Preview: South Africa vs. Scotland - prediction, team news, lineups

Scotland volition question to South Africa to look the Springboks successful the 2nd circular of Nations Championship fixtures.

The Scots made an awesome commencement to the contention arsenic they bushed Los Pumas successful Argentina, portion Rassie Erasmus’ broadside secured a comfy triumph implicit England.

Match preview

South Africa person demonstrated implicit the past twelvemonth precisely wherefore they are rated the champion squad successful the world, arsenic they person beaten each situation that has been enactment successful beforehand of them.

New Zealand, France, and Ireland each suffered decision to the Springboks past twelvemonth successful the Rugby Championship and successful the Autumn Tests.

Erasmus’ broadside made casual enactment of Steve Borthwick’s past play astatine Ellis Park arsenic they won 45-21 to unafraid 5 points to assistance them successful the Nations Championship.

However, they did promote the English broadside conscionable earlier halftime, arsenic it was 17-0 by the 36th minute, yet tries from Ellis Genge and George Martin on with conversions from Fin Smith made it 17-14 astatine the interval.

The Springboks are aiming to amended their grounds further against Scotland, arsenic they person won 25 of the 30 Tests they person squared disconnected in, winning the past 9 successful a row.

On the different hand, Scotland secured a bonus constituent triumph implicit Argentina successful the South American federation arsenic they enactment successful an awesome performance.

Gregor Townsend’s broadside bushed Los Pumas 47-38 arsenic they scored 7 tries, getting revenge connected Argentina aft their November clash.

In that conflict astatine Murrayfield, Argentina made a staggering comeback successful the last 10 minutes to triumph 33-24, arsenic they scored 3 tries, with each being converted to people 21 points successful this period.

Attention volition present displacement to South Africa and making past successful this fixture. While the Scots person secured 5 victories implicit their Test history, they person ne'er won distant to the Springboks.

Their past triumph against South Africa was successful November 2010 erstwhile they won 21-17 successful a adjacent encounter.

South Africa contention form:

W

South Africa form:

W W W W W W

Scotland contention form:

W

Scotland form: 

L W W W L W

Team News

Scotland person made 3 changes to their starting lineup for Saturday’s gathering with South Africa successful Pretoria.

The changes spot Finn Russell named to commencement astatine fly-half, portion Zander Fagerson and Gregor Brown are promoted to the starting XV aft coming disconnected the seat successful past weekend’s triumph implicit Argentina.

South Africa has opted to marque 10 changes to the squad that bushed England successful their opening circular of the Nations Championship.

The 5 players to clasp their spot from this triumph are Jesse Kriel and Damian Willemse, fastener Ruan Nortje, flanker Paul de Villiers, and seasoned back-rower Pieter-Steph du Toit.

South Africa starting lineup:

15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Edwill van der Merwe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian Willemse, 11 Canan Moodie, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit (captain), 6 Paul de Villiers, 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Cobus Wiese, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Boan Venter

Replacements:

16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 17 Ntuthuko Mchunu, 18 Zach Porthen, 19 Ben-Jason Dixon, 20 Vincent Tshituka, 21 Elrigh Louw, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Quan Horn

Scotland starting lineup:

15 Kyle Rowe, 14 Kyle Steyn, 13 Rory Hutchinson, 12 Sione Tuipulotu (c), 11 Jamie Dobie, 10 Finn Russell, 9 Ben White, 8 Jack Dempsey, 7 Rory Darge, 6 Matt Fagerson, 5 Scott Cummings, 4 Gregor Brown, 3 Zander Fagerson, 2 Ewan Ashman, 1 Pierre Schoeman

Replacements:

16 Gregor Hiddleston, 17 Rory Sutherland, 18 Will Hurd, 19 Alex Samuel, 20 Josh Bayliss, 21 Magnus Bradbury, 22 Tom Jordan, 23 Stafford McDowall

We say: South Africa 28-17 Scotland

Scotland volition origin respective problems for the Springboks if they scope the levels they did against Argentina. However, South Africa should support their cleanable grounds against the Scots astatine location with different win.