The 1981 Scotland rugby union tour of New Zealand was a series of eight matches played by the Scotland national rugby union team in New Zealand in May and June 1981. The Scotland team won five of their matches and lost the other three. They lost both international matches against the New Zealand national rugby union team (the All Blacks).

Touring party

Manager: Ken Smith Assistant Manager: Jim Telfer Captain: Andy Irvine

Backs

Andy Irvine Peter Dods Steve Munro Bruce Hay Roger Baird Richard Breakey Alastair Cranston Jim Renwick John Rutherford Ron Wilson Roy Laidlaw Gordon Hunter Alan Lawson (replacement during tour)

Forwards

Derek White Iain Paxton Peter Lillington Jim Calder Gordon Dickson David Leslie Bill Cuthbertson Tom Smith Alan Tomes Jim Aitken Gerry McGuinness Iain Milne Norrie Rowan Colin Deans Kenneth Lawrie

Results Scores and results list Scotland's points tally first. Opponent Result For Against Date VenueKing Country Won 39 13 27 May Taumarunui Domain, TaumarunuiWellington Lost 15 19 30 May Athletic Park, WellingtonWairarapa-Bush Won 32 9 3 June Memorial Park, MastertonCanterbury Won 23 12 6 June Lancaster Park, ChristchurchMid Canterbury Won 23 12 9 June Ashburton NEW ZEALAND Lost 4 11 13 June Carisbrook, DunedinMarlborough Won 38 9 16 June Lansdowne Park, Blenheim NEW ZEALAND Lost 15 40 20 June Eden Park, Auckland

Matches

First Test

NEW ZEALAND: A. R. Hewson (Wellington), S. S. Wilson (Wellington), B. J. Robertson (Counties), A. C. R. Jefferd (East Coast), B. G. Fraser (Wellington), E. Dunn (North Auckland), D. S. Loveridge (Taranaki); M. G. Mexted (Wellington), G. N. K. Mourie (Taranaki) (c), G. Higginson (Canterbury), H. Rickit (Waikato), M. W. Shaw (Manawatu), G. A. Knight (Manawatu), A. G. Dalton (Counties), R. C. Ketels (Counties).

SCOTLAND: A. R. Irvine (Heriot's F. P.) (c), S. Munro (Ayr), A. G. Cranston (Hawick), J. M. Renwick (Hawick), B. H. Hay (Boroughmuir), J. Y. Rutherford (Selkirk), R. J. Laidlaw (Jedforest); I. A. M. Paxton (Selkirk), D. G. Leslie (Gala), W. Cuthbertson (Kilmarnock), A. J. Tomes (Hawick), J. M. Calder (Stewart's-Melville F. P.), I. G. Milne (Heriot's F. P.), C. T. Deans (Hawick), J. Aitken (Gala).

This was the only one of the tour matches in which Scotland did not score a drop goal.

Second Test

NEW ZEALAND: A. R. Hewson (Wellington), S. S. Wilson (Wellington), B. J. Robertson (Counties), A. C. R. Jefferd (East Coast), B. G. Fraser (Wellington), D. L. Rollerson (Manawatu), D. S. Loveridge (Taranaki); M. G. Mexted (Wellington), G. N. K. Mourie (Taranaki) (c), A. M. Haden (Auckland), H. Rickit (Waikato), M. W. Shaw (Manawatu), G. A. Knight (Manawatu), A. G. Dalton (Counties), R. C. Ketels (Counties).

SCOTLAND: A. R. Irvine (Heriot's F. P.) (c), S. Munro (Ayr), A. G. Cranston (Hawick), J. M. Renwick (Hawick), B. H. Hay (Boroughmuir), J. Y. Rutherford (Selkirk), R. J. Laidlaw (Jedforest); I. A. M. Paxton (Selkirk), D. G. Leslie (Gala), W. Cuthbertson (Kilmarnock), A. J. Tomes (Hawick), J. M. Calder (Stewart's-Melville F. P.), I. G. Milne (Heriot's F. P.), C. T. Deans (Hawick), J. Aitken (Gala).

22–6 down after 13 minutes of the second half, Scotland closed the gap to 22–15 with seven minutes to go, only for New Zealand to score three converted tries to win the match comfortably. This was the highest score ever recorded by New Zealand in a full international.

References