The New Zealand head coach Dave Rennie took plenty from his three years at the Glasgow Warriors but it is the chuckles that he remembers most fondly. “The Scottish are funny people and I haven't laughed as much in any environment as much as I have in my time here,” Rennie explained back in 2020 after embarking on what proved an ill-fated stint with Australia. “I've loved the people and I've loved our time here. It's been special, we'll miss it.”

Perhaps it is no surprise, then, that there has been such a strong Scottish influence at the heart of his project to restore the All Blacks’ spirit. Mike Blair won 85 caps at scrum half and captained Scotland 14 times; until deciding he rather preferred life overseeing attack, it appeared he was being groomed as Gregor Townsend’s successor in the highest coaching office in the land. Instead, he and Rennie return to Murrayfield with a New Zealand side in a phase of reinvention or rediscovery – re-finding the tenets that made them great and forging perhaps the world’s most outstanding attack.

It has proved a natural fit. Blair has admitted to feeling a degree of impostor syndrome when he first came into All Blacks camp earlier this year, but has found the squad highly receptive to his methods. He has done excellent work, too, getting a tune out of a series of playmakers and associated parts through a demanding itinerary. Unbeaten so far in the Nations Championship having overcome France, Italy and Ireland in July, they carry confidence from two professional performances against the Wallabies last month.

“We're in a good place, I think,” Blair said this week. “We’re pleased with what we did against Australia but we're also aware that playing Scotland at Murrayfield is a really big challenge. It's another good opportunity to show the growth in our game.”

The former scrum half made a self-deprecating crack that he’d already contributed to a few All Blacks wins over Scotland this week but his own playing days do serve as a reminder of how this challenge has changed for the tourists. Back when their attack coach wore the thistle, the result was a foregone conclusion; in four meetings with the All Blacks as a player, Blair only got within 20 points once. "When I played, New Zealand played their second-string team. They gave guys opportunity against us," he admitted. ”Times have changed from that.” The last four meetings have been decided by eight points or fewer.

Scotland will rue missed opportunities in at least two of those, including last year – having hauled the game back to level pegging from 17-0 down, Townsend’s side could not sustain their effort. One could feel echoes of that game during a not dissimilar defeat to South Africa during the first phase of the Nations Championship in July – this tournament may have its critics but in ensuring a regularity of fixture against the very top teams, it is of great benefit to Scotland.

Will that translate into the next step of finally beating New Zealand? The fear of some is that last year represented a significant missed opportunity against a team in flux. While consistency and coherence in selection puts Scotland in a good place, they will be at a disadvantage in starting a campaign against an international team that has been together virtually since July. No doubt, though, that Townsend will want his team to try to match their expressive visitors stride-for-stride.

“It’s obviously an exciting occasion getting to play the All Blacks,” said the lock Scott Cummings. “The build-up probably feels a bit different this time because the last couple of times we’ve played them it’s been three or four years (since the previous meeting) but we got to play them last year, so we know what to expect from them. Obviously they’re a quality outfit and we know we need to be at our best on the day to beat them. I believe we can do that.”

Confidence will be taken from the strong start enjoyed in the United Rugby Championship by both Scottish sides, with Edinburgh joining Glasgow among the early pace-setters. Townsend has largely put trust in those who have served him well before, but the form of Liam McConnell, Freddy Douglas and others deepens the pool the options. They may be required in a busy November.

Those rigours will be felt, too, by a New Zealand squad entering the final stretch of a gruelling international itinerary that began at the start of July. This has been a tough week, too, after the sudden passing of security chief Logan Cadwallader in Edinburgh. The All Blacks will carry his memory on to the field. “Logan has been a big part of the All Blacks family for a long time,” Rennie said. “He was the ultimate team man, loved and trusted by all and a true professional. He looked after all of us, players and staff, and he was a good mate to many in this team. We are all devastated. As a team, we will honour Logan and the legacy he has left on the All Blacks.”