It was a period in which New Zealand were like the punch-drunk boxer, swaying around on the ropes<\/a>, their legs almost gone, but with enough wherewithal and energy to somehow stay in the fight and keep dodging the knockout blow.<\/p>\n Their scramble defence was impressive, almost miraculous at times, but Murrayfield was in no doubt that it was witnessing the unprecedented sight of an All Blacks team under such mental duress as to have no other plan but to hack the ball into touch and enjoy the 20 seconds or so of blessed relief that would bring.<\/p>\n It was a period in which it felt like there were 15 New Zealanders battling against five million Scots and the sheer desire within the All Blacks<\/a> to not succumb was impressive.<\/p>\n But the inconvenient truth is that Scotland felt the weight of history<\/a> bearing down upon them and were crushed by it.<\/p>\n The victory was not built on New Zealand\u2019s bravery, but Scotland\u2019s trepidation and bout of stage fright. It\u2019s unlikely that even Damian McKenzie<\/a> would have been able to save the All Blacks had Pierre Schoeman not dropped the ball a metre from the tryline, or if the diminutive Darcy Graham had slightly larger hands to grip the ball as he dived for the corner.<\/p>\n If Scotland had converted either of those two gilt-edged chances they would have gone ahead and most probably it would have been their day as the All Blacks were so ragged and panicky at that stage, that a 21-17 lead would have felt insurmountable.<\/p>\n There is one school of thought that says the All Blacks did brilliantly to contain and survive Scotland\u2019s momentous surge<\/a>, and then conjure a killer blow of their own, and another that questions how they built a commanding 17-0 halftime lead and then found themselves hanging on against the world\u2019s eighth-best team.<\/p>\n What supports any inclination to believe in the former is that Scotland produced their best 30 minutes of the past 10 years and tapped into the occasion to elevate themselves to a level they have rarely, if ever, reached.<\/p>\n There is also an intimidation factor that comes when playing tests in the Northern Hemisphere \u2013 an enhanced difficulty generated by the enormity and passion of the crowds who become a 16th player with free rent inside opposition heads.<\/p>\n But against that, it felt as if the All Blacks fell apart too easily<\/a>. They conjured a clinical try just before the break where their set-piece power, natural athleticism and smart ball use were on show, only to drop the second-half kick-off and seemingly take that as a cue to suffer a near total meltdown.<\/p>\n That psychological faultline continues to sit too close to the surface and is too easily triggered, and that\u2019s why even though the All Blacks continue to gather international scalps, they haven\u2019t built optimism or confidence among their fanbase.<\/p>\nScott Robertson’s men were run close by Scotland, in Edinburgh. Photo \/ Photosport<\/p>\n