Allan Massie: Cotter’s ‘Scottish style’ offers hope

M IGHT have… could have… but not perhaps should have. That’s the reasonable assessment of Saturday’s match. Satisfaction at what is, after all, the closest we have come to beating New Zealand since 1991 is tempered by doubts about the strength of the side Steve Hansen chose to field. Nevertheless, it’s probable that this All Blacks XV would have run up a somewhat higher score against most Scotland teams of recent years. The fact that we were still in the match with seven minutes to go was as welcome as it was unusual.