There's going to be 67,000 people coming to watch us play the All Blacks... it would be a damn shame if we don't believe we can win, says Scotland skipper Tuipulotu

Scotland captain Sione Tuipulotu has challenged his team-mates to rise to the occasion when they go hunting an historic first-ever victory over the All Blacks at Murrayfield on Saturday afternoon.

The Scots have never beaten New Zealand in a barren run which has spanned a remarkable 120 years and 32 matches.

Gregor Townsend’s side have come close in the two most recent contests in 2017 and 2022, but fell agonisingly short on both occasions.

Scotland will aim to take the most prized scalp in world rugby in a match which will also see Murrayfield mark its centenary year.

Tuipulotu is under no illusions about the scale of the challenge, but he insists that he and his team-mates should not be burdened by the weight of history.

‘The occasion is what it is,’ said the 28-year-old centre. ‘We’ve got to accept that, it’s not going to disappear, but the occasion can’t hold us. It’s got to be something that pushes us on.

‘That’s what rising to the occasion is. We understand all the things that come with 100 years of Murrayfield, 120 years of not beating the All Blacks, it’s something you can’t run away from.

‘But in the last 10, 15, 20 minutes, if the game is up for grabs, the most important thing is that it’s something that pushes us on and not pulls us back.

‘I already said it to the boys. There’s going to be 67,000 people coming to watch us play. It would be a damn shame if we don’t believe.

‘We understand the hoodoo of not beating New Zealand, we understand the 100-year mark, we understand all of that.

‘The most important thing is that these things we are celebrating or going up against don’t put shackles on us. We go out there and play freely and most importantly be ourselves.

‘We’re wearing this [limited edition jersey] to commemorate Murrayfield and all the people that have played before us in this jersey as well.

‘So it’s bigger than the record against New Zealand, it’s also the history of Murrayfield that we’re thinking about as well, so we understand all the things that come with that.

‘I was actually at the Scottish Hall of Fame [presentation dinner] recently. There were a few people that were getting inducted.

‘Just to hear the guys that have worn the jersey before, Scott Hastings got up there and talked and I remember it was pretty touching to be honest.

‘To hear those guys that have created successful memories in their eras, it was inspiring to listen to them because you want to be successful in your own era.

‘We want to celebrate the history of our jersey, put in a performance that shows how much we care, and hopefully get a win that we know would mean so much to people.’

In a break from tradition, the All Blacks will be in their changed white kit in order to avoid a clash with Scotland’s dark navy jerseys.

But the Haka will still be the focus of attention prior to kick-off and Tuipulotu, who grew up in Australia, insists he has nothing but respect for New Zealand’s culture and rugby identity.

‘We’ll face it like every other team faces it,’ he said. ‘For me, it’s one of the bright spots of rugby, and it’s awesome for our fans to experience and get to see that live.

‘It’s a challenge [being laid down] and I look forward to facing it and taking on the challenge.

‘When I was in Australia, there wasn’t many times where we beat the All Blacks to be fair. But now I’m over here, we understand how big of an occasion this is.

‘I know some people seem to be writing the All Blacks off. But they are a huge part of this sport and playing them is always a massive opportunity.

‘We’re expecting the best All Blacks team to rock up to Murrayfield and that’s what we’re prepared for.

‘We understand that this game is going to be a lot different from the game last week [85-0 win over USA]. We’re not delusional about that at all.’