Euan Murray eyes historic win over New Zealand

SCOTLAND prop Euan Murray is seeking an historic win over New Zealand to put on his CV before he hangs up his boots.
Euan Murray is close to the end of his career but wants to triumph over New Zealand before hanging up his boots. Picture: SNSEuan Murray is close to the end of his career but wants to triumph over New Zealand before hanging up his boots. Picture: SNS
Euan Murray is close to the end of his career but wants to triumph over New Zealand before hanging up his boots. Picture: SNS

The 34-year-old is closer to the end of his career than the beginning and knows all too well that the All Blacks have never lost to the Scots in 29 meetings since their first clash in 1905, having been on the losing side in 2010 and 2008.

The next chance to break that duck comes during the autumn Tests next month where New Zealand are the visitors to Murrayfield on November 15, a week after the visit of Argentina to the capital and a week before the match against Tonga at Rugby Park.

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The Glasgow Warriors player, speaking in the city’s St Enoch Centre shopping mall at a ‘come and try’ rugby session, admitted that he had unfinished business with the Kiwis.

Murray said: “I am looking forward to it. It is a good run of games against top quality (teams) and hopefully we will get that win against New Zealand which has eluded us for the last 100 years and more.

“That would be nice. But it is always difficult when you play the All Blacks.

“They are always a good team, they have loads of talent in depth and we need to be playing our very best to beat them but I think we can do that.”

While Murray is coming down the hill in his career, Finn Russell is just starting his ascent.

The 22-year-old Warriors stand-off, whose two-year contract with the Scotstoun club started at the beginning of the season, won his two caps to date against the USA and Canada in the Scots’ summer tour and would be delighted just to get on against the All Blacks.

Speaking at the same event, he said: “They are a world class team, the best team in the world and if I got a run out against them then it would be a dream come true.

“I wouldn’t have thought about it before I played at under-20s but after playing under-20s and getting my contract, you have to look forward.

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“At the second-half of last season it became a real achievable goal.

“Although they got beaten a couple of weeks ago by South Africa they are still the best team in the world.

“If they play with a full-strength team on their day, they are unstoppable.”