Boks get tour off to winning start

Edinburgh — Makazole Mapimpi scored two first-half tries as the Springboks opened their end-of-year Test series with a 32-15 victory over Scotland at Murrayfield in Edinburgh on Sunday.

The Springboks scored four tries to none and led 19-9 at the break in a match that had all the signs of being a tricky start to their three-week jaunt of the UK.

There would have been an inkling of pressure on SA to continue flying the southern hemisphere flag after New Zealand and Australia victories over Ireland and England on Friday and Saturday. It was not the world champions’ best performance but, though there will be work-ons like line-outs and handling for the week, it was mission accomplished.

Scotland fans would have hoped the Springboks would come into the game slightly undercooked, but there was little sign of early rust as the visitors opened the scoring with a Mapimpi try in the fourth minute. After securing good line-out ball, flyhalf Handré Pollard fired a pinpoint cross-kick which winger Mapimpi gratefully collected to race through and score in the corner.

The Scots enjoyed an attacking period of play which resulted in a penalty in a kickable position, but that was turned around by the TMO and lock Scott Cummings was yellow-carded for foul play after only 11 minutes. The card was upgraded to a 20-minute red card.

Flyhalf Finn Russell eventually got Scotland on the board six minutes later with a penalty kick awarded for obstruction.

The early optimism and confidence from the Boks was slowly eroded by unforced errors and penalties providing Russell with another kick at goal to make it 6-5 as SA struggled to capitalise on their numerical advantage.

Both sides employed tactical aerial kicking, with the Scots enjoying the slight upper hand in that battle while their tigerish defence was keeping the Boks at bay.

But the visitors eventually managed to strike back when prop Thomas du Toit collected a loose ball from a missed SA line-out to score untouched. Pollard converted just before Scotland were back to 15 players.

Indiscipline cost the Boks again as Russell slotted another three-pointer after Kwagga Smith, playing in his 50th Test, was penalised for not rolling away. Russell made no mistake to narrow the scoreline to 12-9. But the Boks got their third try to give Mapimpi his second when he collected a smart chip by Willie le Roux to score.

Scotland were first on the board after the break with Russell landing his fourth shot at goal to make it a seven-point game. That signalled the introduction of the Bok Bomb Squad with wholesale changes in the forwards from a 7-1 split bench.

But the Scots were undeterred and even more motivated when Mapimpi was yellow carded in the 59th minute for an illegal attempted interception. That eventually resulted in a successful penalty for Russell with 19 minutes remaining.

Jasper Wiese made sure of the win with a late try converted again by Pollard.

SA next travel to Twickenham to face England on Saturday before taking on Wales at the Millennium Stadium a week later. Both matches kick off at 7.40pm SA time.

Scorers:
Scotland: Penalties: Finn Russell (5)
SA: Tries: Makazole Mapimpi (2), Thomas du Toit, Jasper Wiese; Conversions: Handré Pollard (3); Penalties: Pollard (2)