The idea that Scotland were edging closer to the All Blacks was obliterated in brutal fashion here as the wait for a maiden victory in this fixture ticked over to 121 years.Narrow losses in their previous four meetings with New Zealand had given Gregor Townsend’s side the belief that they could finally end that winless drought at the 34th attempt in this opening match of the Nations Championship autumn series.A topsy-turvy first half – that included an Ewan Ashman hat-trick – ended with Scotland trailing by just three points, their cause helped by the visitors’ ill-discipline that saw them briefly reduced to 13 men.Scotland needed to maintain that intensity in the second period if they were to have any chance of drawing out that elusive victory but instead they fell away dramatically, failing to score a single point in a 40-minute period that also included a yellow card shown to captain Sione Tuipulotu.New Zealand underlined their authority by scoring three more tries – taking their total to seven overall – and, long before the final whistle had sounded, any prospect of a Scotland comeback had all but faded away.The home side simply couldn’t get anything going and will need to wait until the next meeting with New Zealand in Dunedin next year for another crack at ending this enduring hoodoo.It was breathless stuff from the first whistle to the last, the teams sharing seven tries between them in an opening period that flashed by in a blur.Two teams set up to attack did not stint in doing so, with only some desperate defending and bits of sloppy attacking play preventing the scoreline from being even greater.By the time the sides headed up the tunnel for a well-deserved half-time breather, Ashman had become the first Scotland player to score a hat-trick against New Zealand who presided over a three-point lead and still had a man in the sin-bin.Scotland had paid the price for slow starts in their last two Tests in this fixture and had vowed that they wouldn’t be caught cold for a third time. So much for that.Jamie Dobie was pinged for going offside and New Zealand kicked for the corner. Rather than maul their way over, Wallace Sititi – the giant No. 8 who spent part of his childhood in Galashiels – was able to break clear and almost casually stroll his way clear to the line.Scotland were, again, going to have to do it the hard way. To their credit, they didn’t let their heads go down after that poor start and quickly replied. Kyle Rowe, preferred to Blair Kinghorn, landed the perfect 50-22 kick to get them into scoring position. The subsequent line-out maul seemed to have stalled before the backs joined in to add some extra oomph allowing Ashman to score.That set in motion a back-and-forth first half with one side briefly enjoying the ascendancy before the other then fired back. New Zealand were next to threaten. Will Jordan was stopped in the right corner by some sharp work from Jamie Dobie. New Zealand worked it to the other corner where a combination of Jack Dempsey and then Ben White denied Jordan once again.Scotland were creaking, though, and the All Blacks did finally break through again for their second try. Beauden Barrett kicked and chased down the left forcing a turnover penalty. Scrum-half Cam Roigard was a step ahead of everyone else, his quick tap paving the way for Ethan de Groot to crash over.New Zealand were again on top and made it count with a third try just four minutes later. Dempsey was penalised for a high tackle and there was no stopping the maul as Codie Taylor flopped down over the line. Scotland lock Scott Cummings rises highest to win the ball in a line-outOnly McKenzie’s wayward conversion kicking was keeping Scotland in touching distance, helped by some sloppy New Zealand defending. Zander Fagerson carried hard to get the Scots close before Finn Russell’s pass was too high for Dobie who was easily smothered.The All Blacks’ penalty count, though, was also climbing and Peter Lakai was the man to pay the price for repeat offences as he became the first player yellow carded.Scotland thought they had taken immediate advantage when Huw Jones burst through only for a terrific saving tackle from Josh Moorby to prevent the grounding.The home side, though, were at least demonstrating their attacking intent and did eventually make it count. It was Ashman who again claimed the score, bursting over the line from White’s pass after earlier strong carries from Rowe and then Rory Darge.Back came New Zealand, though, as this frenetic basketball match of a Test again took another twist. McKenzie played the perfect pass for Beauden Barrett to come steaming onto it for New Zealand’s fourth try. Asafo Aumua scores New Zealand’s seventh try against ScotlandScotland swapped Pierre Schoeman for Rory Sutherland and ramped up the pressure. Sititi joined Lakai briefly in the sin-bin for going off his feet but the home side couldn’t initially take advantage with Jones again halted as he made his way to the line.A third Scotland try, however, did arrive before the end of a compelling first half and it again went the way of Ashman from the maul.Trailing by just three points, Scotland had done well to keep in touching distance and needed to perform likewise in the second half if they were to turn the Test in their favour.Instead it was New Zealand who again went through the gears to land two more tries to effectively take the game away from their beleaguered hosts with half an hour still to play.Scotland successfully contested an incorrect lineout decision by the officials and won – only for Ashman to then botch the throw to hand momentum to New Zealand. Beauden Barrett goes to ground to score New Zealand’s fourth tryTwo scrum penalties later and the ball was whizzing from Jordie Barrett’s hand to Moorby who was able to cross the line unimpeded.It was starting to feel like another of those days for Scotland, a sensation compounded by the yellow card shown to Sione Tuipulotu for repeat team offences.Referee Andrew Brace won no new admirers with some of his contentious decisions but Scotland didn’t help themselves either with some of their own actions.A sixth New Zealand try underlined their dominance as Scotland wilted. It went the way again of Beauden Barrett who finished off a sweeping passing move through the backs. Ewan Ashman claimed a hat-trick of tries as Scotland lost to the All BlacksScotland looked a beaten side and Kyle Steyn’s failure to gather a looping pass wide from Kinghorn – after Beauden Barrett wafted at it but didn’t knock on – was symptomatic of another afternoon when things just didn’t go Scotland’s way.The sight of White and Russell both being removed just after 62 minutes was further evidence of that, the half-back pairing unable to make the impact often expected of them against a superior defence.The home support screamed for another card after Jordie Barrett made head contact with Kinghorn but no action was taken.That might have given Scotland fleeting hope but instead a seventh New Zealand try extinguished all belief and sent many in the crowd hurrying to the exits as the visitors worked the lineout to send replacement hooker Asafo Aumua in to score.