Scotland go into a heavyweight clash against South Africa with a win under their belts thanks to last weekend’s victory over Japan. Playing the Japanese first up was a shrewd move as it allowed them to get their autumn series off to a winning start.
Last year they were softened up by South Africa and New Zealand and went into the match with Tonga short on confidence and suffered one of the most embarrassing defeats in their history. By flipping the schedule around and playing a ‘weaker’ nation first a November whitewash has already been avoided and lifts the pressure on what will be a brutal encounter against the Springboks.
Expert analysis
Even with a heavy pack of forwards like Scotland have, a one-dimensional arm-wrestle with South Africa will only end in a home defeat; the Springboks are the most physically dominating team on the planet.
Memories of their clash in June have dominated the build-up to this encounter, with a host of Scotland players reflecting on the disappointment of losing the Test in Nelspruit 30-17 that they were at one stage winning 17-6.
It was no surprise to see the second row behemoths, Jim Hamilton and Richie Gray, being reunited to counter South Africa’s fearsome physicality. Scott Johnson has been at pains to stress that his side are capable of going toe-to-toe with the Springboks, in particular their front three that is different to the line-up that played against Wales (and weighed in at a mighty 58 stone) but will still pose a hefty challenge. “I’m sick of people telling me we’re small,” the Scotland coach said. “We’re a big side and we’re going to start walking and talking big too. This game is not won on the scales.”
The Springboks carried forward the impressive form they showed in the recent Rugby Championship in their win over Wales last weekend. These days they only lose to New Zealand – it is now 14 months since they lost to another side other than the Kiwis and remarkably it was the Scots who were the last northern hemisphere nation to inflict defeat on them, back in 2010.
But it is not just the beasts of South Africa they have to contend with, a far smaller foe on the pitch may have an impact. Ground staff at Murrayfield had to treat the pitch before the Japan game with garlic spray in a bid to try to eradicate a roundworm problem which has badly affected the turf.
Match facts
Head-to-head
- They have met 23 times before. South Africa have won 18 and Scotland five.
- Scotland have won just one of the last 10 meetings – 21-17 at Murrayfield in 2010.
- The largest margin of victory in this fixture came in 1997 when South Africa won 68-10 at Murrayfield.
- South Africa have 667 caps in their starting XV compared with Scotland’s 467.
Scotland
- The Scots have scored 72 points in their last two Tests. They have scored 202 points this year from nine Tests (at an average of 22 points per game). In 11 Tests in 2012 they scored just 166 (15 per game).
- Scotland have won two of their last five matches. Their last loss came against South Africa in June.
- They have three players in the starting line-up with fewer than 10 caps.
South Africa
- South Africa have won 11 of their last 13 Tests, including nine victories in a row before succumbing 29-15 to New Zealand in September.
- The Springboks scored 23 tries in six games in the recent Rugby Championship. They have scored 42 tries in their 10 Tests in 2013 and a total of 357 points.
- Heyneke Meyer’s team are unbeaten in their last 11 Tests against northern hemisphere opposition since a 21-17 defeat by Scotland three years ago, winning 10 and drawing with England in June 2012.
- The Boks were the only side with a 100% success rate at the scrum in the Rugby Championship. They also had the best goal-kicking success rate (81%).
Team news and line-ups
Scotland have made six changes to the team that beat Japan last weekend.
Captain Kelly Brown has been rested with John Barclay taking his place in the scrum and Greig Laidlaw inheriting the captain’s armband.
Saracens’ Duncan Taylor takes over from the injured Matt Scott at centre, while props Alasdair Dickinson and Moray Low and locks Jim Hamilton and Richie Gray also come into the scrum.
Alastair Kellock, who suffered concussion against Japan, and man of the match Tim Swinson, who picked up a shoulder injury, were not named in the squad, while Ryan Grant drops to the bench after going off last weekend with a head injury.
South Africa’s Bakkies Botha will make his first appearance since the 2011 World Cup as one of five changes to the team that beat Wales.
Prop Gurthro Steenkamp and hooker Adriaan Strauss come into the side, Willie Le Roux takes over at fullback, with Pat Lambie shifting to fly-half in place of Morne Steyn. Willem Alberts faces a late fitness test.
Scotland:
15-Sean Maitland, 14-Tommy Seymour, 13-Nick De Luca, 12-Duncan Taylor, 11-Sean Lamont, 10-Ruaridh Jackson, 9-Greig Laidlaw (captain),; 1-Alasdair Dickinson, 2-Ross Ford, 3-Moray Low, 4-Richie Gray, 5-Jim Hamilton, 6-Alasdair Strokosch, 7-John Barclay, 8-David Denton
Replacements:
16-Scott Lawson, 17-Ryan Grant, 18-Geoff Cross, 19-Jonny Gray, 20-John Beattie, 21-Chris Cusiter, 22-Duncan Weir, 23-Max Evans.
South Africa:
15-Willie le Roux, 14-JP Pietersen, 13-Jaque Fourie, 12-Jean de Villiers, 11-Bryan Habana, 10-Pat Lambie, 9-Fourie du Preez; 1-Gurthro Steenkamp, 2-Adriaan Strauss, 3-Frans Malherbe, 4-Bakkies Botha, 5-Flip van der Merwe, 6-Francois Louw, 7-Willem Alberts or Siya Kolisi, 8-Duane Vermeulen.
Replacements:
16-Bismarck du Plessis, 17-Tendai Mtawarira, 18-Coenie Oosthuizen, 19-Eben Etzebeth, 20-Marcell Coetzee, 21-Ruan Pienaar, 22-Morne Steyn, 23-JJ Engelbrecht..
Match officials
Referee:
Jérôme Garces (France)
Touch judges:
Pascal Gauzere (France), Dudley Phillips (Ireland)
TV:
Marshall Kilgore (Ireland)
Article source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/24937402
Scotland v South Africa (Sun)
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