Publications
Partners
The Springboks made heavy weather of beating Scotland in Edinburgh last night to record their second win on their tour of Europe in three games, with the finale against Wales to come on Saturday.
Rassie Erasmus’ men looked to be cruising to a win through their bruising forwards, but a couple of soft moments allowed the hosts back into a game that degenerated into an arm-wrestle decided by man of the match Handrè Pollard’s contribution.
The Bulls fly half was good with ball in hand, scoring a try, two penalties and conversions en route to a personal points haul of 18 in the game.
Unusually for a game played at Murrayfield, both sides got off to a no holds barred start, with the visitors scoring in the sixth minute through Jesse Kriel.
The try originated from a break by Pollard and key runs and offloads by scrum half Embrose Papier, lock RG Snyman and prop Steven Kitshoff before Kriel barged over with three defenders in attendance.
Papier had an encouraging first test start after much conjecture about what his role in the team would be.
Save for a nervy first pass to Pollard after kick-off, he was efficient with his passing, played his role in the opening try and was better than expected from his kicks from hand, the least favourite part of his requirements at halfback.
That try enabled the Boks to warm to their task, their scrum soon emerging as dominant and the line-out accurate.
Next, it was the hosts who showed why they’d only lost one of 10 games at home.
As per instructions, hooker Malcolm Marx shot the line in defence, but only managed to give the hosts the crack in the defensive line, which set former Stormers centre Huw Jones off on a clean break, his reverse pass keeping the movement alive and his final pass putting fellow midfielder Peter Horne through to score.
While the Bok defence had proven hard-working on the scramble, they struggled to contain the skilful and explosive Jones and marauding fullback Stuart Hogg.
But the Boks, Pollard in particular, had the bit between the teeth as the fly half was next over the line in the 21st minute.
Centre Damian de Allende’s turnover just outside the Scots’ 22m line led Pollard into a two on one with Sbu Nkosi on Sean Maitland, his dummy and score doing the rest.
But it a mistake by Pollard, when he failed to find touch from a penalty, led to the hosts’ equalising try six minutes from half-time.
But the Boks almost always seemed to have enough to keep them at arm’s length.
Scotland – Tries: Peter Horne, Hamish Watson Conversions: Greig Laidlaw (2) Penalties: Laidlaw (2)
SA – Tries: Jesse Kriel, Handrè Pollard Conversions: Pollard (2) Penalties: Pollard (3), Elton Jantjies
