Tuipulotu accepts responsibility for Scotland discipline after All Blacks defeat

Scotland captain Sione Tuipulotu accepted responsibility for his side's disciplinary problems after their 43-21 Nations Championship defeat by New Zealand at Murrayfield. Speaking after the match, in comments reported by BBC Sport, he said his own sin-binning had left the team without its captain for 10 minutes and acknowledged that Scotland's second-half accuracy had fallen short.

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The hosts conceded 13 penalties compared with New Zealand's eight. Tuipulotu said Scotland had created opportunities before the interval but had not made enough of their visits to the opposition 22. He described the forthcoming Australia fixture as a game Scotland needed to win and said the squad would regroup together.

Scotland had reached half-time only 24-21 behind after hooker Ewan Ashman scored all three of their tries. According to BBC Sport's match report, Kyle Rowe's 50-22 kick helped establish the field position for Ashman's opening score, with Finn Russell's conversion putting the hosts ahead. Russell converted each of Ashman's three tries during a first half that produced seven tries between the teams.

New Zealand had their own disciplinary setbacks before the break, with Peter Lakai and Wallace Sititi both receiving yellow cards. Ashman scored his second while Lakai was off, then completed his hat-trick after Sititi's dismissal. Those scores kept Scotland close despite first-half tries for Sititi, Ethan de Groot, Codie Taylor and Beauden Barrett.

The contest changed decisively after the interval. Josh Moorby, Barrett and replacement hooker Asafo Aumua scored as New Zealand added 19 unanswered points. Barrett's second try came with Tuipulotu in the sin-bin. The visitors finished with seven tries to Scotland's three, leaving the hosts still without a victory in 34 Tests against the All Blacks.

Head coach Gregor Townsend also identified discipline and errors as central to the defeat, BBC Sport reported. He said Scotland had been unable to build on their first-half work because they spent too much of the second half without possession. While crediting New Zealand's scrum and breakdown work, Townsend said his team needed to reduce turnovers and penalties. Scotland host Australia and Japan at Murrayfield this month.