Springboks march to the top
The Springboks outscored the Scots by three tries to one in a clinical 34-16 triumph at St James' Park, in Newcastle.
At no stage in this game did the Scots look like winning, not even when they scored seven unanswered points.
The light at the end of their tunnel was soon switched off and they were back again to keeping the Springboks out.
The Springboks did their physical thing really well and managed to get points out of being conservative.
They scored three tries, none requiring more than one pass but what they did with ball in hand and to the Scots when they had ball in hand was nearly impeccable and watertight.
They went about their world like men determined and unshakably confident. They deserved their win.
There was nothing creative about it but in what they did they were craftsmen and they clearly all wanted to make a real contribution to taking their team on in the World Cup after the poor beginning to their campaign. They scored first and last and most in between.
The Scots coped in scrums, did well in line-outs and were brave on defence. They had one chance to score a try and grabbed it. They did not have as much ball as the Springboks did but were not creative with what they got.
Their loose forwards were part of the survival mode and, apart from Josh Strauss's jumping and charging, they did little, except the nuisance that David Denton caused.
The Springboks played in white so that their dark green would not conflict with Scotland's navy blue. Mind you, there have been some interesting colours at this year's World Cup, like England in two shades of orange.
Handré Pollard kicked off to start the match and the Springboks looked full of aggression, which was diluted by lots of kicking by both sides, nonprofitable kicking. At this time the Springboks looked much more aggressive and, as they did throughout the match, moved their phases forward with forwards and backs involved.
The referee played advantage during which JP Pietersen and Duane Vermeulen came close and then Schalk Burger was over next to the post with the Du Plessis brothers to help him ground the ball, which the TMO saw him do. Pollard converted, and the Springboks led 7-0 after 12 minutes.
This score produced a puerile bit of squabble with Denton prominent.
South Africa's next two scores were penalties.
For the first the Springboks marched a line-out maul from half-way to a few metres outside the Scots' 22 where the Scots were penalised and Pollard goaled. 10-0 after 16 minutes.
The Springboks attacked down the left but Bismarck du Plessis ignored an overlap to grubber ahead (sic) but back they went for an offside penalty and Pollard made it 13-0 after 29 minutes.
Pietersen was offside at kick well inside the South African half and Greig Laidlaw goaled. 13-3 after 29 minutes. Laidlaw missed an easier penalty in the half but goaled two more in the second half.
On 33 minutes, Jannie du Plessis was seen by the TMO to be charging in shoulder first at Gordon Reid's in a maul and was sent to the sin bin. He trudged off looking puzzled.
Down to 14 men South Africa scored their second try. From some 20 metres out they drove a maul to five metres from the Scottish line. The ball came back to Fourie du Preez who move to break left, thus fixing a defender and he gave to Pietersen who powered over in Sean Lamont's tackle. Pollard converted. 20-3, which was the half-time score.
Two penalties early in the second half had the Scots on the attack – in that they had the ball and kept it while the Springboks drive into them on defence which prevented the Scots from making headway.
But when Vermeulen was penalised, Laidlaw goaled. 20-6 after 45 minutes.
In keeping with recent World Cup instructions Stuart Hogg had a talking to from the referee when he gave every appearance of feigning a hefty late tackle after a kick for touch.
The Springboks were attacking and making headway when Scotland scored. Their back were lying flat when Pollard threw a long arched pass out Jesse Kriel's way and Duncan Weir intercepted the pass and raced over his 22 down the left, veering infield to avoid defenders till Pietersen jumped on him about 12 metres from the Springbok line. Weir got the ball to Tim Visser, over from the left wing. Immediately challenged he got the ball infield to Tommy Seymour who scored a thrilling try. Laidlaw converted. 20-13 after 48 minutes, and Scottish hopes soared, but not for long as the Springboks got back their deadly efficiency.
The Springboks attacked and after a scrum worked the ball back to Pollard who dropped a goal. 23-13 after 50 minutes.
Bryan Habana picked up a stray ball near touched grubbered it a little way ahead and was after it but Laidlaw tackled him from behind and was sent to the sin bin.
The Scots began making substitutions and were attacking when Schalk Burger was penalised at a maul and Weir goaled. 23-16 after 60 minutes but two minutes later Pollard goaled a penalty against Denton. The kick was in front of the posts but 49 metres away. 26-16 after 62 minutes. Five minutes later he goaled another penalty. 29-16 with 13 minutes to play and it was clear that Scotland would not win.
The Springboks advanced with many phases till near the line Du Preez shot a short pass to Habana on the blind side and wing was over 34-16 with 7 minutes left.
The Scots attacked down their left. A penalty got them a five-metre line-out and then they had a five-metre scrum but the Springboks won the ball and broke out till the Scots got the ball inside their own half and Matt Scott deliberately kicked the ball into touch to end the match, doing so with a whimper.
Man of the Match: There were several outstanding Springbok performances such as Damien de Allende, Francois Louw and Schalk Burger, Handré Pollard and Fourie du Preez who makes such a difference to the side. But there were four outstanding locks on show to day – the brothers Gray on the Scottish side and Eben Etzebeth and Lood de Jager on the South African side, and our man of the match is young Lood de Jager who was outstanding in the line-outs and in general play whether attacking or defending.
Moment of the Match: South Africa scored three great tries, but Duncan Weir's intercept almost turned the game on it's head.
Villain of the Match: Nobody really.
The scorers:
For Scotland:
Try: Seymour
Con: Laidlaw
Pens: Laidlaw 3
For South Africa:
Tries: Burger, Pietersen, Habana
Cons: Pollard 2
Pens: Pollard 4
DG: Pollard
Yellow cards: Jannie du Plessis (South Africa, 33 – foul play, should charge at ruck), Greig Laidlaw (Scotland, 53 – professional foul, tackling man without the ball)
Teams
Scotland: 15 Stuart Hogg, 14 Tommy Seymour, 13 Richie Vernon, 12 Matt Scott, 11 Tim Visser, 10 Duncan Weir, 9 Greig Laidlaw (captain), 8 David Denton, 7 Blair Cowan, 6 Josh Strauss, 5 Jonny Gray, 4 Richie Gray, 3 Willem Nel, 2 Fraser Brown, 1 Gordon Reid.
Replacements: 16 Ross Ford, 17 Alasdair Dickinson, 18 Jon Welsh, 19 Tim Swinson, 20 Ryan Wilson, 21 Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, 22 Peter Horne, 23 Sean Lamont.
South Africa: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian De Allende, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Fourie du Preez (captain), 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Schalk Burger, 6 Francois Louw, 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 Adriaan Strauss, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Frans Malherbe, 19 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 20 Willem Alberts, 21 Ruan Pienaar, 22 Pat Lambie, 23 Jan Serfontein.
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Assistant referees: Chris Pollock (New Zealand), Leighton Hodges (Wales)
TMO: George Ayoub (Australia)
By Paul Dobson
@rugby365com
