Scotland gives up the chance of immortality by losing to New Zealand

At 17-0 the obituary was written. How bad is it? How brutal is the analysis? Scotland – All style, no substance. Not a serious team. There is no side to be respected when facing the biggest weapons. Where’s Townsend?

When things started turning around, it was exciting. It was as if you were walking into some kind of parallel universe, a place where Scotland was now ruthless and full of runaways and where New Zealand was waiting for a horrific death.

Everything changed when Ioan Ashman scored and when Ardi Savea was sent off in the aftermath. 17-7 against 14 men? You’re telling me there’s a chance.

Three minutes later, Scotland scored another goal. Tuipulotu exploded and Kinghorn lobbed it wide to Steyn. Three-point game. Murrayfield is on his feet, pulse racing. It was some of the best stuff we’ve seen from Scotland in our time, and some of the most maddening.

At around the 53rd minute, they were back on the hunt, and should have scored but scored instead. In the 56th minute, they continued their progress, and Darcy Graham almost passed the ball in the corner, but dropped the ball under pressure.

It was an exciting festival but it was also unsettling. In their frantic search for results, Scotland was merely liberating New Zealand rather than locking it up and throwing away the key, as clinical teams do.

However, not long after Savea returned to the fray, Finn Russell converted a penalty kick to level the score. Then the death wish returned in the All Black camp when Wallace Cityte deliberately knocked on the door. New Zealand third yellow.

It was as if they were provoking Scotland now. “Come on guys, we’re trying our best to help you here. How many cards do we need to get for you to defeat us?”

City’s minutes came and went and the scoreboard did not budge. That was the awkward factor there. This was a red flag for Scottish hopes. These were not the classic All Blacks and they were there for the taking. Maybe they’re tired of waiting for Scotland to win the day?

We entered the final ten minutes and the feeling of foreboding began to grow. Anyone who knows the recent history of this match is aware of the darkness that descended upon Scotland in the closing stages against the All Blacks.

In your head you can hear the sound of distant thunder. Or jungle drums. Or a funeral march. Whatever it was, it wasn’t good. McKenzie beat them to a game-changing 50-22 score. From Damien, an omen.

Penalties were awarded, ground was conceded, and hopes were dashed. McKenzie scored and there was no coming back. In days gone by, you would have seen this as a moral victory, and you would feast on the positives and talk about things that suggested Scotland could live with better.

We are past that and good riddance to the mentality. There was no consolation in performance and no pride in failure. It was a compelling day but it was also frustrating beyond words.

Scotland could and should have won. They looked at eternity in their eyes and said, “Not today,” as if 120 years wasn’t enough time to wait.

What are you doing now? Want to revisit footage from 1964 when Scotland drew 0-0 and 1983 when they drew 25-25? Glory days, you can call them.