Scotland come full circle for another crack at All Blacks

Sione Tuipulotu and Scotland have the chance to end one of sport's longest-standing hoodoos against New Zealand on Saturday, writes Andy Burke. As Scotland prepare for their latest attempt at busting one of sport's longest standing hoodoos against the All Blacks on Saturday, it is worth reflecting on the journey this team has been on since their last tilt 12 months ago. That match, in which Scotland fell 17-0 down, roared back to 17-17 all, only to succumb to the sorcery of Damien McKenzie late in the game, was another experience to file in Scottish rugby's bulging folder marked 'Ones That Got Away'. It was a bitter disappointment, but worse was to follow when a 21-0 lead against Argentina spiralled into a nightmarish defeat that led to serious questions around the future of head coach Gregor Townsend.

The heat was turned up further still by a dispiriting loss to Italy in Rome to kick off this year's Six Nations. Since then, Scotland have flipped the narrative. They smashed England's 12-game winning run to smithereens, delivered one of the greatest displays in the history of the national side by putting 50 points on Grand Slam-chasing France, stuck seven tries on Argentina in their own backyard in the summer then ran world champions South Africa close in an epic Test match in