The Boks had six entries into Scotland’s 22-metre area and scored six tries, translating to 42 points, with the six conversions. A week ago, against England, they had 11 entries into the 22-metre area and scored seven tries.
This, more than anything, is what will delight the Springboks coaching staff, led by Rassie Erasmus.
This was a proper Test match and Scotland, ranked fifth the world, made it a contest.
Scotland are a quality team. They scored 50 points against France at home, winning 50-40 in the Six Nations. They hammered England and scored 47 points against Argentina in Argentina a week ago in the opening round of this Nations Championship.
Don’t for a moment underestimate that the Boks had to do some special things to beat Scotland.
Don’t underestimate their last month of “pre-season” for the Nations Championship and the preparation for the All Blacks visit to South Africa for three Test matches in “Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry”.
The two teams are in contrast when it comes to their international season. Scotland has just one more Test to play before their players take a break. The Boks are only starting their biggest two months of the year, the Rivalry Tour.
Peril for SA Rugby
This highlights the peril for SA Rugby: having players operate all year round in a northern hemisphere club competition and a southern hemisphere international competition.
Scotland, like Glasgow in the United Rugby Championship (URC), play a wonderful ball-in-hand game. Their players are so skilled at maximising width, and the hand speed of the offload does more damage to breaking the defensive line than a charging run from a 130kg forward.
The immediate reaction on social media and from television commentators was about Scotland’s immense effort and how the Boks weren’t at their best.
Collectively, one can pick apart the Boks performance, but it would be amiss given this 23 has never played together
Nonsense. If Scotland was that good and South Africa that fortunate, the scoreline would have been 42-28 the other way.
It takes a very good team to put 42 points past Scotland.
South Africa did this at Loftus, and they did it with a powerhouse run-on XV of proven Test players sitting in the stands; either not used yesterday, by the choice of Erasmus, or injured.
Scotland are always brave, but Erasmus’s Boks, regardless of who wears No 1 to No 23, are conditioned to find a way to win. Collectively, one can pick apart the Boks performance, but it would be amiss given this 23 has never played together.
Most capped SA coach
Erasmus made 13 changes to the 23 that beat England. That squad had 17 changes to the one that crushed Wales 73-0 in Cardiff last November.
Erasmus, who is now the most capped Springboks coach in history with 55 Tests as boss, has been consistent in his messaging that 2026 is about building and maintaining a winning habit.
The 2027 World Cup preparations run parallel to any Test match preparation. Erasmus cannot simulate World Cup play-off situations in training, despite having two Test teams going at each other. Those questions can only be asked in a Test match environment.
This is the biggest positive he will take from the past fortnight. He has picked so many different combinations, entrusted so many youngsters, and scored 14 tries and 87 points in the process.
Big statements
The Boks lead the South’s Nations Championship table after two rounds. They have the maximum 10 points, and they have beaten two very good teams.
Individually, there were big statements from Ben-Jason Dixon in the second half as a flank who can play lock. Zach Porthen, at tighthead prop, has made the biggest gains in the past fortnight. Flanker Paul de Villiers is right up there for the success story of the last two weeks.
Handre Pollard reminded South Africans that he is a double World Cup winner and still just 32 years old.
Pieter-Steph du Toit is a man-mountain, and Damian Willemse is as good at No 12 as he is at No 15.
Jesse Kriel is the most unheralded hero of the Boks, and Evan Roos and Cobus Wiese would have given Erasmus comfort they belong in Test rugby.
Erasmus got the win and he got more answers than he has to ask questions.
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