Scotland suffered a 32-15 defeat to South Africa in their 2024 Autumn Nations Series match at Murrayfield. Despite a strong first half, Scotland couldn’t withstand the Springboks’ physical dominance as they pulled away in the second half.
Notable Player Ratings:
- Tom Jordan (7.5): Playing at full-back, Jordan grew into the game, contributing well in attack despite early handling errors.
- Ben White (7.5): Provided quick service and was denied a try after an impressive attack. His kicking kept Scotland competitive.
- Finn Russell (6.5): Kept Scotland within reach with five successful penalties but struggled to break South Africa’s defense.
- Ewan Ashman (7): Made his presence felt with solid tackling and lineout execution, though some lineouts faltered under pressure. Scotland’s defense and set-piece consistency remain areas for improvement as they continue the series.
Lock Scott Cummings’ early 20-minute red card, which at worst looked like a penalty, left the Scots feeling resentful. The fact that a Ben White try was disallowed for an earlier Huw Jones knock-on did nothing to lift the hosts’ spirits.
Finn Russell’s five penalties kept them within striking distance at 15-19 on the hour, but the Springboks won 32-15 with to two more Handre Pollard goals and a late score from Jasper Wiese.
After making an impressive substitute debut against Fiji, the Glasgow fly-half started his first professional game at full-back. However, he had a few nervous moments, fumbling a Pollard high bomb and seeing a grubber bounce over his head.
However, he demonstrated his attacking ability by entering the line, setting up White’s non-try, and making many more coruscating carries. dominated the first eight minutes of the game before being substituted by McDowall. News for The Daily Rugby
Scotland’s defensive was too narrow, leaving Mapimpi in his corner twice, although it was hard to tell if it was a system fault or if he was positioned incorrectly. He has little opportunities to extend his lengthy legs when holding the ball. He booted ahead on one of the few times he saw the ball in space, but he was given a stupid penalty for falling on Moodie.
Once more, the Glasgow centre looked formidable in attack and had a lovely combination with Tuipulotu. Unfortunately, White’s attempt was disallowed because he knocked on many stages earlier in the move. Replays at first appeared to be inconclusive. missed a pass over his head that would have put Van der Merwe free, but a scything break immediately after demonstrated his class.
As his team’s top carrier, the Scotland captain ran hard in midfield to give the attack a focal point. He successfully dove-tailed with Russell and sent his centre partner Jones through a gap with exquisite hands, but he was unable to completely evade the Boks’ defence.
He looked to get involved after being a little wobbly under his first high ball, but he was too easily shoved into touch near halfway, giving the Boks control. Although it wasn’t on the ball enough from a Scotland perspective, one rush onto a Zander Fagerson offload momentarily lifted his spirits.
kept looking for holes in the Boks’ defence, and one of Kinghorn’s kick passes demonstrated his inventiveness, but despite a few encouraging moments, Scotland’s assault was unable to get through the Boks once more. kept the Scots within striking distance by putting five of five attempts on goal. He also raced back effectively to stop Le Roux’s risky punt. The drop-goal effort came crashing down. Read more about 2024 Autumn Nations Series
