In the recent Autumn Nations Series, Scotland faced contrasting outcomes against South Africa and Portugal. They suffered a 32-15 defeat to the Springboks but rebounded with a commanding 59-21 victory over Portugal.
Scotland vs South Africa: A Challenge
Scotland faced the reigning world champions South Africa at Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium on 10 November 2024. The Springboks flexed their muscle early, sending the winger Makazole Mapimpi over the try line in the fourth minute. Russell went five from five with the boot, but Scotland could not find a way past a resolute South African defence for a try. Scotland was made to pay for its mistakes, with Mapimpi getting a second try and Thomas du Toit and Jasper Wiese also crossing the line. A red card for lock Scott Cummings was a huge blow for Scotland, leaving them a man short for 20 minutes. It was South Africa’s physicality and strategic execution at the breakdown that carried the day, putting the Springboks back atop the world rankings.
Scotland vs. Portugal: A Dignified Reply
Six days later, Portugal visited Murrayfield to play against Scotland. The Scots showed their attacking strength, scoring nine tries. Darcy Graham, importantly, also equalled Scotland’s all-time try-scoring record when he notched up his 29th international try. Other try-scorers were Will Hurd, Stafford McDowall, Josh Bayliss, Jamie Bhatti, Arron Reed (two tries) and Jamie Dobie. Portugal fought back, with three tries by Luka Begic, Samuel Marques and Raffaele Storti. But Scotland’s greater depth and skill showed, with fly-half Adam Hastings converting five tries including one from Tom Jordan. Such a dominant performance demonstrated Scotland’s powers of recovery and highlighted some emerging talent.
Key Takeaways
The stormy match with South Africa revealed the difficulties of keeping to team strategy against finely-tuned opposition, where discipline and pressure on points can make all the difference. In contrast, the game against Portugal was a good opportunity for Scotland to showcase their squad depth and attacking prowess whilst bringing some newer faces into the fold. Scottish head coach Gregor Townsend was proud of the resilience of the side as he called for more of the same as they look towards the next challenge.
The tests also provided Scotland with vital lessons about their qualities and flaws that will guide them in slate of fixtures forming the international rugby calendar.
