New Zealand headed off to Ireland yesterday for stage two of their grand-slam odyssey, having secured the win they were looking for in Edinburgh to maintain their historical dominance over Scotland.

But they leave the Scottish capital without Andy Ellis, the scrum half, who tore a rib cartilage during Saturday’s match and is now out of the tour. A replacement has yet to be named. Ellis is the second casualty for the All Blacks since leaving New Zealand. Andrew Hore returned home after suffering an ankle injury against Australia in Hong Kong ten days ago.

As New Zealand start to prepare for their next international at Croke Park on Saturday, they left behind a Scotland side who earned full marks for enterprise and endeavour and for testing the All Blacks defence to the limit on occasion, but having also again fluffed their lines.

Whereas New Zealand were clinical in the taking of their chances and made the most of the opportunities, Scotland were profligate and unable to capitalise on their spells of domination. Chances went begging, a cool head was lacking, but there were enough glimpses of the potential for Frank Hadden, the head coach, not to chastise himself too much. His is a young team that needs time to be allowed to grow.

Hadden expressed frustration at the failure to make the most of the nine line breaks, but the fact they created them was evidence itself of progress. Mike Blair took his eye off the ball and dropped a pass when close to the line, Ally Hogg cut back with a possible overlap outside, and several drives by the forwards ended up with the ball running loose. It was all about composure in the heat of an international.

Sean Lamont, who was later to pull a hamstring, and Thom Evans, his fellow wing, also did not get the luck of the bounce after chipping ahead in the All Blacks 22 although in Lamont’s case, he should have gathered rather than to attempt to kick ahead only to miss the ball completely.

On such fine margins are games won and lost and when it mattered the All Blacks did enjoy the rub of the green. New Zealand do what they always seem to against northern hemisphere sides — weather an early storm, hit back with some rapid scoring, then hold out comfortably.

New Zealand were never in danger of losing and had they not been quite so loose as the game meandered to a conclusion, the margin of their 25th victory in 27 meetings since 1905, could have been more emphatic.

The All Blacks did not have to work terribly hard for their tries; two were the direct result of mistakes, one a lucky bounce, while Scotland simply could not put the finishing touches to some attractive approach play.

The Scots, who could have done with a fly half who varied his game more and from a midfield that packed a greater physical punch, were restricted to two first-half penalty goals from Chris Paterson who, one blemish apart, enjoyed himself more in an international than he has done for some time. “I look back on my career and so many restarts under different coaches,” he said. “I’m delighted still to be going and still to be making an impact.”

Scotland enjoyed dominance in the scrum with Euan Murray giving Jamie Macintosh a torrid debut. Wayne Barnes, the referee, was generous in the extreme in denying Scotland a penalty try in a seven-minute siege before half-time. With New Zealand down to seven men with Anthony Boric in the sin-bin, a scrum repeatedly collapsed and had to be reset. It was not in Scotland’s interest to do so. Matters were made worse when the visitors scored within a minute of the restart. Paterson failed to claim a high kick, and Richard Kahui streaked away to score.

When Scotland were down to 14 men after Nick de Luca’s rash early sin-binning for kicking the ball away from a ruck, New Zealand answered with 13 points, with Donald’s pinpoint cross-field kick falling invitingly into the arms Anthony Tuivake. The fly half converted and added two penalty goals while in the same situation Scotland, as their head coach said, “huffed and puffed” but could not cross the whitewash.

For the second try, Piri Weepu was quickest to react to Kahui’s grubber kick, and for the final score, Boric galloped in from 30 metres.

New Zealand know, however, that sterner tests lie ahead.

LIONS WATCH

Gaining ground Scottish tighthead Euan Murray, who has been in rampant Premiership form, was brilliant, roughing up Jamie Mackintosh and moving into pole position to anchor Ian McGeechan’s scrum in South Africa

Losing ground Sean Lamont. Defending was never his strong point and the Saints wing was caught out a couple of times positionally

Star man: Richard Kahui (New Zealand)

SCOTLAND: C Paterson (Edinburgh); T Evans (Glasgow), B Cairns (Edinburgh), N De Luca (Edinburgh), S Lamont (Northampton); P Godman (Edinburgh D Parks (Edinburgh) 70min), M Blair (Edinburgh, capt (R Lawson 70mi); A Jacobsen (Edinburgh), R Ford (Edinburgh D Hall 64min), E Murray (Northampton (A Dickinson 54min), N Hines (Perpignan, M Mustchin (Edinburgh) 55min), J Hamilton (Edinburgh), J White (Sale S Gray (Northampton) 61min )), A Hogg (Edinburgh), J Barclay (Glasgow).

NEW ZEALAND: I Toeava (Auckland) (rep: C Jane, 40+1), A Tuitavake (North Harbour), R Kahui (Waikato), M Nonu (Wellington), J Rokocoko (Auckland); S Donald (Waikato, D Carter (Canterbury) 70min), P Weepu (Wellington, A Ellis (Canterbury) 53min); J Mackintosh (Southland, N Tialata (Wellington) 55min), K Mealamu (Auckland, capt, C Flynn (Canterbury) 59min), J Afoa (Auckland), A Boric (North Harbour), A Williams (Auckland R Filipo(Wellington) 66min), K Read (Canterbury), L Messam (Waikato), A Thomson (Otago, R McCaw (Canterbury) 54min).

Scorers: Scotland: Pens: Paterson (2) New Zealand: Tries: Tuitavake 8, Weepu 26, Kahui 41, Boric 73 Cons: Donald (2), Carter Pens: Donald (2) Yellow cards: Scotland: De Luca (4min) New Zealand: Boric (31min)

Referee: W Barnes (England)