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Sun 4 Oct 2015 | 10:11
South Africa go top of Pool B with comfortable win over Scotland

3
Comments

South Africa kept their World Cup campaign on track with a comfortable 34-16 win over Scotland at St James Park in Newcastle on Saturday. Flyhalf Handre Pollard scored 19 points with the boot, while tries were scored by Schalk Burger, JP Pietersen and Bryan Habana.

South Africa led 20-3 at the break but there was a tricky period in the second half when Scotland did well to snatch and excellently finish an intercept. Other than that comeback, when Scotland got to within 7 points, the Springboks looked in control for the majority of the contest.

They were unable to pick up the bonus point, but lead Pool B with one game left to play, against the USA on Wednesday. Scotland will face Samoa on Saturday.

Posted By: Grant Constable

3 Comments

  • eddie-g
    3:09 PM 05/10/2015

    Concur on the refereeing, for the most part. Especially the bigger games, they've done well. And Nigel Owens is as usual, one of the very best.

    The TMO stuff often makes me laugh, mainly because the TMOs are under strict instruction to answer the question and nothing more. Case in point - the Farrell yellow card. Shaun Veldsman, who's been TMO for longer than most of us have been legally drinking, is asked by Poite about the tackle without the ball. And Veldsman says, "Yes, boss, it was a tackle without the ball." He's probably ready to say - no arms, cheap-shot, recommended yellow - but he can't say anything till Poite actually asks him. He's probably also wondering at the same time if he's got to look at the Burgess high-tackle.

    There's this ridiculous back and forward - Poite saying, "Anything else?" and Veldsman saying nothing until he gets a specific question! Anyway, they probably just about got it right in the end.

    I think Meyer's big decision is if he puts Matfield on the bench or leaves him out altogether. Lood and Eben have grabbed the starting jerseys, especially after the way they messed up the Scottish line-out. Basically he has to decide if he wants a specialist lock on the bench or someone who can cover the back-row as well.

  • katman
    8:34 AM 05/10/2015

    Decent performance by the Boks. Trickiest selection dilemma for Heyneke Meyer is how to tell Victor Matfield that he won't be needed henceforth. Lood de Jager pretty much put down his name in pen on the team sheet.

    I suspect SA will top the pool with Scotland second. Aus vs Wales will then determine who plays who in the quarters. That should be an absolute cracker of a match as I'm sure neither of them want to deal with SA in the quarters.

    I was also very impressed with the way Nigel Owens handled the match, and particularly his refusal to be swayed by Ayoub's strange insistence that JP Petersen be sent off for a "tip" tackle. There was nothing in the tackle and, if anything, the Scottish player seemed to duck his head down towards the ground to make it look like he was dumped on his head.

    TMO interference aside, I think most of the refereeing in the competition has been very good.

  • dancarter
    9:57 PM 04/10/2015

    I hope Hogg is embarrassed by his blatant dive. It was good to see Nigel Owens do his bit to stamp it out of the game by picking up on it and give him a telling off.

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