Scotland captain Sione Tuipulotu insists he and his team-mates will go ‘chasing greatness’ as they bid to claim an historic victory over New Zealand at Murrayfield on Saturday afternoon.
Despite a few close calls in recent years, Scotland have never beaten the All Blacks in 33 previous attempts, a barren run which spans over 120 years.
Tuipulotu is determined that the Scots will not be weighed down by those past failures as they host a rejuvenated All Blacks side in the Nations Championship.
And the skipper has urged his team-mates to step up and deliver what would be a seismic result against the most iconic team in world rugby.
‘That’s what we’re striving to do,’ he said. ‘We are chasing greatness in that way as we’re trying to be the first of our kind [to beat them].
‘One thing that I’ve told the boys this week is that this team in the changing room is not responsible for the last 121 years of rugby in Scotland. And it’s important for us to not carry the weight of 121 years of history.
Tuipulotu insists Scotland have the talent to record a first-ever victory over the All Blacks
‘I remember even after we lost to Italy in the first game of the Six Nations, it’s important for us to be responsible for what we achieve and what we don’t achieve.
‘It’s important for us to decide what baggage we’re going to take into the game. Because I think quite often in these All Blacks games, sometimes the baggage you carry is all self-inflicted or you’re watching what the media is saying.
‘This is a game between Scotland and the All Blacks. Yeah, of course we want our piece of history, but we’re not going to carry the last 121 years of Scotland rugby.
‘We’re going to carry the weight of our team and what we’ve contributed and what we want to achieve, and we want to be the first of our kind. So that’s that.’
Scotland have come agonisingly close to beating New Zealand on the last four occasions the teams have met, with the games in 2014, 2017, 2022 and 2025 all decided by single-digit margins.
Last year at Murrayfield, Scotland fought back from 17-0 down to level the game at 17-17, only to be undone at the death by a brilliant Damian McKenzie try.
Given that it is one of the longest barren runs of its kind in the sport, Tuipulotu was asked to expand on how the players can block out the noise and free themselves from what has gone before.
‘Yeah, it’s difficult,’ he continued. ‘Because it’s always in your face, isn’t it? I think that’s just part of being a professional athlete these days. That’s just the reality of sport.
‘What I’ve posed to the group is to make sure that our best reps are not on the training field, but our best reps are on the Murrayfield pitch on Saturday. That will give us a chance to win, I truly believe that.
‘As I’ve gotten deeper in my career, and probably longer into my role as captain, you start to learn and have a different perspective on tackling these hoodoos or whatever, or trying to become the first of your kind.
‘You start getting a different perspective because my only role is to carry the weight of my team, the 23 other blokes that I’m playing with.
‘I hope that we can go out there and play freely and not be shackled down by 121 years that we’re not responsible for. So I think that’s really important for the team to gain a perspective on.’
Scotland ran New Zealand close last year at Murrayfield before falling to a late defeat
Given that New Zealand have named their strongest available team, Tuipulotu expects another thrilling Test match could be in store.
He believes that Scotland should take huge confidence from their victory over France in the Six Nations this year, as well as the win away in Argentina and also the fact they pushed South Africa in the summer as well.
‘I can remember the feeling going into that France game,’ he added. ‘Obviously our Six Nations was on the line and we’re playing the team that was favoured to win the whole tournament and had been on a roll putting 40 points on everyone.
‘I think it just showed the proof of our game plan being so effective against anyone. And we showed that again in South Africa. We didn’t win, but we created a lot of opportunities.
‘Again, in Argentina, away from home, we’ve proven to ourselves over the last six months that what we’re doing is the right thing. We need to keep doubling down and heading in that direction all the way to the World Cup.
‘New Zealand have named a strong team. I think that kind of reflects everything in terms of the mindset and the challenge. They are playing a great brand of rugby right now, one you would associate with the All Blacks.
‘In the past, I’ve been part of this fixture two or three times when they have maybe named some debutants or other guys getting an opportunity. But this is pretty much New Zealand’s strongest available team.
‘I think they’re fully aware of what Murrayfield poses and the form that we’ve shown in this stadium over the past 12 months.
‘It is important that we keep progressing, particularly with the World Cup now just being a year down the line.’
