Scotland captain Sione Tuipulotu described the loss to New Zealand as “bittersweet.”
“The win was there. We know the win was there.”
Head coach Gregor Townsend expressed pride in Scotland’s performance against New Zealand, despite a 25-17 defeat at Murrayfield.
After trailing 17-0 at halftime, the hosts mounted a comeback to level the score by the hour mark.
However, a late try from Damian McKenzie dashed Scotland’s hopes of securing their first-ever victory against the All Blacks, who had three players temporarily sidelined with sin-bin penalties.
“I’m really disappointed first of all, because the effort that went in that second half performance was all character,” Townsend told BBC Scotland.
“We needed to kick on when it got to 17-17 and there were a couple of big moments that swung New Zealand’s way.
“Outstanding second half, we showed who are today and we probably showed who we are not getting the win as well.
“There’s growth in this team and we have to win those big moments when the game is there for us.
“Elements of that performance show we are up there with the best teams in the world. We just need to make that next step.”
All Blacks shatter Scotland’s hopes of historic win
Tries from Ewan Ashman and Kyle Steyn played a key role in Scotland’s resurgence during the absorbing contest.
Earlier, Darcy Graham and Rory Hutchinson were held up just short of the line in the first half, while Cameron Roigard and Will Jordan scored for the visitors.
“Teams get tired when you knock on the door,” said Townsend, who has now seen his team lose three home Tests against the All Blacks by single-digit margins during his tenure as head coach.
“I’d love to be playing New Zealand again next week. We play Argentina and we need to put in what we have learned.
“This is the first time this team has played together since the Six Nations. To get that cohesion straight away is difficult and to see it grow during the game is encouraging.
“But it’s so frustrating with that effort that we didn’t get a win.
“It’s the closest we’ve come to winning, I believe. We dominated the second half, territory, pressure, skill. We’ve not done that against New Zealand in our history and we are better for the experience.
“Our journey doesn’t stop today. We have a very big game next week and bigger games to come in the Six Nations.”
Tuipulotu also emphasized the importance of securing a victory against Argentina, following their autumn series opener where they achieved a record score against the United States.
“I told the boys we needed a reaction at half time,” he said. “Either we lie down or choose to go for it.
“We had nothing to lose and everything to gain.
“We have to bounce back for next week because Argentina aren’t going to make it any easier.”
Scottish Rugby Union
Comments can not be loaded
To load Comments you need to enable JavaScript in your browser