Winger Makazole Mapimpi has scored a brace of tries as error-strewn South Africa defeated Scotland 32-15 in their Murrayfield Test with the help of forward power in a scrappy win.
The Springboks, who also scored tries through prop Thomas du Toit and No.8 Jasper Wiese, made 11 changes for Sunday’s match and looked disjointed, not helped by 21 handling errors that broke their momentum.
It was a ninth successive loss to South Africa for the Scots, but there will be aspects of their performance they will be pleased with, though they failed to take their chances in the visitors’ 22, with all their points coming from the boot of flyhalf Finn Russell.
South Africa next travel to Twickenham to play England on Saturday, while Scotland host Portugal on the same day.
“It was a tough Test match, Scotland are always difficult to play against and they gave us problems in the first half especially. The scoreline flatters us a bit, it was closer than that,” Springbok captain Eben Etzebeth said.
It is the second meeting in a row that South Africa have kept Scotland from crossing their try-line having also kept them out at the Rugby World Cup last year.
South Africa dominated the early possession and Handre Pollard’s cross-kick was perfect for Mapimpi to gather and score in the corner.
Scotland were reduced to 14 when lock Scott Cummings was penalised on TMO review for a croc-roll at the ruck on Springbok counterpart Franco Mostert that met the threshold for dangerous play.
He initially received a yellow card, but on bunker review it was upgraded to a 20-minute red card which ended his participation in the game, though he was replaced later on by Max Williamson.
Russell added two penalties in the first half as Scotland looked to have managed their numerical disadvantage superbly with some ferocious tackling to apply pressure on the visitors.
But as the seconds ticked down to them being back to their full complement, the visitors scored a second try from a messy attacking line-out as lock Mostert missed the throw and the ball fell kindly for prop Du Toit to gather and have a clean run to the line.
The Springboks added a third when Scotland halfback Ben White took too long to clear from the base of the ruck and from the resultant scrum, fullback Willie le Roux’s kick was collected by Mapimpi to coast in.
The Springboks, who selected seven forwards on the bench, brought on six of them after 45 minutes, but Scotland fed off the visitors’ numerous errors to stay in the contest.
Mapimpi received a yellow just before the hour-mark for cynical play and Russell closed the gap to five with a penalty.
But South Africa are masters at closing out games and took control again in the final 20 minutes as they won several scrum penalties before Wiese crossed for a try with the final play of the game.
Flyhalf Caleb Muntz has scored 19 points as Fiji pulled off their first ever win in Wales, triumphing 24-19 at the Principality Stadium to consign their hosts to a record-equalling 10th straight Test defeat.
With Australia visiting Cardiff next Sunday (Monday AEDT), Wales now face the prospect of plunging to their worst ever record run should they lose 11 in a row.
Muntz scored a superb individual try, which he converted, and put over four penalties for Fiji, who also scored a try through Josua Tuisova in Sunday’s (Monday AEDT) clash.
Wales, who made a promising start to the test, scored through new cap Blair Murray, substitute Ellis Bevan and a penalty try with a single conversion from Gareth Anscombe on his long-awaited return to the side.
Murray, who was preferred to Rio Dyer in the Wales line-up on the left wing, justified coach Warren Gatland’s faith with a sprint to the line to score a first try in the eighth minute.
Wales went over again in the 15th minute but Cameron Winnett’s effort was chalked off after a dangerous clear out from Tommy Reffell in the build-up that earned the loose forward a yellow card.
Despite the disadvantage, Wales were awarded a penalty try four minutes later when Elia Canakaivata tried to pull down their driving maul, earning himself a 10-minute stay in the sin bin.
Fiji’s woes were extended in the 21st minute when key winger Semi Radradra was cautioned, upgraded soon after to red, for a high hit on Winnett.
Radradra was sent off as World Rugby trialled a new red-card protocol, enabling Fiji to bring on a player after 20 minutes had passed.
Fiji’s Jiuta Wainiqolo celebrates their side’s win. (Photo by David Davies/PA Images via Getty Images)
Despite being down to 13, Fiji scored with a break from Muntz, who cut through the middle and accelerated away from the defenders for a brilliant 24th-minute individual effort that reduced the home lead to 14-10.
Two minutes into the second half, Muntz reduced Wales’ lead to a single point when putting over a penalty, and then gave Fiji a 16-14 lead with another successful kick in the 49th minute.
Tuisova powered over for Fiji’s second try on the hour mark, as a box-kick set up a powerful attack at the Welsh line and silenced the home crowd.
Substitute Jac Morgan, making a first appearance since last year’s World Cup, helped to set up Wales’s third try five minutes later with a carry that stretched the visiting defence and once the ball went down the line allowed Bevan to go over and reduce Fiji’s lead to 21-19.
But it was the Pacific islanders who finished stronger, botching a chance for a third try with an errant pass six minutes from the end.
They had, however, a penalty advantage in the build-up and Muntz put over the close-in kick to leave Wales scrambling unsuccessfully in the closing stages to try to snatch the win, with Ryan Elias spilling the ball in their last attack.
Wales’s last victory was a 43-19 triumph over Georgia at last year’s World Cup, the game after they had also thrashed Australia.
Since then, they’ve been eliminated from the tournament by Argentina, suffered a Six Nations whitewash and mid-year losses to South Africa and twice to Australia.
with AAP
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