Springboks extend winning run against Scotland

South Africa continued with their fine recent form when they beat Scotland 26-20 in their November international at Murrayfield on Saturday.

In an entertaining encounter, in which momentum between the teams ebbed and flowed, the Springboks' superior physicality played a big part in this victory especially in the second-half when the match was on a knife edge for long periods.

Both sides scored two tries apiece and Handré Pollard led the way for the visitors with an 18-point haul courtesy of a try, three penalties and two conversions.

The result means the Springboks extend their winning run against Scotland to six matches and they have now won three successive Tests at Murrayfield.

As expected, this was a fast-paced match with both sides giving the ball plenty of air and this tactic reaped reward for the Springboks as early as the sixth minute when Jesse Kriel scored the opening try.  This, after Pollard made the initial break and Embrose Papier, RG Snyman, Steven Kitshoff and Sbu Nkosi all handled the ball before the latter was brought to ground close to Scotland's try-line.  The ball was recycled quickly and Papier got a pass out to the onrushing Kriel, who dotted down.

Pollard slotted the conversion but despite trailing on the scoreboard, Scotland stayed true to their attacking roots and were rewarded midway through the half when Peter Horne rounded off after Huw Jones and Sean Maitland combined brilliantly in the build-up.

The Boks did not take long to respond though and after Damian de Allende and Siya Kolisi did well to win a turnover at a ruck, the ball was shifted wide to Pollard, who sold Maitland a dummy before crossing for his side's second try.

The Boks pulled further ahead in the 25th minute via a penalty from Pollard, when WP Nel was blown up for illegal scrummaging.  But that effort was cancelled out when Greig Laidlaw also added a penalty — after offside play at a kick from Aphiwe Dyantyi — which meant South Africa were leading 17-10 by the half-hour mark.

Five minutes later, the home side drew level with a converted try from Hamish Watson which came when they caught the Boks napping with an innovative move at a lineout in which Watson came through the front of the set-piece, which was on South Africa's five-metre line, before crashing over.

That drew the sides level but just before half-time Pollard succeeded with his second penalty, after another indiscretion at a scrum from Nel, which gave the visitors a narrow 20-17 lead at the break.

The second-half started poorly for South Africa when, six minutes after the restart, Willie le Roux was yellow carded for a deliberate knock on from a Horne pass midway between the Boks' 22 and their 10-metre line.  Laidlaw made no mistake from the kicking tee which drew the sides level again.

From the restart, the Boks won a turnover and were soon on the attack inside Scotland's 22.

In the 53rd minute, Stuart McInally slowed the ball down cynically at a ruck close to his try-line and Pollard punished that indiscretion by adding his third penalty which restored the visitors' three-point lead.

Three minutes later, Scotland were blown up for another infringement at the breakdown and Pollard lined up a shot at goal but his effort struck a post.

The next 10 minutes was an attritional affair as both teams tried to gain the ascendancy and Pollard had another opportunity to extend the Boks' lead in the 67th minute off the kicking tee, but he scuffed his kick which was well wide of the target.

The Boks continued to dominate the breakdown and in the 73rd minute they won another penalty in that facet of play.  Elton Jantjies took over the goal-kicking duties from Pollard and was on target with his effort which also sealed the win for his team.

The scorers:

For Scotland:
Tries:  Horne, Watson
Cons:  Laidlaw 2
Pens:  Laidlaw 2

For South Africa:
Tries:  Kriel, Pollard
Cons:  Pollard 2
Pens:  Pollard 3, Jantjies
Yellow Card:  Le Roux

Scotland:  15 Stuart Hogg, 14 Tommy Seymour, 13 Huw Jones, 12 Pete Horne, 11 Sean Maitland, 10 Finn Russell, 9 Greig Laidlaw (c), 8 Ryan Wilson, 7 Hamish Watson, 6 Sam Skinner, 5 Jonny Gray, 4 Ben Toolis, 3 WP Nel, 2 Stuart McInally, 1 Gordon Reid
Replacements:  16 Fraser Brown, 17 Allan Dell, 18 Simon Berghan, 19 Josh Strauss, 20 Jamie Ritchie, 21 Ali Price, 22 Adam Hastings, 23 Chris Harris

South Africa:  15 Willie le Roux, 14 Sbu Nkosi, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Aphiwe Dyantyi, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Franco Mostert, 4 RG Snyman, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Steven Kitshoff
Replacements:  16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Thomas du Toit, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Lood de Jager, 20 Francois Louw, 21 Ivan van Zyl, 22 Elton Jantjies, 23 Cheslin Kolbe

Referee:  Romain Poite (France)
Assistant referees:  Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand), Frank Murphy (Ireland)
TMO:  Ben Skeen (New Zealand)