🗓️ Date: Saturday 8 November 2025
🕒 Kick-off: 15:10 GMT
📍 Venue: Scottish Gas Murrayfield, Edinburgh
🎟️ Tickets: Buy via Scottish Rugby
📺 Where to Watch: TNT Sports in UK and IRE (more broadcast info here)
The mighty All Blacks return to Edinburgh for a showdown with Scotland in the second round of the 2025 Autumn Nations Series. With a capacity crowd expected at Scottish Gas Murrayfield, this fixture promises drama, intensity, and a celebration of shared heritage.
👥 Teams
Scotland: Blair Kinghorn; Darcy Graham, Rory Hutchinson, Sione Tuipulotu (captain), Kyle Steyn; Finn Russell, Ben White; Pierre Schoeman, Ewan Ashman, D’Arcy Rae; Scott Cummings, Grant Gilchrist (vc); Gregor Brown, Matt Fagerson, Jack Dempsey
Replacements: George Turner, Rory Sutherland, Elliot Millar Mills, Marshall Sykes, Rory Darge, Josh Bayliss, Jamie Dobie, Tom Jordan
New Zealand: Jordan; Carter, Fainga’anuku, Tupaea Clarke; Barrett (vc), Roigard; de Groot, Taylor (vc), Newell; Lord, Holland; Sititi, Savea (c), Lakai
Replacements: Taukei’aho, Williams, Tosi, Darry, Kirifi, Ratima, Proctor, McKenzie
A clash steeped in history
Though New Zealand have never lost to Scotland in 32 meetings since 1905, the last two encounters have been nail-biters, including a 31–23 thriller in 2022 where Scotland led by nine points before a late All Blacks comeback.
Beyond the pitch, the ties between the two nations run deep. Former New Zealand captain Richie McCaw, arguably the greatest All Black of all time, boasts Scottish ancestry tracing back to Ayrshire, Ross-shire, and Islay. And across New Zealand, Scottish influence is everywhere, from Dunedin (named after Edinburgh) to Invercargill, Balclutha, and Glenorchy, with countless towns and rivers bearing Scottish names.
📊 Five stats you need to know
New Zealand are unbeaten across their previous 32 Tests against Scotland (W30 D2), the only nation they’ve played 20+ times without losing. However, each of the All Blacks’ last three wins against Scotland have come by single-digit margins.
Scotland have won six of their last 12 home games against Rugby Championship sides (L6), as many victories as across their previous 41 such matches (D1 L34).
New Zealand have lost five of their last 16 matches against European sides in Europe (W10 D1) — as often as in their previous 64 such games combined (W56 D2).
Darcy Graham has scored 16 tries in his last 11 matches for Scotland at Scottish Gas Murrayfield - a run that began with a try against New Zealand in 2022. Duhan van der Merwe (12 in 16 games at Scottish Gas Murrayfield) is the only other player to reach double figures at a single venue for a Tier 1 nation in that same period.
New Zealand’s Will Jordan (509m) and Scotland’s Blair Kinghorn (580m) are the only players to have made 500+ metres over the gainline for a Tier 1 nation in 2025. Jordan also ranks second for try involvements this year (10 - 5 tries and 5 assists), only behind Louis Bielle-Biarrey (12 - 8 tries and 4 assists).
💬 What's been said
BBC Sport Scotland's Andy Burke: "In years gone by, when the Scottish team was far weaker than it is now, the Edinburgh leg of the All Blacks' autumn European tour was where they would give their big guns a rest for the tougher assignments to come.
"While there will inevitably be some shuffling of the deck after their efforts in Chicago last Saturday – Scott and Jordie Barrett have both been ruled out through injury – and a trip to Twickenham still to come, recent meetings would suggest the Scots will not be taken lightly.
"The past three meetings have all been decided by winning margins in the single digits rather than the one-sided blowouts that tended to be the case when the All Blacks arrived in the Scottish capital."
🏴 Scotland
Gregor Townsend’s men had a mixed 2025 going into the Quilter Nations Series - beating only Wales, Italy and Samoa - but have showed flashes of brilliance. They then opened their autumn account with a record-breaking result against the USA Eagles last weekend. They have a New Zealander of their own, utility back Tom Jordan, who in 2024 led Glasgow to the league title, and would like nothing more than to test himself against the All Blacks.
Boosting the Scots in November will be the presence of their returning British & Irish Lions, who had a more prominent role to play in Australia than in previous series, and several of whom - like Blair Kinghorn and Finn Russell - were unavailable last time out against the USA.
🇳🇿 New Zealand
It never pays to take the All Blacks lightly on their visits to Europe, and you can count on one hand the amount of losses they've suffered in the November window in the past decade. Much talk centres around the diminished sense of invincibility normally associated with the All Blacks - see recent encounters with France and South Africa - and Scotland will be encouraged by that narrow loss in their last encounter with New Zealand.
That said, New Zealand will be buoyed by their victory against Ireland on Saturday in Chicago - despite leaving it late, with Ireland enjoying long spells in the ascendancy despite losing Tadgh Beirne to a 20-minute red card. Head coach Scott Robertson has one eye on the future and with men like back rower Peter Lakai (high energy, relentless work rate) firing and hooker Samisoni Taukei'aho reaching his prime years, he has reasons for optimism.
🧣 Matchday Experience
Expect a spine-tingling atmosphere at Murrayfield, with bagpipes, fireworks, and a sea of tartan. The All Blacks’ haka will be met with roaring defiance from the home crowd, setting the tone for a fierce contest.