South Africa prove too strong for enterprising Scotland in Nations Championship

A breathless match, all the more so given the thin air of Pretoria, but the upshot is, for all Scotland’s wit and energy, South Africa march on with another full house of points. The visitors were brilliant in scoring their four tries, their pace and skill regularly making mugs of their hosts, but power remains the thing the Springboks do better than anyone. At this altitude, it is very hard to stop.

They were unanswerable in the middle of each half, scoring five of their six tries around then, but Scotland scored two apiece in the second and fourth quarters. They were within sight of a losing bonus point with 10 minutes to go. They even looked as if they might score again. But Jesse Kriel’s late score meant they had to settle for one.

Let’s not get too carried away. This was not much more than the Springboks’ second or third team, given they were not at full strength last week, against England, and they made 10 further changes for this. Those looking for weaknesses in the world champions not much more than a year out from the next World Cup remain confounded.

Still, Scotland showed here that there might be faults in and around the sheer power for those quicksilver enough to find them. They might have been playing against an outfit unfamiliar to each other, as well as the wider world, but they were on quite the itinerary. To arrive at this altitude, having flown in from Argentina, where they scored nearly 50 last weekend, and play like this is no mean feat. Finn Russell was back in the saddle, looking a million dollars, Ben White continues to impress beside him, and the pace throughout the side is now something they are exploiting on a consistent basis.

That they survived two tries in the blink of an eye at the end of the first quarter to level at the break with two of their own tells its own story. Embrose Papier’s break from a ruck for South Africa’s first was lightning quick, and from the restart South Africa were brutal and skilful in equal measure to score a second. Cobus Wiese, quite possibly around number 10 in the Springboks’ pecking order in the second row, was ferocious in a 30-metre charge from his own 22, having gathered the restart and been flung into his run, literally, by Boan Venter. Power followed by power, followed by tireless support play, and the Springboks had Scotland reeling. Evan Roos drove over from close range.

Lesser teams might have folded at that point. But Scotland scored twice themselves on the approach to half-time. Matt Fagerson took a turn at driving over from close range for the first, before Scotland set up an attack from a lineout on the stroke of half-time. It broke down, but the maestro Russell was on to the loose ball, fed his captain Sione Tuipulotu on the switch, and Tuipulotu’s carry and off-load put Kyle Rowe over.

Scotland kept the pressure on after the break too, all the more so when Ben-Jason Dixon was shown yellow for a clumsy clash of heads with Scott Cummings at a ruck. But the visitors were not quite able to make his absence tell. When Dixon returned, South Africa did make it tell, breaking the game open all over again with three tries either side of the hour mark. Elrigh Louw became the latest to drive over from close range for the first, Damian Willemse showed great feet and power to combine with Grant Williams for the next, two minutes later, before Zac Porthren, well, drove over from close range. That seemed the game, 35-14 with 15 minutes left.

Scotland had other ideas. They have power too, but, boy, do they have pace. Right throughout the team. Scott Cummings, lock forward, went clean through a hole in midfield and linked with Josh Bayliss, whose pace is no secret. The flanker ran home to the posts.

Scotland were away again from the restart, Gregor Hiddleston the next forward to show clean heels. His break precipitated dazzling Scottish hands and feet down the left. When the ball came right, White broke from a ruck and reached for the line. Bonus point secured.

Alas, the Scots could not hold on to the second bonus point. There were still 10 minutes to play, but it was Kriel who rounded off the scoring with a couple of minutes remaining. He looked somewhat in front of Handré Pollard when he chased the latter’s chip ahead, but he was allowed to gather and run the ball home.

“The amount of opportunities the players created through work and skill and intelligence –we’ve got to take more to beat the world champions,” said Gregor Townsend. “So that’ll be the frustrating element, because we don’t get to play South Africa here very often. But we’ve come a long way this season. Today was another step forward.”