Scotland’s captain, Sione Tuipulotu, is rallying his squad to seize the moment as they prepare to face the formidable All Blacks at Murrayfield this Saturday afternoon, aiming for a groundbreaking victory.
For over 120 years and through 32 encounters, the Scots have yet to claim a win against New Zealand, making this match a potentially historic event.
Under the guidance of Gregor Townsend, Scotland came tantalizingly close to triumphing over the Kiwis in their last two meetings, in 2017 and 2022, but fell just short each time.
This weekend, the Scottish team seeks to capture one of the most coveted victories in rugby while also commemorating Murrayfield’s 100th anniversary.
Tuipulotu acknowledges the daunting task ahead but emphasizes that the team should not be daunted by past records.
“The occasion is what it is,” said the 28-year-old center. “We have to embrace it; it won’t vanish. However, instead of letting it weigh us down, we need to let it motivate us forward.”
Scotland skipper Sione Tuipulotu shows off his country’s commemorative jersey for the Murrayfield Test against the All Blacks
Tuipulotu says that Scotland must be inspired by the occasion as they look to grab their first win against the All Blacks
‘That’s what rising to the occasion is. We understand all the things that come with 100 years of Murrayfield, 120 years of not beating the All Blacks, it’s something you can’t run away from.
‘But in the last 10, 15, 20 minutes, if the game is up for grabs, the most important thing is that it’s something that pushes us on and not pulls us back.
‘I already said it to the boys. There’s going to be 67,000 people coming to watch us play. It would be a damn shame if we don’t believe.
‘We understand the hoodoo of not beating New Zealand, we understand the 100-year mark, we understand all of that.
‘The most important thing is that these things we are celebrating or going up against don’t put shackles on us. We go out there and play freely and most importantly be ourselves.
‘We’re wearing this [limited edition jersey] to commemorate Murrayfield and all the people that have played before us in this jersey as well.
‘So it’s bigger than the record against New Zealand, it’s also the history of Murrayfield that we’re thinking about as well, so we understand all the things that come with that.
‘I was actually at the Scottish Hall of Fame [presentation dinner] recently. There were a few people that were getting inducted.
‘Just to hear the guys that have worn the jersey before, Scott Hastings got up there and talked and I remember it was pretty touching to be honest.
‘To hear those guys that have created successful memories in their eras, it was inspiring to listen to them because you want to be successful in your own era.
Scotland and their skipper Tuipulotu go through their paces at the captain’s run
‘We want to celebrate the history of our jersey, put in a performance that shows how much we care, and hopefully get a win that we know would mean so much to people.’
In a break from tradition, the All Blacks will be in their changed white kit in order to avoid a clash with Scotland’s dark navy jerseys.
But the Haka will still be the focus of attention prior to kick-off and Tuipulotu, who grew up in Australia, insists he has nothing but respect for New Zealand’s culture and rugby identity.
‘We’ll face it like every other team faces it,’ he said. ‘For me, it’s one of the bright spots of rugby, and it’s awesome for our fans to experience and get to see that live.
‘It’s a challenge [being laid down] and I look forward to facing it and taking on the challenge.
‘When I was in Australia, there wasn’t many times where we beat the All Blacks to be fair. But now I’m over here, we understand how big of an occasion this is.
‘I know some people seem to be writing the All Blacks off. But they are a huge part of this sport and playing them is always a massive opportunity.
‘We’re expecting the best All Blacks team to rock up to Murrayfield and that’s what we’re prepared for.
‘We understand that this game is going to be a lot different from the game last week [85-0 win over USA]. We’re not delusional about that at all.’
