They scored four tries to five penalty goals from the Scots who had a strong third quarter – despite the arrival of the seven-man Bomb Squad forwards – but by the end the home team were wilting as replacement No 8 Jasper Wiese dribbled the ball at the rear of an advancing scrum to pick up and score the final try from one metre.
Left wing Makazole Mapimpi - who got another brace, just like two years ago at the same venue - and Thomas du Toit (prop) had crossed in the first half as the Boks’ finishing power proved far superior to that of the Scots who had their moments – as well as a disallowed try – but couldn’t breach a remorseless Bok defence.
Three times in that third quarter they had possession in the Boks’ 22 but each time they eventually turned over the ball under the pressure of the green-shirted defence.
Handre Pollard was a typically cool hand at flyhalf – although two penalties had failed to find touch – and his penalty goals in the 65th and 73rd minute (the only ones the Boks attempted at poles) settled nerves as the power of the Bomb Squad came through in the dying moments.
Skipper Eben Etzebeth – the only forward to go 80 minutes – was named Man of the Match for another supremely committed performance that sent a warning to next opponents, England, whom the Boks meet at Twickenham in six days’ time.
The Boks will have benefited from the outing as much of the play was disjointed and interrupted by needless penalties and they managed to conjure three tries to three penalties from a home team who were kept in touch by the visitors’ errors.
Three lineouts were overthrown – although one of them led to Du Toit’s try – and Finn Russell (flyhalf) guided home three straightforward penalties from two “not rolling away” penalties and an obstruction in escorting a box kick.
Scotland also had a well-worked try by scrumhalf Ben White scratched off for a knock on by centre Huw Jones in the build-up to preserve a 10-point cushion at the break for the Boks.
But it had been a hard won lead considering the brief periods of cohesion that the Springboks managed to create. That hadn’t been the case in the fifth minute when Mapimpi crossed for the first of his two tries, running in untouched from 20 metres from Handre Pollard’s cross-kick.
Two Russell penalty goals in the next 15 minutes gave Scotland the lead as the Boks got on the wrong end of referee Christophe Ridley despite the fact that they had been reduced to 14 for 20 minutes after lock Scott Cummings was given a 20-miniute red card for a croc roll on Franco Mostert. He was replaced in due course by Max Williamson.
The Boks took advantage with one score when Du Toit galloped in unopposed when a lineout was overthrown – sliding through Mostert’s fingertips and into those of the prop who had a 10-metre run.
Russell’s third penalty closed the gap but a brilliant piece of imagination from Willie le Roux re-established some control for the Boks. Carries from Andre Esterhuizen and Pollard to the right dragged the Scottish defence one way and then when the Boks switched back left, Le Roux dinked a kick pass over the hosts' cover and into space for Mapimpi to run onto.
The Boks had put on the entire Bomb Squad of seven forwards five minutes into the second half, but it was Scotland who seemed the most energised as two further penalties close the gap to four points (19-15) as the game went into the final quarter.
Pollard opened the lead to a converted try with the Boks’ first penalty shot at goal in the 65th minute to calm some nerves on the sidelines as the game edged into the killing zone.
By then the Boks were finally beginning to damage Scotland at every carry, sweeping downfield in the final few minutes and when they won a penalty five metres out with two metres to go, they opted for the cheat code – a scrum.
Scotland’s eight were put in immediate reverse and Wiese came up with the score to complete an ultimately emphatic 17-point victory.
Scorers:
Scotland 15 (9) – Penalty goals: Finn Russell (5).
Springboks (19) – Tries: Makazole Mapimpi (2), Thomas du Toit, Jasper Wiese. Conversions: Handre Pollard (3). Penalty goals: Pollard (2).
