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Matt Taylor scrambling to improve Scottish defence before All Blacks Test

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Scotland defence coach Matt Taylor

Defence coach Matt Taylor admits Scotland struggled to organise themselves in time for their opening autumn Test – but they have little choice other than make major improvements quickly.

Gregor Townsend's side opened their campaign with a 44-38 victory over Samoa but Taylor has had an uneasy few days after his players conceded five tries.

Scotland host New Zealand this weekend with two more forwards ruled out.

Edinburgh prop WP Nel (arm) and Glasgow lock Tim Swinson (hand) both suffered broken bones on Saturday while flanker Rob Harley will miss the whole autumn campaign after failing to recover from the knee injury that saw him miss the Samoa encounter.

Taylor, who left Glasgow in the summer alongside Townsend to focus on his international role, said: "We're all pretty disappointed with how we defended, particularly where over the last six months there have been games where we have defended really well, like the Australia game and the Ireland game.

"So to let ourselves down at home was particularly disappointing.

"A few things we can put it down to: it's the first time coming together for a long time, different guys are coming in from different systems, and I'm in a different situation this year where I'm not in control of Glasgow so I don't have as much time with the players.

"So it's getting them on the same page as quickly as possible.

"The good thing about it is we'll be a hell of a lot better this weekend because we will need to be. Because we are under no illusions, unless we defend really well, we will come second."

Taylor conceded Scotland possibly "subconsciously relaxed" after they went 30-10 ahead and hopes the subsequent scare banishes any remnants of complacency ahead of the visit of the All Blacks, who won 38-18 in France at the weekend.

"People probably don't give Samoa the credit in terms of their individual brilliance and how powerful athletes they are," Taylor said.

"I would rather be gong into this game a wee bit worried rather than overconfident.

"Certainly we know we have to lift the intensity and be a lot better defensively because it's not good enough. We have talked about it and a few of the leaders spoke about it in the forwards' meeting, so hopefully we get a reaction."

Scotland had already lost the likes of Alasdair Dickinson, Gordon Reid, Allan Dell, Fraser Brown and Ross Ford from their front row before Nel's injury but Taylor refused to use the casualty list as an excuse.

Newcastle prop Jon Welsh, whose 11th and most recent cap came in the 2015 World Cup, was added to the squad, where he will compete for a place along with the likes of fellow loosehead Darryl Marfo.

Marfo arrived at Edinburgh in January as back-up but was catapulted to a Scotland debut after a succession of injuries.

The 27-year-old is relishing the prospect of facing the world champions.

"It's massively exciting," said the Londoner, whose mother comes from Ayr. "I don't think there's many rugby players who are in this job because of the ease of it. There's many easier jobs to do than this.

"When you get the opportunity to face the best team in the world… I have never had that experience before and hopefully this weekend I do. For me, it's the dream job.

"You are then faced with the biggest challenge possible – it doesn't get any tougher. It just spurs you on."

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