammunition left on the way in the first half and broke away in the second act, while leading by only three small points at the break (21-24 MT).

Ewan Ashman sees triple, but…

The Scots have long been able to stay in touch thanks to some lovely inspirations from Finn Russell and especially to their hooker Ewan Ashman, author of a hat-trick in half an hour: two balls carried flattened behind the line, and a powerful breakthrough. Opposite, the All Blacks, who played in a white jersey in Edinburgh, paid for their indiscipline for a time, receiving two yellow cards at the end of the first period.

However, this is not enough to prevent them from making progress. Wallace Sititi and Ethan De Groot got their team going, then the Barrett brothers got into action. First, a try at the half-hour mark from full-back Beauden. Then a delicious assist from center Jordie for winger Josh Moorby in the 49th minute. Faced with a Chardon XV reduced to 14 after the yellow card received by captain Sione Tuipulotu, the eldest, Beauden Barrett, sanctioned the Scottish berezina in the scrum. With a double, he overtakes winger Doug Howlett at 35 in the pantheon of the best try scorers in the history of the Blacks with 50 goals and rises to second place behind his teammate Will Jordan, who came out grimacing on Saturday.

Replacement hooker Asafo Aumua added to the score against the helpless and helpless Scots, unable to score a single point in the second half. Much stronger in the scrum than their opponents of the day, the New Zealanders reassured themselves before challenging Wales then England on the last day before the finals weekend.