Scotland chase a first win over the All Blacks as Dempsey reaches 50 caps

Scotland host New Zealand at Murrayfield on Saturday, and it will be their 34th attempt to beat the All Blacks. They have not managed it yet, and the wait is starting to feel like the main story.

Kick-off is at 2:10pm on Saturday 7 November. The match is part of the Nations Championship, an autumn series of international matches between the top teams, and Scottish Rugby says tickets have sold out. Scotland will also host Australia and Japan at the same ground during the series.

Under coach Gregor Townsend, Scotland have come close against New Zealand three times in a row without getting the win. Last year they fought back from 17-0 down at one stage, but still lost. The BBC described that defeat as Scotland spurning a chance of immortality, a phrase that captures how near they came.

Saturday's game also carries a personal milestone. Jack Dempsey will win his 50th Test cap, which means 50 appearances for his country. Fourteen of those came for Australia, where he was born and played before switching allegiance, and 36 for Scotland. A Test cap is simply one selection for a national side, so 50 is a rare total.

Dempsey is a number eight, the forward who plays at the back of the scrum and often carries the ball up the middle. He has also just changed clubs. After five years with Glasgow Warriors, he has joined Toshiba Brave Lupus in Japan. He told the BBC he feels guilty about leaving Glasgow, the club he credits with reviving his career.

He also spoke about how he got there in the first place. Dave Rennie, who coached Australia, gave him what Dempsey called "a kick up the arse", and that push led him to Scotland. The move has worked out well for the player, who has become a regular in the Scotland side.

On his availability, Dempsey said that after moving to Japan he will be available for every match of the Nations Championship. He will not be available for the Six Nations, the annual championship between Scotland, England, Ireland, France, Italy and Wales, but he expects to be available again for the Rugby World Cup.

Dempsey has also been frank about the team's inconsistency. He said Scotland "can be the best team in the world for 20 minutes and we can be the worst team in the world for 20 minutes." That gap, between bursts of brilliance and long spells of struggle, is the thing Scotland need to close if they are to beat a side as strong as New Zealand.

For newcomers, the basic test is simple. Scotland have to play at their best for the full 80 minutes, not just the good stretches. The All Blacks rarely give up control for long, and the match will turn on who wins the contests at the breakdown, where players fight for the ball on the ground after a tackle.

Scotland have a chance on Saturday to finally write a new line into the record books. Whether they take it will be known by the final whistle.