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Don't be in awe of All Blacks, Barclay warns Scots

London - Scotland captain John Barclay has warned his team not to be in awe of New Zealand when they face the world champions on Saturday.

Barclay and company take on the All Blacks for the first time in three years in a clash eagerly anticipated by the Murrayfield faithful.

"There's probably something wrong if you need to take inspiration from the opposition," he said.

New Zealand have dominated rugby for the last decade and Saturday's Test will be a daunting one for Gregor Townsend's side, who conceded five tries in a thrilling 44-38 win over Samoa on Saturday.

However Barclay is keen for his team-mates not to get caught up in the hype surrounding the All Blacks.

"We need to focus on ourselves as much as we can and try to impose ourselves.

"Yes we have to do a bit of homework, but if we sit back and talk about them and how fantastic they are, we have no chance."

Scotland are yet to beat New Zealand in more than 100 years of fixtures, drawing just twice and losing the other 28 times.

However, Barclay brushed off talk of that dismal run playing on Scotland minds, claiming history will have no relevance when the two sides take to the pitch.

"It doesn't bother me," the Scarlets back-row forward said. "It's a stat and it will still be a stat one minute before kick-off at the weekend.

"We still have 80 minutes of rugby to play. It's a huge challenge but a very exciting one for us."

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