Pollard leads Springboks to Murrayfield victory
South Africa’s improvement under Rassie Erasmus continued at Murrayfield on Saturday as Handre Pollard delivered 18 points in a 26-20 win over Scotland.
After a narrow defeat to England at the start of the European tour, South Africa now have back-to-back victories, having edged past France last time out.
Pollard starred for the Springboks with a try, two conversions and thee penalties in a solid display from the visitors that included some dynamic running between the lines.
Scotland helped make an absorbing clash with flowing rugby of their own – Peter Horne’s try a particular highlight – but ultimately Gregor Townsend’s men just came up short as South Africa became only the second side, after New Zealand, to win at Murrayfield in 12 matches.
FULL-TIME | South Africa edge a hard-fought and physical encounter at BT Murrayfield. Thank you for your incredible sold out support once again.
🏴(20-26)🇿🇦 #AsOne pic.twitter.com/9iuYjhKmzP
— Scottish Rugby (@Scotlandteam) November 17, 2018
Jesse Kriel set the tone for a thrilling encounter with the game’s opening try after just six minutes, the centre finishing off after a stunning break from Pollard.
Pollard found a gap in Scotland’s midfield before unloading to Embrose Papier, with the scrum-half using supporting forwards to make ground before finding Kriel.
Anything the Springboks could do, Scotland matched and they restored parity after some sublime handling from Huw Jones. The recalled 24-year-old produced two reverse passes in a flowing move that resulted in Horne touching down.
Moments later South Africa capitalised on some sloppy Scotland play to move back in front as captain Siya Kolisi starting a move that saw Pollard dive between two defenders to score.
HT at Murrayfield and the Springboks lead @Scotlandteam 20-17 in this exciting ##CastleLagerOutgoingTour Test.#boksontour#SCOvRSA pic.twitter.com/MtKnBJBHSt
— Springboks (@Springboks) November 17, 2018
Having kicked both conversions, Pollard added the extras from his own try before Scotland came battling back.
Stuart Hogg’s stunning break was halted by Willie Le Roux, but from the resulting lineout Hamish Watson darted over in a well-worked move straight from the training ground.
Pollard’s second penalty of the half gave South Africa a three-point advantage at the break but within seven minutes of the restart the sides were level again – Greig Laidlaw kicking a penalty after Le Roux had been sent to the sin bin for a deliberate knock on.
The free-flowing action of the first half was replaced by a tactical battle in the second, with Pollard’s accuracy from the tee edging his side back in front.
He was unable to maintain that, though, as he missed two further penalties, but luckily for the fly-half it did not prove costly as Elton Jantjies split the posts to secure a six-point victory.
In other news:
Comments on RugbyPass
“Shock”, the guy was casually saying he was just slightly surprised. Nowadays if you say anything it gets taken completely out of context. Calm down everyone.
154 Go to commentsAll I can say after reading this bitter, sour, sad piece is… Thank you very much! This will be read in the change room just before kick off on 31 August…
173 Go to commentsLook, we know contradicting opinions and wacky comments bring readers and clicks, so well done to RP for allowing always-wrong-Ben to say something here. However RP needs to put a disclaimer next to his comments for their own credibility. NZ was and is incapable of acknowledging their opp beating them. They refused so with Ire and with Arg in 2022 and also the Boks in 2023 x 2. Nothing Ben says here holds water, NZ attacked backwards, except when Kolisi and Kolbe was off And cyncialy took out Bongi, we played without lineouts for 75mins. Kolisi and Kurt-Lee almost scored twice. Thats 3 vs 2 for Boks, but the Boks opportunities was legal. Boks should have been 16-3 up by half time. Tacticaly the Boks attacked better defended better scrummed better (without a hooker) kicked better and crossed the whitewash more times. Boks beat Fr Eng Nz to win in 23, comeon give some credit at least. Even Federer Verstappen NY Mets, Mamoa, was able to see a great human sport achievement by the Boks and their DNA Boks #RWC27 !🏉
173 Go to commentsForget the 85kg bit, that can become something else. However I do like the one off test on ANZAC day idea. SR plays Fri/ Sat, test players travel Sunday and the squads have the full week together before playing Saturday. Rest of SR has a week off. Either involve women's teams in same location or in the other country and rotate annually. Herbert is right in that change is needed.
3 Go to commentsI’ve read loads of nonsense before but this article takes the cake. Or perhaps someone changed the date for April Fool's Day.
3 Go to commentsReally Rugbypass? Ben Smith I think you forgot what the Springboks did to the All Blacks at Twickenham 8 weeks earlier? Springboks 35 All Blacks 7. There is alot of ifs and buts in your article. The All Blacks threw the sink at the Springboks and unfortunately they were not good enough regardless if they played with 14 men or not. It was the Springboks who forced the All Blacks to make mistakes! Sorry but not Sorry the Springboks is the best ever Rugby World Cup Nation in the world. 4 Cups baby!
173 Go to commentsYou just backed the Boks with that fantastic review! Well done! Have some cake!
173 Go to commentsBen Smith please write up something better than this. The Springboks would have won the world cup if you were 15 men on the field. They would have found a way, they always find a way to beat the All Blacks.
173 Go to commentsWow, there is a lot of “could have” and “ should have” in this waist of time dribble. I love the desperation in this story to search for a glimpse at a silver lining. Here are the facts, NZ was a badly coached and undisciplined shadow of their former glory. They never took the lead in a game they were never going to win.
173 Go to commentsGOTTA MAKE ‘THE GEORGE’ HAPPEN!!!! That’s a great idea! A trans Tasman midget battle on ANZAC Day. I don’t think the ABs Wallabies game should be a one off winner takes all though, just the first match with the other two later in the year with the RC. Reason being, no one will ever shut up about how aussies couldn’t win it when it was a 3 match series.
3 Go to comments@Ben smith. Thats knock out rugby. So honeslty who cares?
173 Go to commentsIt will interesting to know which Irish players said that…
2 Go to commentsNaaaww boys will be boys! Now run along ya wee scamp! Don’t let us catch you at again😏
1 Go to commentsGreat to have Ethan Blackadder back in the Crusaders in the last few weeks. One of the best all round loose forwards around. He played so well last week against the Rebels. Fantastic attitude Ethan has and his comments are spot on.
2 Go to commentsThe author is 100% right. The Springboks know that they don't have near the natural attraction, mana, skill and mystic the All Blacks have. So, Chasing the sun 1 & 2 was concocted to overblow the Boks image on the back of a corruptly obtained “win". It's marketing ploy to force the Boks delusion as the World's Best. I guess World Rugby is also not to be believed when it came out with an apology about how the final was officiated. And if the 2023 final such a superb game by the Boks, then the Boks crying about Referee Bryce Lawrence for decades is also deserves a laugh. Chase the sun and get burned like a moth. A very well written literary piece that tore the Boks and Chasing the sun farce to shreds. 🖤All Blacks🏉
173 Go to commentsI’d say France was far more hard done by in the 2011 final than the All Blacks in this game. Joubert simply refused to call a penalty against the All Blacks in the last quarter even directing an All Black to drop a ball he picked up in an offside position rather than penalizing him. This article also totally discounts the efforts of PSTD. Ask Jordie how well he played. Or the backup flank who played hooker for the entire game. Siya was also a brilliant tackle by Richie from scoring a blinder. Pollard was also fantastic. Look I don’t like the boks style but the only thing more questionable than the content of this article is the timing of it. Get over it already
173 Go to commentsDad Marty was also a handy rugby player for Linwood back in the day. Great bloke. Sensational softball career.
2 Go to commentsWhat ifs are always dangerous. If you look at the game before Sam cane got sent of SA was dominating. You could make the argument the going down to 14 men rallied the troops and made them have to play to win which is always dangerous.
173 Go to commentsOmg… you are bruised And battered Benny. Stop crying … the scoreboard speaks. What a pathetic lover you are.. 🤣🤣🤣
173 Go to commentsThis is the single worst piece of journalism I have ever seen since your last one. As a neutral, who really states that there should be an asterisk next to a win? You are an utter embarrassment to real AB fans, journalism and that joke of a house which pays you for this nonsense. Get a life, Ben.
173 Go to comments