Scotland vs South Africa as it happened: Result and reaction after late surge takes Springboks to victory
Scotland 15-32 South Africa: The world champions overcame a fighting performance from the hosts to open their November campaign with a win
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Your support makes all the difference.South Africa overcame a battling showing from Scotland at Murrayfield to emerge as 32-15 victors in their Autumn Nations Series opener.
The Springboks were short of their best in Edinburgh and made to earn every point by the hosts, who were right in the fight for much of the contest despite losing Scott Cummings to a red card 20 minutes in. A handful of missed opportunities came to cost Gregor Townsend’s side, though, and a late surge from the world champions widened the final margin.
Makazole Mapimpi’s first-half double had put South Africa in control, though Scotland refused to go away, with Tom Jordan impressing from full-back and their forwards fronting up strongly. But while they survived the initial impetus of the Springboks’ seven bench forwards, that injection of power eventually told, with Jasper Wiese scoring in the final moments from an emphatic pushover scrum.
Re-live all of the action from Murrayfield in our live blog below:
Scotland 15-19 South Africa, 62 minutes
Jamie Ritchie is introducted on the Scotland flank, while Rory Sutherland and Dylan Richardson, a Sharks teammate of a number of the Springboks, have come on in the front row. The hosts have had more than 80% of possession in the last ten minutes - and they’ll get some more here, with a 14-man South Africa short of breakdown numbers and penalised for holding on.
PENALTY! SCOTLAND 15-19 South Africa (Finn Russell, 61 minutes)
Finn Russell narrows the gap. It’s a thriller.
Scotland 12-19 South Africa, 61 minutes
What a game! Scotland are running rampant, Tom Jordan the latest to jink and jive out of a tackle or two as the Murrayfield crowd lift the noise. In at the side come the Springboks in the shadow of their own posts.
A big decision for captain Sione Tuipulotu - and he’ll ask Finn Russell to go for goal.
Scotland 12-19 South Africa, 60 minutes
Oh no - a first lineout misfire of the afternoon from Scotland at the worst possible moment, allowing South Africa to survive and clear. Two missed opportunities in the 22 - will they live to regret them?
YELLOW CARD! Makazole Mapimpi is sent to the sin bin! Scotland 12-19 South Africa, 59 minutes
What play from Scotland! Finn Russell’s clever kick finds Huw Jones, who bounces away from four or five defenders and into the South Africa 22. Ben White throws an errant pass but Scotland still have it - and when they eventually come a cropper, a penalty, too.
And Makazole Mapimpi is sent to the sin bin! The wing was offside when forcing White into a hurried pass and he’s shown yellow.
Scotland 12-19 South Africa, 56 minutes
And the scrum soon becomes a penalty, Zander Fagerson down to a knee under pressure.
Handre Pollard can’t find touch, and Scotland look to play. Finn Russell’s wide pass to Huw Jones is perfect; Jones’s to Duhan van der Merwe is not, over the head of the leaping wing, who had a runway in front of him.
Scotland 12-19 South Africa, 55 minutes
Spilled with the line in sight! A pass wobbles a yard or so in front of Matt Fagerson and the blindside flanker can’t bring it in! Argh - a moment of anguish for Scotland having done so much good work in the build-up and closed to within five metres of the visitors’ line.
Scotland 12-19 South Africa, 54 minutes
Brilliant! Fine attacking play from Scotland, Duhan van Der Merwe arriving in pyroclastic flow from deep and erupting through the South Africa defence. Eben Etzebeth somehow pulls him in from behind, but Scotland are on the march...
Scotland 12-19 South Africa, 53 minutes
Canan Moodie has been relatively quiet but continues to impress aerially, getting up in the air above Tom Jordan. Malcolm Marx and his massive traps then introduce themselves to Max Williamson, who sees more of the Murrayfield turf than he ever would have liked to.
Scotland are scrambling superbly, though, and again force a handling error after a few static phases. They really are staying in the fight so well.
Scotland 12-19 South Africa, 51 minutes
The scrum hits the deck with no-one deemed at fault, and Jaden Hendrikse is rather letting the Springboks down, another fumble at the base of a ruck allowing Scotland to snatch it. Blair Kinghorn punts upfield but then dives on a sliding Willie le Roux, a silly error and penalty.
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