8 November 14, 2021The Sunday Times
Rugby Union
Scotland decorated this match with
two of the finest tries that a
Murrayfield crowd has witnessed in
many a long year. Yet what Gregor
Townsend and his men ended up
looking at was a familiar, frustrating
story.
Another narrow defeat by South
Africa (even if the margin was more
than double the six-point job three
years ago) and a strong sense of what
might have been had their ambition
and execution been matched by
better discipline and more of an edge
up front. Had they kicked their goals
— Finn Russell missed two kickable
penalties and a conversion — had
they possessed anything resembling
a set piece... the doubts will torment
them long into a week that ends with
the visit of Japan.
After somehow emerging from a
30-minute pummelling at the start of
the match relatively unscathed,
Scotland were always in it, but fatally
undermined their own efforts by
conceding a haul of breakdown
penalties. Two quick-fire penalties in
the 68th and 70th minutes took the
Deft, daring Scotland let down by indiscipline
in play. Chris Harris and Sam
Skinner then combined in a little
passage that was as deft as it was
daring before Hogg collected the
loose ball and went over. Gardner
and the TMO had another look at a
couple of the passes, but nothing was
obviously forward bar the Scots’
brand of thinking. A glorious try:
bold, brilliant, multiphase,
multidimensional. With Russell’s
conversion they were back in front.
They should have stretched their
lead on the stroke of half-time when
Vincent Koch, one member of an all-
new front row who had just been
introduced, conceded a penalty for
not rolling away. Russell’s nudge was
limp, though, and so it was only a
two-point lead for the hosts as the
teams turned round. Considering the
battering that they had taken,
Scotland could not be disappointed.
South Africa went for the jugular
after the restart, Mapimpi crossing for
his second after a barnstorming run
from Damian de Allende. You could
also set your watch by Gardner’s
whistle, but the official could hardly
be blamed when Scotland failed to
adapt at the breakdown. Twice in
quick succession Ritchie gave away
needless penalties and twice Jantjies
punished him.
Back came Scotland. Back came
Hogg. Back came the boldness. But
the inaccuracy would not go, and so
South Africa march on.
Star man E Etzebeth (South Africa).
Scotland S Hogg (capt); R McLean (for B Kinghorn
52min), C Harris, M Scott (A Hastings 71min),
D van der Merwe; F Russell, A Price (G Horne 71);
P Schoeman (J Bhatti 62), S McInally
(E Ashman 62), Z Fagerson (O Kebble 69), S
Skinner (J Hodgson 71), G Gilchrist, N Haining (H
Watson 52), J Ritchie, M Fagerson.
South Africa W le Roux (F Steyn 64); J Kriel,
L Am, D de Allende, M Mapimpi; E Jantjies
(H Pollard 63), H Jantjies (C Reinach h-t);
R Nche (S Kitshoff 40), M Mbonambi (M Marx 40),
T Nyakane (V Koch 40), E Etzebeth,
F Mostert (L de Jager 62), S Kolisi (capt),
A Smith, D Vermeulen (J Wiese 75).
Scorers: Scotland: Tries Hogg (35, 58) Con
Russell Pen Russell South Africa: Tries Mapimpi
(28, 43) Con E Jantjies Pens
E Jantjies 3, Pollard 2, Steyn.
Referee A Gardner (ARU). Attendance 67,game out of their reach, in the wake
of the captain, Stuart Hogg, dragging
them back into it with his second try
after a superb move in which Russell,
Matt Scott and Duhan van der Merwe
were all involved.
The touchdown, Hogg’s 24th for
Scotland, took him level with Ian
Smith and Tony Stanger at the top of
the country’s all-time individual
scoring charts but that will have been
of scant consolation as a rare shot at
toppling the world champions
slipped away. The replacement fly
half, Handre Pollard, added a further
penalty to confirm the inevitable.
There was a poignant moment
before kick-off when Tom Smith
strode out with his three children to
deliver the match ball to Hogg. The
legendary former Scotland prop, who
made a name for himself against
yesterday’s opposition for the British
& Irish Lions in 1997, has been
inducted into the SRU Hall of Fame as
he fights stage 4 colorectal cancer.
For Townsend, Smith’s team-mate
on that South Africa expedition and
so many other special days, the
emotions must have been swirling.
The opening quarter will have
done little to calm him. All the early
running, heaving and grunting was
done by the Springboks, aided by
some poor Scottish discipline, not
least around the scrum. If last week
Scotland had the Australia front row
on toast, here they were the crumbs.
Van der Merwe, playing against the
country of his birth, lifted the siege
with a barnstorming run up the
middle that took Scotland up to
halfway. South Africa were pinged for
not rolling away, then marched back
ten metres by the referee, Angus
Gardner, for dissent. Russell stroked
his kick between the sticks and was
back on the tee within a couple of
minutes as Jesse Kriel held on under
fierce pressure from Jamie Ritchie.
This time the Racing 92 man missed.
The contest on the floor was fierce
and messy, not least in the eyes of
Gardner, who penalised Ritchie forBlair Kinghorn and Harris, right, celebrate Hogg’s second try — the 24th
of the full back’s career, making him Scotland’s joint-highest tryscorerMark Palmer
Scottish Rugby Correspondent
ROSS PARKER/SNSSCOTLAND
15SOUTH AFRICA
30going beyond the ball then off his feet
as the Edinburgh flanker hunted for
another turnover. Elton Jantjies
kicked the visiting team level while
Hogg relayed to his players Gardner’s
words of warning about the number
of penalties they were conceding.
Almost immediately, however,
they gave away something even more
costly. The Springboks lodged the
first try with a move of speed,
precision and simplicity. Faced with anarrow Scottish defence, Jacques
Nienaber’s troops moved the ball left
at pace. Out near the touchline was
Siya Kolisi, who drew Rufus McLean
then fed Makazole Mapimpi, who
travelled down his left wing to finish.
Scotland’s response was swift,
emphatic and exhilarating. Russell
was the spark, sweeping up behind
the ruins of another Scottish scrum
before rifling a crossfield kick that
Van der Merwe did superbly to keepSouth Africa
wins23
Scotland
wins
5
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Biggest Scotland win
21-6, Murrayfield, Nov 2002
Biggest South Africa win
68-10, Murrayfield, Dec 1997