Scotland Summer Tour, Game 4: South Africa v Scotland, 28 June

First topic message reminder :

South Africa v Scotland
28 June 2014, KO: 17:00 SAST (16:00 BST, 15:00 GMT)
Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape
 
Live on Sky Sports 1
 
Referee: Glen Jackson (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Romain Poite (France), Marius Mitrea (Italy)
Television match official: Glenn Newman (New Zealand)
Assessor: Donal Courtney (Ireland)
 
A. Previous tour game threads:

https://www.606v2.com/t54151-scotland-summer-tour-game-1-usa-v-scotland-7-june
https://www.606v2.com/t54218-scotland-summer-tour-game-2-canada-v-scotland-14-june
https://www.606v2.com/t54324-scotland-summer-tour-game-3-argentina-v-scotland-21-june
 
B. Teams:
 
I. South Africa

15 Willie le Roux - 14 caps, 30 Test points
14 Cornal Hendricks - 2 caps, 10 Test points
13 JP Pietersen - 53 caps, 80 Test points
12 Jan Serfontein - 11 caps, 5 Test points
11 Lwazi Mvovo - 8 caps, 5 Test points
10 Handré Pollard - uncapped
9 Fourie du Preez (vice-captain) - 69 caps, 75 Test points
 
8 Duane Vermeulen - 18 caps, 10 Test points
7 Schalk Burger - 70 caps, 65 Test points
6 Marcell Coetzee - 15 caps, 5 Test points
5 Victor Matfield (captain) - 112 caps, 35 Test points
4 Lood de Jager - 2 caps, 0 Test points
3 Jannie du Plessis - 53 caps, 5 Test points
2 Bismarck du Plessis (vice-captain) - 59 caps, 45 Test points
1 Coenie Oosthuizen - 16 caps, 10 Test points
 
16 Adriaan Strauss - 33 caps, 25 Test points
17 Trevor Nyakane - 3 caps, 5 Test points
18 Marcel van der Merwe - uncapped
19 Stephan Lewies - uncapped
20 Teboho “Oupa” Mohoje - uncapped
21 Francois Hougaard - 27 caps, 20 Test points
22 Marnitz Boshoff - uncapped
23 Zane Kirchner - 28 caps, 25 Test points
 
II. Scotland

15 Stuart Hogg
14 Sean Maitland
13 Nick De Luca
12 Peter Horne
11 Tommy Seymour
10 Duncan Weir
9 Henry Pyrgos

1 Alasdair Dickinson
2 Ross Ford
3 Geoff Cross
4 Tim Swinson
5 Grant Gilchrist
6 Robert Harley
7 Chris Fusaro
8 Adam Ashe

16 Kevin Bryce
17 Moray Low
18 Euan Murray
19 Jonny Gray
20 Tyrone Holmes
21 Grayson Hart
22 Dougie Fife
23 Peter Murchie
 
C. Numbers - head to head:
 
24 Played 24
19 Won 5
5 Lost 19
597 Points 264
 
D. Last Dozen Results
 
17 November 2013
Murrayfield, Edinburgh
0 – 28 to South Africa
 
15 June 2013
Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit
30 – 17 to South Africa
 
17 November 2012
Murrayfield, Edinburgh
10 – 21 to South Africa
 
20 November 2010
Murrayfield, Edinburgh
21 – 17 to Scotland
 
15 November 2008
Murrayfield, Edinburgh
10 – 14 to South Africa
 
25 August 2007
Murrayfield, Edinburgh
3 –27 to South Africa
 
17 June 2006
EPRU Stadium, Port Elizabeth
29 –15 to South Africa
 
10 June 2006
Kings Park Stadium, Durban
36 –16 to South Africa
 
27 November 2004
Murrayfield, Edinburgh
10 – 45 to South Africa
 
14 June 2003
Ellis Park, Johannesburg
28 –19 to South Africa
 
7 June 2003
Kings Park Stadium, Durban
29 –25 to South Africa
 
16 November 2002
Murrayfield, Edinburgh
21 –6 to Scotland

Yeh, can't imagine ASBO could have believed all years ago that Ashe would be starting an international match ahead of the Messiah.

Cotter used the words "specialist number 8" in his press conference, which made me unbelievably happy.

I think we can all agree that not playing Bennett at all on this tour calls for some SRU enquiry.    

Any more lookalikes?

South Africa shouldn't have any complaints about an understrength team, Scotland are more understrength again. Will be very interested in seeing how Pollard goes, and Ashe- Cotter has obviously seen something in him.

How understrength are we, really?

1Dickinson, 2Ford and 3Cross is a perfectly acceptable front row.
4Gilchrist and 5Swinson - IMO the on form locks (Gray Jnr needs a rest)
6Harley for me would start in a full strength Scotland team
7Fusaro is a true 7, playing regularly for Glasgow
8Ashe - well, 2 rep for Glasgow is understrength, but future talent
9/10/12 not 1st choice but capable + 13NDL distributing well
11,14,15 World class back three I reckon.

It's striking that the only stand-off cover is Horne and Hogg.

Now, granted Dunky has one hell of an engine, playing the full 80 with ease last week, but I'm intrigued by what happens if he picks up a knock (which is almost sure to happen with Burger and Coetzee on the park).

The Hogg at 10 experiment was bound to happen eventually in a Scotland shirt, even if I thought it would happen first at Glasgow. Too much potential there not to give it a try, even if I think it would be a mistake.

IanBru wrote:It's striking that the only stand-off cover is Horne and Hogg.

Now, granted Dunky has one hell of an engine, playing the full 80 with ease last week, but I'm intrigued by what happens if he picks up a knock (which is almost sure to happen with Burger and Coetzee on the park).

The Hogg at 10 experiment was bound to happen eventually in a Scotland shirt, even if I thought it would happen first at Glasgow. Too much potential there not to give it a try, even if I think it would be a mistake.

With Murchie on the bench, who deserves some game time it is likely to happen, especially if there is a game to chase, which also may be likely.

Although you could have Murchie>Weir, Horne to 10, Hogg 12 Murchie FB

I wouldn't expect Cotter to use sub's simply to give them game time. I think it'll depend on the match situation, and I see no way that Weir comes off unless he's injured.

The whole Hogg at 10 thing is a total nonsense. He only moves there if Weir goes off injured. He's the best 15 we've had in years, and a match winner in that position.

What's the verdict on Ashe, seems a risk imo.

Hell of an arena to earn your first cap.

Can we get over the Bennett thing? Both the Scotsman and the Herald have said that the Commonwealth 7s training is intensive and has been going on for a while now. It's obvious that he was promised the 7s.

Really appreciate Cotter's stance and I'm going to have to change how I think about team selection. There is no risk at all in playing Ashe. Why? We have 3 wins in the bag, all other players are tied, injured or conflicted, it's the end of the season and we will not beat the Springboks. Where's this risk some people are referring to?

It's the closest thing to a completely consequence free selection that Cotter is going to get and he clearly knows it. I am looking forward to this game now.

George Carlin wrote:Can we get over the Bennett thing?

Couldn't agree more.....

Do we know if its on Sky yet? I'm tempted to treat myself to a day pass.

funnyExiledScot wrote:

George Carlin wrote:Can we get over the Bennett thing?

Couldn't agree more.....

Given that approximately 7,000 of your 7,800 posts were devoted to making fun of Mark Bennett, I would worry about your mental stability if we asked you to write about something else.

nickj wrote:Do we know if its on Sky yet? I'm tempted to treat myself to a day pass.

Sky Sports 1.

Nice one - cheers fella

Good news folks.  I've tried my hand at betting during the footie world cup, and I stink at it.  I apparently cannot pick a winner if my life depended on it.  So I have put this 'skill' to good use and bet on South Africa to win.  If my current run continues, this will either be a record breaking result for Scotland, or we will narrowly win.  Those are the two normal situations so I don’t use the fancy ‘cash out’ feature, because the horsing means it’s pointless or the narrow loss means that I hold out hope that things will turn round.

Sorry Biltong but your team is in for a shock result on sat, and if I’m wrong and my betting curse is lifted I will be 3p richer (bookies have massive odds on SA winning), so really that would be lose lose for me….ah I’ve spotted the flaw here.

Dammit!!   

Sad to hear that mate, you should have rather bought some shares with that money

Tried that, the company I invested in nearly went bankrupt...they are also my employer.

Clearly any form of investment/gambling and me do not pan out.

As an aside I'm about to start a business, looking at ruining competitors. If you run your own business and are looking for someone to take out the competition, let me know. I'll invest in them or offer to work for them and boom they'll be gone in a matter of months.

Jokes on the bookies if the odds are so stacked against us - they obviously don't know how plagued with injuries this vastly inexperienced bock team is!

It's basically free money!

 

I am getting the distinct impression I am being mocked here.

 

Anyone know if there's Radio Scotland commentary for the match? 5 mins would probably suffice...

So, A. Ashe is making his debut during Wimbledon fortnight. "Are you wearing 15, love?"
C'mon Arthur.

Really looking forward to seeing how gilchrist gets on.

At just 8 caps he's going to be lining up for the coin toss before the game going eye to eye with a South African Rigby legend, and one of the best lineout forwards in the game.

If he can run the lineout well and lead from the front with the rest of his game he'll come out with so much from the experience.

Good thing he's got a reliable hooker throwing in....   

Good luck Scotland. Given Meyer's apparently 'conservative' game plan (build an innings -stick with the game plan), Cotter should be telling his team to really rip into SA for the first 20 and see how you go from there.

Get your heads up, attack any space and who knows.

 
We can win this, BELIEVE.
Of course if we do that means that Glasgow Warriors are without doubt pound for pound the best rugby side in the world: ever.

England 0 - 3 New Zealand
France 0 - 3 Australia
Wales 0 - 2 South Africa

Time to fly the flag for the NH & show them how it's done!   

Boom! First blood to Gilchrist's garrison. We've won the coin toss.

So are you kids excited yet?

Beautiful rendition of Flower of Scotland.

Really, I think it might be in the running for worst rendition of the tour

*Edit* Just remembered Canada. Never mind

Shame it's a couple of keys lower!

I hope the Scots see how many supporters came out to watch them today.

RDW_Scotland wrote:Shame it's a couple of keys lower!

i like it that way.

Let the drubbing commence

SA looking to play an open game

Last chance to pull out and announce us victors by default, Bilt...

This is going to be a long afternoon

South African player holding on.

You can't say it's a maul and then ping someone for not rolling away FFS

Exactly.

Nice turnover!

Nudge!

Weir started well.

Horne gets smashed every time he takes the ball in at international level!

2 needless penalties, 2 tries!

Hell it is nice to have a foyhalf that can attack the line

Horne has been poor so far. Who do we have to replace him?

Weir and Horne are a horrific combination at international level especially against the Boks, simply not enough size,

South Africa getting across the gain line at will, Scotland giving away a succession of penalties and then Pollard, Serfontein and le Roux running hard onto quick ball? This could be very ugly indeed for Scotland.

We are getting penalised off the park here