By Tom Jeffreys
Scotland…….. 32 (9)
Tries:
Conversions:
Penalties: Russell 17, 22, 33, 44, 61
20 min red cards: Cummings 11
South Africa:………. 15 (19)
Tries: Mapimpi 5, 35 Thomas du Toit 30, Wiese 79
Conversions: Pollard 31, 36, 80
Penalties: Pollard 65
Yellow cards: Mapimpi 59
Gregor Townsend was swarmed with two big talking points in the build-up to this game: the influence of the benches and how Scotland would negate South Africa’s expansion to an all-court tracking threat.
Ultimately, the answer lay in the question. With arguably the finest bench ever assembled, one that boasted 395 caps and seven bullishly large forwards, South Africa found width for two of three first-half tries and extracted four second-half scrum penalties to strangle an albeit resurgent Scotland.
The bomb squad arrived on the 45th-minute mark, rousing the Scottish crowd and invigorating the players, but an extended period of pressure was unrewarded with points.
Ten first-half points were left begging as Scott Cummings’ controversial croc roll 20-minute red saw a penalty reversed and a Tom Jordan knock on cancelled out an opening try.
South Africa meanwhile were typically clinical, Mapimpi profiting from two cross-field kicks and Thomas du Toit a miscued lineout.
Bailed out by Scottish mistakes in the second half, they capped a performance that showcased both sides of their remorseless game with a Jasper Wiese walk-over scrum try.
Match Action
With the bumper bench looming ominously, a flawless first half was needed but Scotland were their own worst enemies, ten points chalked off and territory sacrificed for ill-discipline and mistakes.
Even without some heavyweights, South Africa’s maul went to work early to earn a penalty advantage, giving Handre Pollard the licence to go cross-field to Mapimpi to score his first.
With a box kick plan struggling to find consistency, points off Russell’s boot were required, but a first, simple shot at goal was pulled back for Cummings’ croc roll, the second row eventually shown a 20-minute red despite seemingly playing a smaller role in the clear out than Rory Darge.
Russell was able to register points soon after, taking his side 6-5 up.
However, making the most of their numerical advantage and the perhaps unsteady backfield presence of Tom Jordan, South Africa found themselves in range for another maul and Thomas du Toit, the world’s most clinical prop, gathered in Bongi Mbonambi’s overthrow and coasted home for his 15th try in 13 months.
Despite a set piece coming in unconventional form for du Toit, the next was much closer to South Africa’s prototype as the scrum bullied its way to a penalty advantage and Willie le Roux dinked over the narrow Scotland defence for Mapimpi to walk in his second.
Second Half
In arguably the most infuriating moment of the half – amongst many – Scotland’s first try was cancelled for a soft Jordan knock on, meaning a fast start was needed for the second half, and whilst that may seem nigh on impossible when your opponents bring on Marx, Kolisi, Pieter Steph du Toit and co on at the 45 minute mark, a raucous Murrayfield was invigorated by the changes.
Early bomb squad attacks were diffused, and leased with tangible home energy, Scotland began finding width and Huw Jones and Tom Jordan were both able to break into South Africa’s 22.
Whilst the build up work was outstanding, the red zone efficiency was not, Scotland emerging from a purple patch of no less than 20 minutes and three big 22 breaks with just three points as panicked execution and South African cynicism proved too obstructive.
In fact, those three points were cancelled out by a Pollard penalty, and the scrum began going to work, etching out four penalties on feed and denying Scottish front foot ball against the head, the just reward being Wiese’s late try from the base.
Lineups
Scotland:
15. Tom Jordan (McDowall 73) 14. Blair Kinghorn 13. Huw Jones 12. Sione Tuipulotu (C) 11. Duhan Van Der Merwe 10. Finn Russell 9. Ben White (Dobie 69); Pierre Schoeman (Sutherland 61) 2. Ewan Ashman (Richardson 61) 3. Zander Fagerson (Millar-Mills 65) 4. Grant Gilchrist 5. Scott Cummings (red card
replacement – Williamson 31) 6. Matt Fagerson 7. Rory Darge (Ritchie 61) 8. Jack Dempsey (Bayliss 64)
Replacements: 16. Dylan Richardson 17. Rory Sutherland 18. Elliot Millar-Mills 19. Max Williamson Josh Bayliss 21. Jamie Ritchie 22. Jamie Dobie 23. Stafford McDowall
South Africa:
15. Willie le Roux 14. Canan Moodie 13. Lukhanyo Am 12. Andre Esterhuizen 11. Makazole Mapimpi 10. Handre Pollard 9. Jaden Hendrikse (Williams 69); 1. Ox Nche (Steenkamp 45) 2. Bongi Mbonambi (Marx 45) 3. Thomas du Toit (Koch 45) 4. Eben Etzebeth (C) 5. Franco Mostert (Snyman 40) 6. Marco van Staden (Kolisi 45) 7. Elrigh Louw (PS du Toit 45) 8. Kwagga Smith (Wiese 45) Replacements: 16. Malcolm Marx 17. Gerhard Steenkamp 18. Vincent Koch 19. RG Snyman 20 Siya Kolisi 21. Pieter-Steph du Toit 22. Jasper Wiese 23. Grant Williams
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