DAVID SOLE

GREGOR Townsend’s Scotland were brought back down to earth with a bump yesterday when they faced the World Champions at Murrayfield.

Despite a plucky, and sometimes defiant, performance, Stuart Hogg and his men were ultimately outclassed by a dominant Springbok side, losing 30-15 – a margin that reflected the South Africans’ superiority.

You know what you are going to get with the Springboks. They are going to try to dictate the pace of the game – which will be slow.

They will be strong at the scrum and will seek to dominate there and they have skyscrapers in the line-out who will be very competitive. And, at the breakdown, they will be physical and aggressive, matching their line speed in defence.

With 20 minutes on the clock we had seen all the hallmarks of that style of play – yet, to the credit of the home team, that pressure was not reflected on the scoreboard.

Scotland had matched the physicality of the Boks with their own aggressive defence and, while the scrum had creaked at times, the pack had nearly achieved parity.

Yet you always felt that the Springboks had another gear and were struggling to find it.

It began to look ominous for Scotland when Mapimpi strolled in to score after a defensive error by Rufus

You never sensed Scotland had enough firepower

McLean, yet Scotland stuck to their task and scored a good try of their own.

Leading by two points at half-time, you were left wondering whether South Africa were just having a bit of an off-day as they seemed unable to convert their pressure on the field into pressure on the scoreboard.

All that changed after the interval, however.

Not only with the introduction of a new front row for the visitors, but also a new scrum-half, who provided a faster link between backs and forwards that put Scotland’s defence on the back foot – a stark contrast to the first half when the line speed and intensity had been excellent.

Possession and pressure began to tell at the breakdown and, in forcing Scotland to concede penalties, on the scoreboard.

Both sides scored good tries but you never sensed that Scotland had enough firepower to really trouble the Springboks.

Scotland weren’t at their best, but they weren’t allowed to be.

Finn Russell, who had played such an important role for the Lions in the third test in the summer, was very quiet and Scotland looked very vulnerable under the high ball.

In trying to force the pace of the game, Scotland became ragged and lacking in structure and the Boks capitalised. There is much work still to do for Townsend and his team, but they cannot be faulted for effort or desire.

A good win against Japan next weekend will be a great tonic for them.