Scotland's wait for a first win over the All Blacks goes on after a punishing lesson that laid bare the same old weaknesses.
Scotland came looking for history and left with a hard lesson. The dream of a first-ever victory over New Zealand was flattened by an All Blacks side that showed why it remains the benchmark in world rugby.
The frailties that have followed Scotland for years were exposed again. Against elite opposition, small lapses in discipline, decision-making and composure under pressure get punished fast, and New Zealand punished them without mercy.
It was also a blow to the idea Scotland has been selling about itself. The team talks of ambition and a new standard, but when the pressure peaked, the gap between what they say they are and what they delivered was plain to see.
For New Zealand it was a reminder of the clinical edge that sets them apart. They took their chances, kept control and made sure Scotland never found a way back into the contest.
Scotland now have to regroup and ask hard questions. Closing the distance to the very best takes more than good intentions, and until the same mistakes are fixed, that first win over the All Blacks will stay out of reach.
