All Blacks too good for Scotland A

Captain Duncan Hodge scored all of Scotland's points

Scotland A 13-35 New Zealand

A brave second-half effort by Scotland A could not disguise the superiority of New Zealand's second string at McDiarmid Park in Perth.

Captain Duncan Hodge scored all of Scotland's points - including a try after the interval - but he was powerless to halt the clinical Kiwi's victory.

Mark Robinson, Caleb Ralph, Ben Blair and Pita Alatini all grabbed tries as the tourists recorded a fairly comfortable win.

Scotland's Kiwi-born Brendan Laney - touted by some for a Test debut against the All Blacks on Saturday - had a sound if unspectacular game at full-back.

Alongside Hodge, it was powerful flanker Andrew Dall and darting centre Marcus Di Rollo who did most to boost their bids for promotion to Ian McGeechan's squad.

Scottish infringements

New Zealand missed two easy penalties early on but they finally made their pressure tell when scrum-half Robinson waltzed in under the post on 15 minutes.

Blair added a conversion but when Hodge had the chance to get his side on the board, he missed his penalty.

The tourists doubled their lead when Ralph profited from a trademark run from powerful number eight Paul Miller to touch down, Blair kicking an exacting conversion.

Blair kicked six more points within the next five minutes after the Scots twice infringed directly in front of their posts.

Hodge, having refused two early opportunities to kick a penalty, decided to take the points just before half time to leave the score 20-3 to the All Blacks at the interval.

No comeback

New Zealand quickly extended their advantage after the break when Blair crossed after the Scots turned the ball over in their own 22 as they ambitiously tried to run the ball out of danger.

Hodge kicked his second penalty, which followed Scotland's best move of the match, but Blair replied a minute later to make the score 30-6 after 50 minutes.

Scotland came more into the game and Hodge charged over five minutes later after a fine rolling maul from the home side's forwards.

The stand-off converted his own try to give Scotland some hope at 30-13 - but a breakaway try from Test centre Alatini snuffed out the home side's thoughts of a famous comeback.

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Scotland A: B Laney (Edinburgh), A Bulloch (Glasgow), M Di Rollo (Edinburgh), K Utterson, (Edinburgh), R Kerr (Glasgow), D Hodge (Edinburgh, captain), G Beveridge (Glasgow), A Jacobsen (Edinburgh), S Brotherstone (Northampton), G McIlwham (Glasgow), N Hines (Edinburgh), N Ross (Glasgow), A Dall (Edinburgh), G Dall (Edinburgh), G Flockhart (Glasgow).

Replacements: G Scott (Glasgow), G Kerr (Leeds), S Griffith (Glasgow), T Walker (Gala), M Blair (Boroughmuir), B Irving (Glasgow), S Moffat (Cambridge University).

New Zealand: B Blair, R Randle, N Mauger, P Alatini, C Ralph, D Hill, M Robinson, D Hewett, T Willis, K Meeuws, D Waller, S Maling, J Collins, P Miller, M Holah.

Replacements: A Oliver, G Feek, N Maxwell, S Robertson, B Kelleher, A Mauger, J Lomu.