Ashman's hat-trick not enough as New Zealand beat Scotland at Murrayfield
Ewan Ashman scored three tries in the first half for Scotland, but New Zealand came out on top at Murrayfield in Edinburgh on Saturday. The All Blacks scored seven tries in all, according to The Guardian's match report.
The match was part of the Nations Championship, the series of international fixtures the leading teams play in the autumn. A try is worth five points and is scored by grounding the ball over the opponent's goal line. Three in one match is known as a hat-trick, and it is a rare feat for any player.
Scotland went into the game with a full-strength side, as Reuters reported before kick-off. Head coach Gregor Townsend had said his team could test New Zealand, and for a half at least they did. Scotland's three first-half tries came from Ashman, and the score was close enough to keep the crowd hopeful at the break.
New Zealand's second half was the decisive spell. The visitors scored 19 unanswered points after the interval, meaning Scotland had no reply. Scotland did not score at all in the second half. Beauden Barrett was among the New Zealand try-scorers, with two of his own over the course of the match.
Watching the match, the shift was easy to spot. Scotland had been level in attack and pressing for the ball, then lost the momentum. Tiredness often shows late in a test match, when defenders are running back into position on every phase and each tackle takes a little more out of the body. A team that keeps the ball and slows the opposition's attacks can turn a narrow lead into a comfortable one, and that is what New Zealand did.
For Scotland, the first half will be the part to take forward. Three tries against one of the strongest teams in the world show the attacking options are there. The second half is the work to do, especially holding onto the ball and defending for the full 80 minutes.
For newcomers, the key thing to remember is simple. Ashman's three tries were a highlight, but the match was decided by what happened after half-time, when New Zealand kept scoring and Scotland could not.
