Makazole Mapimpi scored two tries as world champions South Africa returned to the highest of the world rankings with a 32-15 win over Scotland at Murrayfield on Sunday.
The Springboks, nevertheless, needed to face up to a fierce second-half onslaught from a Scotland aspect that misplaced lock Scott Cummings to a brand new 20-minute pink card early on.
Scotland stayed in contact by Finn Russell’s boot, with the fly-half’s fifth penalty lowering the Springboks’ result in simply 4 factors at 19-15 heading into the final quarter.
Nevertheless, Scotland have been unable to handle a strive for the second straight recreation towards South Africa.
Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth was excellent in a man-of-the-match show because the veteran lock led the workforce instead of common captain Siya Kolisi, whose inclusion on a star-studded bench was an indication of South Africa’s enviable power in depth.
Mapimpi struck twice within the first half as South Africa, contemporary from including this 12 months’s Rugby Championship title to their back-to-back World Cup triumphs, led 19-9 on the break.
Scotland pressed exhausting earlier than Handre Pollard scored South Africa’s first factors of the second interval with a clutch Sixty fifth-minute penalty.
The fly-half’s shot from in entrance of the posts seven minutes from time then left the Springboks’ two scores forward earlier than, within the closing moments, Jasper Wiese powered over for a strive from a scrum as South Africa accomplished a ninth win in a row over Scotland.
– ‘Score-line flatters us’ –
“Scotland are a quality side to play against,” Etzebeth informed TNT Sports. “They really gave us some issues in the first half.
“In the top the score-line flatters us a bit.”
Scotland coach Gregor Townsend took pride in his side’s performance, although he was frustrated by their failure to score a try in a “vastly bodily” game.
“We matched South Africa for lots of the sport and we have been all the way down to 14 for 20 minutes,” he told the BBC. “I assumed the workforce seemed mentally robust.
“A couple of skill errors cost us and we didn’t get the rub of the green with decisions, clearly. South Africa then showed their power in the last 10 minutes.”
South Africa knew they might be again atop the rankings with a win of their November opener after Ireland misplaced 23-13 to New Zealand in Dublin on Friday.
Scotland have been contemporary from thrashing Fiji 57-17 final weekend, however misplaced 18-3 to South Africa throughout the 2023 World Cup in France.
South Africa took simply 4 minutes to open the scoring on Sunday when Pollard’s excellent kick-pass discovered the unmarked Mapimpi.
Scotland have been diminished to 14 males when Cummings was sin-binned for an unlawful neck roll, with the second row later completely excluded following a video evaluation.
But below the 20-minute pink card trial, Scotland have been again to full power 20 minutes later when Max Williamson changed Cummings.
Despite the disruption, two Russell penalties edged Scotland 6-5 forward.
But the Springboks hit again within the thirtieth minute when prop Thomas du Toit scored his maiden Test strive after powering over from a scrappy line-out.
Russell once more lower the Springboks’ lead however they pulled clear once more earlier than half-time.
Andre Esterhuizen carried off an enormous South Africa scrum earlier than the ball got here to Willie le Roux, with the skilled full-back’s pleasant chip into the arms of Mapimpi paving the way in which for a transformed strive.
Scotland thought that they had a strive of their very own when Ben White rounded off a superb transfer however the scrum-half’s rating was disallowed for centre Huw Jones’ knock-on within the build-up.
Russell’s fourth penalty left Scotland in sight of the Springboks at 12-19 behind.
Rassie Erasmus then deployed the newest model of his celebrated ‘Bomb Squad’ as a raft of replacements, together with Kolisi, got here off the bench, with Etzebeth the one beginning Springbok ahead left on the sphere.
Yet it was Scotland who then threatened a strive just for Matt Fagerson to knock on in entrance of the posts after South Africa-born wing Duhan van der Merwe was hammered within the deal with by Etzebeth.
Mapimpi was sin-binned as Scotland saved urgent however the Springboks held agency.
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