Match Report: South Africa 42 -28 Scotland

But Scotland’s first win in a Test against the Springboks on their soil remains out of reach, and with hindsight, their missed opportunity when South Africa had a forward in the sin bin at the start of the second half was decisive.

A bonus point as a result of tries from Matt Fagerson, Kyle Rowe, Josh Bayliss and Ben White was Scotland’s return from an epic encounter where South Africa ultimately triumphed with their physical strike power and, by Scotland captain, Sione Tuipulotu’s own admission, the hosts were just that bit more clinical in their execution.

Both teams enjoyed victories in the opening round of the Nations Championship last weekend, Scotland in record-breaking fashion against Argentina in Cordoba and South Africa thumping England at Ellis Park.

South Africa made 11 changes and Scotland three alterations with Finn Russell, Zander Fagerson and Gregor Brown, all British & Irish Lions, promoted to the starting line-up. In a late change on the Scotland bench Max Williamson replaced his injured club-mate Alex Samuel.

Scotland have played four Test matches at Loftus Versfeld, three in the 1995 Rugby World Cup and one in the 2013 quadrangular tournament but today was the first time they had faced the Springboks in their Pretoria citadel.

Rory Sutherland, the Glasgow Warriors prop, won his 50^th cap when he joined the action from the bench, and had the honour of leading out both teams.

Scotland pouched the South African kick-off and Ewan Ashman picked off a stray South African lineout throw, which spawned plenty of width in the Scotland attack, before Ashman was pinged on the ground.

Two penalties conceded in rapid succession by Springbok lock Cobus Wiese enabled Russell to boot Scotland to within seven metres but the lineout mis-fired.

South Africa got the better of the initial aerial battle and a penalty against Jack Dempsey for hands in a ruck saw South Africa into Scotland’s 22.

Off lineout ball, Scotland were penalised again and in the shadow of their own posts, faced a home scrum, where a massive secondary shunt led to another penalty.

Again, the scrum was their choice and this time Monsieur Brousset free-kicked Scotland for early engagement. South Africa tapped but Scotland’s defence was resolute and Evan Roos was held up in-goal by Dempsey.

Having withstood the bludgeon, Scotland, however, were caught out by the rapier like wit and pace of scrum-half Embrose Papier.  He collected ruck ball just outside the Scotland 22, stepped away from Zander Fagerson and then blazed in for a try.  Handre Pollard converted (7-0, 16 mins).

From the restart, Wiese caught and was propelled forward acrobatically by Boan Venter. He then bulldozed forward like all of Africa’s “big five” wildlife combined and Scotland ‘s defence was swatted away.

Possession was retained and Roos powered over for try number two. Pollard goaled (14-0, 19 mins).

From scrum ball and a dent in midfield from Tuipulotu, Scotland garnered an offside penalty on the home 10-metre line and Russell prodded them into their opponents’ 22. A penalty at breakdown enabled the Springboks to clear.

The Scotland back row combined in one promising counter-attack, but Zander Fagerson had his pocket-picked by Ruan Nortje for a priceless home turnover.

A penalty for playing the nine, saw Russell again nudge Scotland into the Springbok red zone. Lineout secured and maul cranked forward. Kyle Rowe did well to sustain a move in midfield and Russell found space before Ashman, at pace, lost the ball forward with the line beckoning.

At the scrum, Scotland won a penalty on the five metre line. White tapped. Ashman threatened and Matt Fagerson thundered past Paul de Villiers’ attempted tackle for his fifth try for Scotland. Russell converted. (14-7, 33 mins). It was Scotland’s first try against South Africa since 2021.

As half-time neared, Scotland won another penalty and Dempsey was the lineout target. There was patience to their build-up, Russell was forced to run laterally having gathered a pass off the deck but his offload to Tuipulotu brought an arrow-like straightness to proceedings and the admirable Rowe appeared on a delicious line to dot down for his eighth try for Scotland and his second in successive weeks. Russell converted to bring the scores level (14-14, 40 mins).

Half-time: South Africa 14-14 Scotland 

Rory Darge failed an HIA at the interval, so on the restart, Josh Bayliss took to the field.

The first penalty of the second-half looked as if it was going against Scotland but a TMO intervention from Richard Kelly saw South African sub Ben-Jason Dixon yellow carded and a bunker review for contact on Scott Cummings’ head at the breakdown. We subsequently learned that yellow would be the only sanction.

Kyle Steyn was unleashed on the right and from another penalty, Cummings collected at the lineout. Yet from the driving maul, Ashman was adjudged to have been held up over the goal-line. Small margins.

From the goal-line drop out, Nortje galloped into open prairie and Russell and Jamie Dobie had to look lively to douse that South African breakout.

Dobie was then released by Rory Hutchinson at the culmination of more stunning continuity from Scotland, but the pass was ruled forward as Dempsey spilled inside the Springbok 22.

Scotland had enjoyed the better of the half thus far, but with South Africa restored to full complement would they rue having not added to their tally?

It seemed so in the 57^th minute as substitute back-row forward Elrigh Louw thundered over for their third try, all after a knock-on by Ashman at the back of a maul. Pollard converted (21-14, 57 mins).

Scotland conceded a cheap penalty from the restart and South Africa were at their most ruthless as Damian Willemse weaved his way over the whitewash.  Pollard goaled (28-14, 60 mins).

The penalty count was mounting against Scotland and from more grunt in the Scotland 22, replacement prop Zach Porten grabbed try number five. Pollard maintained his 100% record (35-14, 66 mins).

Scotland had to strike back if they were to maintain any hope and, boy, they did.  Cummings found a gap and perfectly timed his pass to take out Horn. Bayliss sprinted in under the posts. Russell converted (35-21, 67 mins) what was Bayliss’ sixth try for Scotland.

And the visitors were not yet done. With the bench making an impact, in particular Gregor Hiddleston, Scotland were back in the Springbok 22 and the admirable Ben White stretched to grab the bonus point try, his tenth for his country. Russell goaled again (35-28, 70 mins).

A cross-kick by Tom Jordan had alarm bells ringing among the home defence but Steyn could not quite gather.

A pass from Russell trickled into touch and you sensed that could have been last chance saloon.  Sadly, confirmed when Jesse Kriel followed up a smart kick into space from Pollard to score South Africa’s sixth try. Quan Horn converted (42-28, 77 mins).

Full-time: South Africa 42-28 Scotland

South Africa: Aphelele Fassi, Edwill van der Merwe, Jesse Kriel, Damian Willemse, Ethan Hooker; Handre Pollard, Embrose Papier; Boan Venter, Johan Grobbelaar, Wilco Louw, Cobus Wiese, Ruan Nortje, Paul de Villiers, Pieter-Steph du Toit (captain), Evan Roos.

Replacements: Jan-Hendrik Wessels for Grobelaar (41 mins), Ntuthuko Mchunu for Venter (61 mins), Zach Porthen for Louw (61 mins), Ben-Jason Dixon for Wiese (31 mins), Vincent Tshituka for de Villiers (41 mins), Elrigh Louw for Roos(43 mins), Grant Williams for Papier (43 mins), Quan Horn for Pollard (43 mins). Pollard returned to the action for Hooker in the second half.

Yellow card: Ben-Jason Dixon (41 mins)

Scotland: Kyle Rowe, Kyle Steyn (both Glasgow Warriors), Rory Hutchinson (Northampton Saints), Sione Tuipulotu (captain), Jamie Dobie (both Glasgow Warriors); Finn Russell (Bath Rugby), Ben White (Toulon); Pierre Schoeman, Ewan Ashman (both Edinburgh Rugby), Zander Fagerson, Gregor Brown, Scott Cummings, Matt Fagerson, Rory Darge (all Glasgow Warriors), Jack Dempsey (Toshiba Brave Lupus).

Replacements: Gregor Hiddleston (Glasgow Warriors) (for Ashman, 58 mins), Rory Sutherland (Glasgow Warriors) (for Schoeman, 68 mins), Will Hurd (Leicester Tigers) (for Z Fagerson, 58 mins), Max Williamson (Glasgow Warriors) (for Brown, 63 mins), Josh Bayliss (Bath Rugby) (for Darge, 40 mins), Magnus Bradbury (Edinburgh Rugby) (for M Fagerson, 58 mins), Tom Jordan (Bristol Bears) (for Dobie, 68 mins), Stafford McDowall (Glasgow Warriors) (for Hutchinson, 63 mins).

Referee: Pierre Brousset (France)
Assistant referees: James Doleman (New Zealand) and Andrew Brace (Ireland) TMO: Richard Kelly (New Zealand)
FPRO: Olly Hodges (Ireland)

Attendance: 45,053

Player of the Match: Handre Pollard (South Africa)