All Blacks supremo recalls his Scottish adventure and admits something is stirring in Edinburgh

He recalls getting paid a bonus for each try scored then being encouraged to ‘reinvest’ it at the clubhouse in Millbrae.

Robertson was 19 and they were carefree times for a young player looking for rugby experiences abroad.

He is back in Scotland this week, bringing his starstudded New Zealand team to Murrayfield for the first time in three years for the second leg of what he hopes will be a grand slam tour. Ireland were taken care of in Chicago on Saturday, with the All Blacks coming from behind to win 26-13. Appointments in England and Wales will follow but it’s the Scots on Saturday and Robertson knows Gregor Townsend’s side are looking to make history.

Scotland have never beaten the All Blacks, a record the tourists are keen to preserve.

“We're aware of it, and we're proud of it, and we know how big the occasion is this weekend,” said Robertson of a fixture that has long been sold out. “We've canvassed it with the boys to make sure we're all aware, and, yeah, there's been a hell of a few games in the last few years, haven't there?

“It's gone down to the wire, so full respect. We're playing against a Scottish team with eight [originally selected] Lions in it, and, you know, there are some generational players there, so it's going to be a game for the ages.”

The last meeting of the sides, in 2022, saw Scotland hold a nine-point lead in the second half before going down 31-23. Five years before that, the All Blacks edged it 22-17. Robertson expects it to be similarly close on Saturday.

“We know their strengths, and they'll know ours,” he said. “But we'll pick the strongest team we think for a really physical Test match.

“Obviously, they've got a pretty handy back line, haven't they? They've got a couple of really good jacklers, they can get over the ball, and a couple of good operators in the lineout. So they've got a really good balance in the squad, and they're spread around a couple of teams, and also, playing in the Premiership. It's a highly experienced team, with high cohesion and really motivated. It's a big weekend.”

Robertson tasted success at Murrayfield as a player, helping the All Blacks beat Scotland 37-6 in 2001 with Tana Umaga and Jonah Lomu among the tries. From a Scottish perspective, the build-up was dominated by the controversial inclusion of Brendan Laney, a New Zealander who had been parachuted into Ian McGeechan’s team barely a week after landing in Scotland.

Gregor Townsend was also playing that day and Robertson remembers a tough encounter.

“It was a slippery night, and it was a physical game from memory. Tana scored, I think Jonah might have got over as well but I knew it was a hugely passionate affair, and it's the same this weekend.”

Robertson’s links to Scotland run deep. He thinks he can trace some of his family back to Perthshire and his time playing club rugby over here remains a happy memory.

“Ayr were looking for a couple of reinforcements at the back end of the season, and I went over as a 19-year-old,” he explained. “I was playing a little bit of rugby over in Ireland [for Ards], and then came over and had a great time.

“It was a great part of my life, and pretty carefree. You're scoring tries under the Robbie Burns statue there, and everyone was pretty welcoming.

“It was quite tricky, because they gave me £50 if you scored a try, but you pretty much gave it straight back over the bar. It was well done, actually. They got a return on the investment!

“It was a really great experience, and a fond part of my life, and I really enjoyed Scotland.

“I get the odd message from a couple of the club battlers, to remind me they think they've made my career! I'll tell you what, the Guinness flowed, and we had some great times.”

The Tom Jordan verdict

Coincidentally, another New Zealander came over to Scotland in more recent years and made a big impression at Ayr. Tom Jordan took the decision to remain here, however, and qualified for Scotland on residency grounds last season after three brilliant seasons with Glasgow Warriors who signed him on the strength of his performances for Ayr.

Robertson wasn’t aware of him in New Zealand but has followed his career with interest, particularly when he heard about the Ayr connection.

“He's a hell of a player, and he's done extremely well,” said the coach. “I'm pleased for him.”

While pleased with the result in Chicago, Robertson feels there is more to come from his team. The win came at a cost, with Scott and Jordie Barrett both injured and the two brothers will miss Saturday’s game in Edinburgh.

Townsend said at the weekend that he expected the All Blacks to make a lot of changes, given the closeness of the games and their travel itinerary. Robertson, however, seemed to suggest otherwise.

“Oh, look, you pick a team, a fully respectful team to [try to] beat the Scottish team,” he said. “Like I said, they're a quality team. We understand that, and we know their strengths, and they'll know ours. But we'll pick the strongest team we think for a really physical Test match.”

He felt they started slowly against Ireland but came good, with tries from Ardie Savea, Tamaiti Williams, Wallace Sititi and Cam Roigard.

“We showed a lot of good attack, but actually finishing those opportunities has been a real focus for us. We'd love to have got that last try as well [which was chopped off for forward pass], just to show the amount of passes and connection like we had to play some footie and play fearless, and just got to finish a couple more opportunities, which we did.

“We've just got to start better, don't we? Especially when you play Test footie, you don't want to be playing any catch-up. We did.

“We found a way. We had a great bench, and it came on, and it made a really good impact. But there were parts of the game that we definitely needed to tidy up, but we were really pleased with how we finished.”