Same old story as Boks grind it out
IN THE end, it went according to script. Scotland were daring, their backs scintillating at times, but the Springboks ground out a win that only the most ardent Scotsman would claim was not a fair reflection of the 80 minutes in Edinburgh.
“We’ve got to suck this one up,” said Scotland’s head coach Gregor Townsend. “It’s disappointing to not play your best and lose. We have to learn from this.”
Scotland took the lead on 17 minutes after withstanding a tide of Bok pressure. The visitors’ scrum was dominant from the off, winning a penalty from their first engagement with the Scottish pack and would win another two before the home side’s front row corrected things. But it was Finn Russell’s boot that opened the scoring with a penalty.
Elton Jantjies returned the favour soon after but Scotland’s tenacity at the breakdown had turned the game into a scrappy affair. The first real bit of quality came on the half hour when Willie le Roux sparked a move that saw the ball move quickly to Damian de Allende and then Siya Kolisi who put Makazole Mapimpi into space down the left. The winger cantered home to score his 18th try in just 24 matches.
Scotland kept disrupting Springbok ball with Jamie Ritchie a constant nuisance. The Scots scored their try when Russell’s second cross-kick to Duhan van der Merwe within five minutes was fielded and then popped back inside to Stuart Hogg. Van der Merwe touched it again with Chris Harris and Sam Skinner also getting involved before Hogg pounced on a loose ball to slide over for the five points.
Unlike Elton Jantjies earlier, Russell converted which meant his side went into the break with a 10-8
lead but not before South Africa brought on an entirely new front row, a credit to Scotland rectifying what had threatened to become a serious problem in the scrum.
South Africa emerged from the tunnel with extra impetus provided by replacement scrum-half Cobus Reinach.
Three minutes into the second period Jesse Kriel’s jump at a high ball fell favourably for his side. Le Roux at first receiver sent it left for Jantjies who found De Allende’s run on the angle, cutting a hole in Scotland’s line.
A simple pass gave Mapimpi another clear sight of the try line as he dotted down for the 19th time in his career. Jantjies converted and added two
penalties to nudge the world champions into an 11 point lead on 55 minutes.
South Africa’s reputation as rugby’s bullies was underlined at Murrayfield. Eben Etzebeth was immense with and without the ball, flattening Russell with a monstrous hit, and De Allende’s heft in midfield focussed their attack. But this Scottish side refused to roll over and they began their fightback with a wonderful try from a lineout with Van der Merwe and Hogg again combining when the former’s basketball pass allowed Hogg to bag his brace and become the joint-top try scorer in Scottish history with 24.
Murrayfield was rocking but was quickly
silenced when Steven Kitshoff and then Malcom Marx each won a penalty in Scottish territory. The reliable boots of Handre Pollard and Francois Steyn gave the Springboks a 12 point lead with nine minutes to play.
The game was secured when the Springboks won a scrum penalty 10m from the Scottish line. Pollard stabbed it over.
“Scotland got the edge in the first half, but then we put our physicality to the fore in the second half and our kicks were on point,” was Kolisi’s verdict.
Without excelling, the Springboks did enough, keeping their enterprising hosts at arm’s length, grinding them down in a game they rarely looked like losing.