Borderer Rory Sutherland nearing quarter-century of starts for Scottish national rugby team after 52nd cap for 43-21 loss to New Zealand

That was the loosehead prop’s 24th starting XV selection for his country and his 52nd cap all together since making his international debut in 2016.

It was also his third start on the trot in five games for club and country so far this season, the others, both victories, by 33-17 and 24-20 respectively, being for Scotland against Fiji at Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium in July and for Warriors away to Italy’s Benetton in October.

The 34-year-old was one of ten Glasgow Warriors in head coach Gregor Townsend’s starting XV at Murrayfield at the weekend in front of a crowd of 67,130, including captain Sione Tuipulotu at inside-centre, with another three of his Scotstoun Stadium teammates among their eight replacements.

Scotland have now played the All Blacks 34 times since 1905 and not won once, the closest they’ve got being two draws, with scorelines of 0-0 in 1964 and 25-25 in 1983, both at Murrayfield.

Sutherland’s fellow ex-Green Darcy Graham was passed over for selection for that Nations Championship fixture, with Saturday’s No 14 jersey going to Warriors’ Kyle Steyn, despite having been declared fit earlier in the week after sustaining a calf strain during Edinburgh’s 27-17 loss at home to France’s Toulon on Friday, October 16, his first appearance for the capital city outfit since May, leading to him being dropped for their 31-10 win hosting South Africa’s Lions 31-10 at the capital’s Hive Stadium seven days later and their 31-12 defeat away to Benetton the Saturday before last as a precaution.

Explaining the 57-times-capped 29-year-old’s omission from his latest squad, former Gala back Townsend, 53, said: “Darcy had picked up another injury, so that’s why he wasn’t back playing for Edinburgh. It would have been great if he’d had another game.

“His calf had tightened up after the Lions game so he wasn’t able to play last weekend, but he’s trained fully this week, so he is available for selection, but last week he’d just been managed in training.”

Graham will be back in contention for selection for this coming Sunday’s game hosting Australia, with kick-off at 3.10pm, as Townsend contemplates ringing the changes after being left disappointed by Saturday’s showing.

“Darcy has been training and will be back in the mix for next weekend,” he said.

“He’s fully training and we know how well Darcy’s played for us in the past.

“There’s real competition in that back three, but I’ll probably look at every player, to be honest.

“You either get a chance to go again and show what you can do or someone else will come in and take your place.”

Graham being absent, Sutherland, on for the first half-hour before making way for Pierre Schoeman, was the only Borderer playing, though Galashiels-raised Wallace Sititi was in action for the visitors.

The Samoan-born 24-year-old, raised in the region while dad Semo was on the old Border Reivers’ books, was started at No 8, earning his 25th cap, and scored the first try of the game, his third for the All Blacks, on three minutes, before going off just ahead of the hour mark.

New Zealand’s other try-scorers were Ethan de Groot, Peter Lakai, Beauden Barrett at the double, Josh Moorby and Asafo Aumua, with Damian McKenzie adding four conversions.

Hooker Ewan Ashman scored all three of the Scots’ tries, with fly-half Finn Russell converting them all.

Townsend is due to announce his squad to play the Australians this Friday and they’ll go into that game targeting a fifth win in six meetings.

They’ve only lost one of their last handful of matches against the Wallabies, by 16-15 at Murrayfield in October 2022, with the others going their way by 27-13 in November 2024, 15-13 three years prior and 53-24 in November 2017, all at Murrayfield too, and 24-19 away in Sydney in June 2017.