Last week they set the juggernaut back on the road, on Saturday they drove it to the verge of the quarter-finals. South Africa are back in control of Pool B. Win against the USA at Olympic Park on Wednesday, and they will qualify as winners of the pool. What was all the fuss about?
There was nothing beautiful about this. Where last week they earned the right to weave a few patterns in the second half against Samoa, now they had to work until deep into the final quarter to put distance between themselves and Scotland.
That the Scots made them do so will come as some consolation, but they seemed subdued from the start. Sides playing South Africa often do, of course. There was a sense from even before the kick-off that Scotland entered the game less than desperate. That impression was never quite shaken off over the ensuing 80 minutes. Scotland’s directive remains as we suspected it always would be – beat Samoa here next weekend, and they too will be in the quarter-finals.
Fingers will be crossed that the injury that forced Stuart Hogg off in the final quarter is not too serious. Vern Cotter, Scotland’s coach, seemed phlegmatic about it, describing it as “a tight back and bit of cramp”. As ever, they would know in another 24 hours.
The sharpness of motivation lay with South Africa. After the horrible year they have endured, to lose here would be to travel home early in disgrace. It showed.
“We’ve been under immense pressure these past two games,” said Fourie du Preez, South Africa’s captain in the absence of Jean de Villiers and Victor Matfield, “the most I’ve ever known in my life. I would say there has been more than in the 2007 final.”
Scotland, meanwhile, sitting pretty on maximum points after two matches were lacking that very same edge. They had picked a side to mix it with the South Africans physically, but physicality is a function of more than mere statistics. Physicality is at least as much about attitude.
Consequently, South Africa owned the gainline. A comparison of the two second rows is instructive. The Gray brothers are more or less the same size as their opponents, Eben Etzebeth and Lood de Jager, but they cut a contrast in body language. As much work as the Scots got through, Richie in particular, there was a laid-back air about them. The South African pair, meanwhile, were ferocious, insatiable, driven by the fear of an early return, of the loss of their place in the side.
It has not always been this way with the Springboks this season, but that in itself serves as yet another layer of motivation. It was not long before the hunger told. South Africa hogged the possession, hammering away at Scotland’s defence, the back five of their scrum offering themselves again and again, Damian de Allende too, a centre the size of a No8.
Their first foray into the Scotland 22 resulted in a try. Duane Vermeulen hammered his way to the line initially, and Schalk Burger, with assistance from the Du Plessis brothers, managed to force the ball through the grappling limbs to the ground.
Two Handre Pollard penalties extended the Springboks’ lead to 13, before Greig Laidlaw pulled three points back on the half-hour. Scotland were offered a further break a few minutes later when Jannie du Plessis saw yellow for the latest particularly harsh intervention by the television match official, off to the sin-bin for basically not raising his arm high enough when hitting a ruck.
Much use it did Scotland. South Africa scored their second try while he was away, a rolling maul set up position for Du Preez to draw his man and send JP Pietersen over for a 20-3 lead at the break.
Scotland burst into life early in the second half, sparked by one of those instantaneous interventions that can so swing the momentum of a rugby match. For all their ferocity, South Africa were fielding a very young midfield. They were hammering away, as usual, on Scotland’s 22, when Duncan Weir read one of Pollard’s passes brilliantly and was off. Pietersen ran him down in the Springbok 22, but he found Tim Visser in support, who slipped the ball to Tommy Seymour for a superb try.
Pollard made amends with an immediate drop-goal to take the losing bonus point beyond Scotland’s reach. Scotland’s cause was further undermined by a yellow card for Laidlaw, who tackled Bryan Habana without the ball. They survived the period without deficit, but with a little more than 10 minutes remaining, another Pollard penalty – like the previous one, against the industrious Dave Denton – took the Springboks three points further clear.
It was over to Habana – who else? – to put the game beyond doubt. Willem Alberts was on now, as was Adrian Strauss, enormous men of muscle with zip in their legs. Carries from each of them softened Scotland’s middle, and earned Habana enough space to reach out of Sean Lamont’s tackle to score the Springboks’ third. With seven minutes remaining, the result was settled. Normal service had been resumed.
SOUTH AFRICA Le Roux; Pietersen (Lambie 70), Kriel, De Allende (Serfontein 75), Habana; Pollard, Du Preez (capt; Pienaar 80); Mtawarira (Nyakane 67), B du Plessis (Strauss 57), J du Plessis (Malherbe 50), Etzebeth, De Jager, Louw, Burger (Alberts 70), Vermeulen Sin-bin J du Plessis 34 Tries Burger, Pietersen, Habana Cons Pollard 2 Pens Pollard 2 Drop-goal Pollard
SCOTLAND Hogg (Lamont 63); Seymour, Vernon (Horne 65), Scott, Visser; Weir, Laidlaw (capt; Hidalgo-Cline 70); Reid (Dickinson 51), Brown (Ford 61), Nel (Welsh 64), R Gray, J Gray (Swinson 69), Strauss (Wilson 55), Cowan, Denton Sin-bin Laidlaw 53 Try Seymour Con Laidlaw Pen Laidlaw 2, Weir
St James’ Park 50,900 Game rating 6/10 Referee Nigel Owens (Wal)
