Despite numerous errors and a yellowcard, the Springboks became the first side to beat Scotland at home this year with a tense 26-20 victory at Murrayfield yesterday.
The Boks continued to be their own worst enemies with critical mistakes that Scotland thrived on to stay in the game in the first quarter, when the Boks were well on top.
This was the Boks’ second win on tour and their sixth in a row over Scotland.
Flyhalf Handré Pollard contributed 18 points from three penalties, two conversions and a try and gave one of his best displays this season.
The victory, though not pretty, was another notch in the belt of coach Rassie Erasmus’s building team and will give him breathing room with a seventh win in 13 matches this season.
The Bok pack was superb again with captain Siya Kolisi excellent in crucial tackles. Malcolm Marx, Duane Vermeulen and Steven Kitshoff worked hard at the breakdown.
A yellow card for fullback Willie le Roux for a deliberate knock-on early in the second half didn’t derail the Boks but they didn’t make the most of their territorial advantage.
In a rollicking first half in perfect conditions both sides scored cracking tries.
Jesse Kriel opened the scoring after Handré Pollard carved through the Scottish defence and offloaded to Embrose Papier, who did well to keep the ball alive. From the ensuing ruck Kriel hit the line at pace.
Scotland were on the back foot for much of the first quarter but the Springboks’ box kicking game was erratic and both Scotland’s first-half tries came from capitalising on poorly executed kicks.
Centre Peter Horne was first over for the Scots, from what looked like a forward pass from midfield partner Huw Jones. Referee Romain Poite had another look but did not reverse his original decision.
Pollard scored his team’s second almost from the restart when he cut through flimsy defence to re-establish a seven point buffer.
Pollard ’s first penalty from close to halfway extended the lead to 10 points before Scotland struck again.
Wing S’bu Nkosi failed to take a Papier box kick and from the knock on the impressive Stuart Hogg scythed up the left-hand touchline, hacked ahead and established a lineout five metres from the Bok line.
A well-worked routine from the throw allowed flank Hamish Watson to burst over the Bokline unopposed. A late Elton Jantjies penalty, after Pollard had missed two kicks in the second half, put daylight between the sides...