Pollard is on points duty to steer Boks to narrow victory
SOUTH Africa edged out Scotland in a thrilling Test at Murrayfield last night but the Scots will rue the decision to not kick a penalty that could have drawn them level on the hour mark.
However, over the 80 minutes the Springboks just about deserved their victory for their physicality and flashes of quality.
Man of the match, flyhalf Handre Pollard, who scored 18 points, said: “Scotland are a very tough team, especially at home and we really had to dig deep for that one.”
Disappointed Scotland skipper Greig Laidlaw said: “We just couldn't get any quick ball or put any phases together in the second half. It is very frustrating, we kept getting ourselves back into things, but silly mistakes cost us.”
South Africa took the lead after six minutes with a very well worked team try owing much to the break of scrum-half Embrose Papier.
Outside-centre Jesse Kriel powered over from close range and Pollard converted.
They almost doubled their lead in the 14th minute after a wayward kick by Scotland fly-half Finn Russell. The South Africans pounced and, after a couple of phases, impressive loosehead prop Steven Kitshoff went close.
Scotland levelled things in the 17th minute with a cracking move.
Centre Huw Jones set winger Sean Maitland on his way and then the ball made its way back to Jones who fed fellow centre Pete Horne for the try with a neat inside flick. Laidlaw converted but no sooner was it 7-7 than it was 14-7 to South Africa.
They turned the ball over in the Scotland half, quickly shipped it wide and Pollard glided in for the try which he converted, punishing Scotland for giving away cheap possession.
A Pollard penalty in the 25th minute made it 17-7 before Laidlaw replied two minutes later for 17-10.
An electric break down the left from full-back Stuart Hogg earned Scotland a lineout deep in opposition territory from which a planned lineout move saw flanker Hamish Watson gather the ball at the front and go over for his side's second try. Laidlaw converted and it was 17-17.
Pollard's second penalty made it 20-17 at the break but South Africa were down to 14 men after 45 minutes, full-back Willie le Roux adjudged to have deliberately knocked on Horne's looping pass.
Laidlaw kicked the resultant penalty and it was 20-20. Three minutes later Pollard's third penalty made it 23-20 to the visitors before another in the 54th minute hit the upright.
Just before the hour mark Scotland turned down a kickable penalty and a few moments later Russell's drop-goal attempt went just wide.
Their talisman Hogg was also forced off with what looked like an ankle injury.
Pollard missed another penalty as the game was on a knife edge and with eight minutes to go, South Africa secured a hammer blow when replacement Elton Jantjies kicked a long range penalty for 26-20.
And, despite Scotland's best efforts, that was how it finished.
TEAMS
SCOTLAND: Hogg 7 (Harris 63, 6); Seymour 7, Jones 7, Horne 7 (Hastings 67, 5), Maitland 7; Russell 7, Laidlaw (c) 7 (Price 63, 7); Reid 6 (Dell 44, 6), McInally 7 (Brown 55, 7) Nel 7 (Berghan 55, 6), Toolis 7, Gray 7, Skinner 7 (Ritchie 73, 5), Watson 7, Wilson 7 (Strauss 55, 7)
SOUTH AFRICA: Le Roux 7; Nkosi 7 (Kolbe 63, 5), Kriel 8, De Allende 7 (Jantjies 55, 6), Dyantyi 7; Pollard 9, Papier 7 (Van Zyl 77, 5); Kitshoff 8 (T du Toit 58, 6), Marx 7 (Mbonambi 66, 6), Malherbe 8 (Koch 58, 6), Snyman 7 (De Jager 60, 6), Mostert 7, Kolisi (c) 8 (Louw 66, 5), P du Toit 9, Vermeulen 9
REFEREE: Romain Poite (Fr)
ATTENDANCE: 67,144
Star man
Handre Pollard – SA
