Hear from Freddy

We’ll leave you with some words from captain, Freddy Douglas:

“I’m hugely proud of the fight, we showed in the first 20 minutes of the second half just what kind of team we are, we defended with heart and managed to claw a few points back but at the end of the day we have lost by a big margin. It’s quite disappointing but we have stuff to build on for our last two games.

“They’re the fastest team we have come up against. The players on their edges are just so rapid and it means it is so much harder to defend, they look like a real class act, so good luck to them in the rest of the tournament.

“It’s hard losing like that but we’ll review that game and of course look at what we did wrong but more importantly, we have to look at what we did right and how we do that again for our next opposition.”

Reflections

That was always going to be a tough match.

Reuben Logan, Nairn Moncrieff and Freddy Douglas were real standouts today. But with an opposition as big and speedy as the Junior Boks, it’s a tough contest.

Whilst we can dwell on what went wrong, let’s not forget those two tries for Scotland – Seb Stephen and Oliver Finlayson-Russell. Two really well worked tries, and fantastic for see Oliver score for the first time in a Thistle.

Try – South Africa

South Africa strike from the scrum and run in a final try with Haashim Pead crossing the whitewash. van der Merwe adds the extras and that’s the game over.

Full-time: South Africa 73 – 14 Scotland

Forward pass

A wide pass from Cowan to Brown see’s him nearly take off down the wing but the ball is forward. Time for a scrum in the last play of the game.

SO CLOSE!!!!

SO CLOSE TO ANOTHER SCORE!!!

Reuben Logan has been smashing through everyone today and does it again, gaining huge ground for Scotland. We go through the hands to the wing, we’ve found Brown but he’s tackled and loses the ball just on the line. But that was really good work! Surely there’s another try in this for Scotland…

TRY SCOTLAND!!!!!!!!

COME ON SCOTLAND!!!! Ollie Finlayson-Russell is over!!!

Scotland were quick with their take at the lineout inside the South African 22, the forwards carried hard and showcase their footwork – especially Seb Stephen and Joe Roberts. But the ball found Finlayson-Russell.

The fight is still there!

Jack Brown has converted as well.

South Africa 66 – 14 Scotland

Try – South Africa

Everson sends his pass out to the wing, there’s a switch to confuse the Scotland defence and Everson is back with ball on hand to score another try. van der Merwe’s conversion is good.

South Africa 66 – 7 Scotland

Some shift, Nairn

Jed Findlay is on for Nairn Moncrieff, who has put in a heck of a shift today. Some huge hits and carries from the winger.

More Scotland changes

Bart Godsell and Kerr Yule are on for Mark Fyffe and Matthew Urwin. Good shift, lads!

Try – South Africa

No idea how that happened without a knock on as the ball bumbled and was chipped about, but South Africa have retaken the ball from their box kick and it’s Stephanus Linde who’s crossed the whitewash. The extras are added.

South Africa 59 – 7 Scotland

Scotland make a change

Oliver Finlayson-Russell has come on for the captain, Freddy Douglas, who has put in a shift, as he always does.

Try – South Africa

It’s taken them 20 minutes to score but it’s Ceano Verson with the steal and snipe inside the 22/ van der Merwe bangs over the extras.

South Africa 52 – 7 Scotland

Try saving work!

Cameron van Wyk takes his opposite man out as he rips down the wing and Angus Hunter steals in the offload. Great defensive work from Scotland!

Not a single try scored yet for either side, which taking account of the first half performance from the Junior Boks says a lot about how Scotland are playing in this half.

Changes for Scotland

Ollie Blyth-Lafferty, Will Pearce and Noah Cowan are on for Jamie Stewart, Jake Shearer and Hector Patterson.

Scotland swallowed but we earn a scrum

We had a good attacking platform but Jack Brown is swallowed up and we’re pinged for holding on. van der Merwe has tried to find touch but volleyed it out the park and Scotland will have a scrum.

DOUGLAS AGAIN!!!!

Much better defence from Scotland here! South Africa’s line out went well for them but Scotland are challenging them at every phase, and Douglas is back with another steal.

HELD UP!

Scotland hold up a surging pack of South African forwards, no try. We’ll exit with Urwin’s boot.

Charlie Moss is back on, we’re up to a full compliment of players.

JACK BROWN TAKE A BOW!!!

South Africa thought they could go round us but Jack Brown has Jooste wrapped up and he holds up the try. Excellent work!

South Africa’s defence makes life hard

South Africa’s defence is too good, we can’t get through and we’ve lost the ball in the air, it’s gone out and South Africa have a line out.

They’v played a move from the training field, nobody has gone up in the air but they’ve sprinted onto that at the back and attacked. But Scotland have managed to stop them in their tracks, we’ve worked hard to shut them down and earn a scrum.

Douglas with the steal!

Freddy Douglas is doing Freddy Douglas things, stealing at the breakdown. We’ll go for a lineout inside South Africa’s half and try to attack from there.

South Africa miss

South Africa are quick as lightning at the restart, they think they have scored but the TMO confirms the ball was dead. We’ll try that again, shall we.

Charlie’s card stays yellow

Confirmation that Charlie Moss’ yellow card stays at that.

We go again!

Time for the second half, C’MON SCOTLAND, UP AND AT’EM!

Half-time review

Listen, there’s no two ways about this. South Africa are in control and they are top of this pool table for a reason.

Scotland have had few opportunities but for the limited time they’ve had the ball, they have shown promise, and let’s not forget that Seb Stephen try, it was really well executed!

It’s going to have to be a huge 40 from Scotland in the second half to narrow that deficit.

South Africa denied the try

South Africa capitalise on their one man advantage and they are driving their pack towards the try line. The ref was called their attempted to dot down to be short, but he’s away to confer with the TMO to be sure.

It’s confirmed, they’re short.

It’s time for a break as half-time is called.

South Africa 45 – 7 Scotland

Charlie Moss is shown yellow

The match officials see foul play and Moss is away to the bin whilst the footage is assessed to see if it will be upgraded to a 20 minute red.

We’re out of the woods

We’re beginning the build out attack after exiting that scrum.

We’re going to the TMO though, they’re looking at head contact from Scotland on a South African… we’re looking at Charlie Moss’s tackle on Cheswill Jooste.

That’s a nippy wee scrum-half

Blimey! Blink and you’ll miss Ceano Everson. We couldn’t hold up the scrum so the scrum-half as tapped and is away, down into Scottish territory. Freddy Douglas has worked his socks off to catch up shy of the try line. Scotland have the penalty though and a scrum, let’s exit!

Try – South Africa

South Africa continue to press Scotland. Our defence is working so hard but the Junior Boks manipulate the smallest of gaps. After phases of picking and going, it’s tight-head, Jean Erasmus, who scores the try.

van der Merwe misses the conversion.

South Africa 45 – 7 Scotland

Try – South Africa

It’s another try for South Africa as Dominic Malgas breaks through the defence to find his centre partner Gino Cupido, who crosses the whitewash. Ian van der Merwe adds the extras.

South Africa 40 – 7 Scotland

TRY!!!! THAT’S WHAT WE CAN DO!!!!

As the bagpipes swell, Scotland are primed. The lineout is perfect, and the hulking Reuben Logan is flying through the defence, Seb Stephen is on is outside and we score!!! A fantastic try!

Urwin’s added the extras, we are on the board!

South Africa 33 – 7 Scotland

Try – South Africa

They’re top of the table for a reason, this is a powerful team.

It’s another try from a lineout maul, this time South Africa’s Oliver Reid is the one to dot down. Moyo has added the extras.

South Africa 33 – 0 Scotland

Time to attack

The scrum holds well, hector Patterson gets us away! Cameron van Wyk chips the ball away, it was a good ideas but the bounce didn’t go our way so South Africa have another line out. It’s gone well and they’ve tried to exit but the kick goes out.

Scotland’s shot at a lineout on the edge of the 22. What can we do here…

Great pressure from Scotland!

Scotland are holding well with their defence, Nairn Moncrieff especially is putting in the hits. The Junior Boks have knocked on and Scotland have a scrum.

Try – South Africa

South Africa have earned their bonus point. From their line out just outside the 22, they’ve held onto the ball and chipped it through, Jaco Williams has gathered and dotted down again. Vusi Moyo has converted.

Scotland will be disappointed but there is plenty of rugby still to be played.

South Africa 26 – 0 Scotland

Try – South Africa

South Africa’s scrum-half is away with the jets after a powerful scrum, but Nairn Moncrieff has slammed him to the floor – what a hit!!! However the ball is away and it’s another try. They’ve nailed the conversion too.

South Africa 19 – Scotland 0

Try – South Africa

Charlie Moss has been caught offside as Scotland defend furiously, and do so well. The Boks have kicked for a line out on the five.

They’ve mauled and Scotland are trying to fend them off, but the force is too much and South Africa have a second try. They’ve missed the conversion though.

South Africa 12 – 0 Scotland

South Africa score

Scotland have continued to attack really well, stringing together 15 phases but we’ve been unlucky. Urwin spotted some space to put in the kick, but Boks winger Jaco Williams has regathered and has run in the try from inside his own 22. Unbelievable stuff. The extras have been added.

South Africa 7 – 0 Scotland

Time to go again.

We steal at the kick-off!

Nairn Moncreiff has taken the ball to get us ground to start the game. We’ve earned a line out inside the 22. The ball went to hand and we’ve attacked really well. Urwin puts boot to ball but it’s caught by the Boks and they will look to exit. But this is a bright start from Scotland!

KICK-OFF!!!!

Matthew Urwin kicks us off, we play from left to right. LET’S GOOOOO!

Flower of Scotland!

The bagpipes are blaring, the voices rise!

Touch town at Stadio San Michele

We’ve arrived at Stadio San Michele ahead of the match. The temperatures are milder than last week, but it’s still a balmy 23 degrees Celsius. That does mean there won’t be cooling breaks between play today.

But the lads are well prepped for this heat having been here for a few weeks now, and doing heat training with an Environmental Chamber at University of West of Scotland.

Where to watch

Although we are bringing you the action live on our Match Centre, you can watch live from RugbyPass TV!

Some changes

Ahead of team arrival, we bring you a key update to the squad. Isaac Coates is now unavailable, but is replaced by Matthew Urwin who starts in the number 10 jersey. Kerr Yule has been called up to the bench wearing number 22.

Here’s the full Scotland line up!

Good afternoon, Scotland fans!

Who’s ready to go again? Scotland U20 Men certainly are! It’s their third match of the World Rugby U20 Championship out here in Italy, and today we face South Africa U20.