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:
RED CARD! Scott Cummings is sent off! Scotland 3-5 South Africa, 18 minutes
News from the bunker - it will be a RED CARD for Scott Cummings. There is a high degree of danger, referee Christophe Ridley informs the two captains, with Cummings rolling on to the leg of Franco Mostert.
The lock’s day is done, though Scotland will be able to replace him in 20 minutes:
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PENALTY! SCOTLAND 3-5 South Africa (Finn Russell, 17 minutes)
Over it goes. Finn Russell puts Scotland on the board.
Scotland 0-5 South Africa, 16 minutes
And there is the other side of the law - Franco Mostert is penalised for stepping across a chasing Scot. Finn Russell will kick for goal.
Scotland 0-5 South Africa, 15 minutes
A high kick is hared after by Blair Kinghorn, tall and springy and stationed on the wing today after a number of outings there for club Toulouse this season. He can’t quite tap the ball back and Marco van Staden is fastest to pounce on the bouncing ball.
South Africa answer with a lofted box kick of their own, the crackdown on escorting once more creating chaos in the air. That little law tweak has been hugely influential across the fixtures over the last two weeks, and Makazole Mapimpi has clear access to compete with Finn Russell here, though knocks on.
Scotland 0-5 South Africa, 13 minutes
Scotland deal with their first defensive set down a man well, forcing a middling kick from South Africa. The Springboks are then somewhat harshly deemed to have transgressed at a lineout, allowing Finn Russell to find touch from the penalty.
Not the best few minutes for the officials.
YELLOW CARD! Scott Cummings is sent to the sin bin! Scotland 0-5 South Africa, 11 minutes
Now then. Both Rory Darge and Scott Cummings are involved in the challenge but who is at fault? Both land on a lower limb of Franco Mostert, but Darge looks the guiltier of them.
Or not - it’s Cummings sent for at least a ten-minute sit down while the incident is further reviewed.
Scotland 0-5 South Africa, 11 minutes
That’s better attack from Scotland, though, creating an edge and getting to the outside of this aggressive Springboks defence. Huw Jones flicks between the legs delightfully to Tom Jordan and Blair Kinghorn goes onwards.
Penalty to Scotland as South Africa fail to roll away. But the officials want to have a longer look at a potential crocodile roll from a Scottish forward. Christophe Ridley wanders over to the big screen...
Scotland 0-5 South Africa, 10 minutes
Alpha-ed! Duhan van der Merwe is an enormous wing but even he is considerably out-sized by the mighty Eben Etzebeth, who wraps the Scot up in a bearhug as he cuts infield and throws him out of the club like an Edinburgh bouncer.
Scotland 0-5 South Africa, 8 minutes
South Africa win the ball back, though don’t have it for long, Lukhanyo Am spilling his supper down his shirt. Scotland turn the visitors with a canny kick, but Jordan Hendrikse is able to settle things down with a fine clearing box kick.
Scotland 0-5 South Africa, 7 minutes
Scotland are yet to really have a touch. A penalty against South Africa affords them an opportunity but an attempted lineout play is poorly conceived and executed, and into touch a group of forwards are bundled.
They do manage to pinch the lineout, though.
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