Scotland v South Africa - Teams and Prediction
PREVIEW: The Springboks will kick off their three-match end-of-year tour against a Scottish side that has added more strings to their bow over the last 12 months.
That's the view of Bok head coach Rassie Erasmus, who has noticed the evolution of Gregor Townsend's side.
Besides getting the all-important win to gather momentum ahead of matches against England and Wales, Erasmus has outlined specific goals he wants his squad to achieve on tour.
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"We are playing a Scottish team that definitely plays differently," Erasmus told @rugby365com.
"They employed a running game at the World Cup, and they didn’t do that in the Six Nations and then they faced Fiji and they ran them off their feet.
"We would like to see if we can handle the variation that Scotland will bring. We know what England will bring next week and a match against Wales is always a grind until the end."
Erasmus has loaded his bench with a few big names in a seven-one split between backs and forwards. Scrumhalf Grant Williams is the only backline player among the replacements.
Stars like Damian de Allende and fellow regular Test backs Jesse Kriel, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Aphelele Fassi and Cheslin Kolbe have all been left out, with just a six-day turnaround before South Africa face England at Twickenham.
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Erasmus added: "We would like to give all the players a run [on tour] and see what each player can do.
"We want players to slot in and slot out without us struggling to do it.
"I think we are almost there where guys slot in and out really well.
"If there are suddenly three injuries in a position, are we still okay in terms of the guys coming in?
"I always say to the players, 'Don’t take my word that you are going to play'.
"However, if momentum goes our way, then decisions are a bit easier."
The last time these two sides met was in the pool stages at last year's World Cup with the Springboks recording a 18-3 victory.
The world champions only led 6-3 at the break, and Erasmus is forecasting an "epic battle" on Sunday.
"They're a team that never stops fighting," he said of Scotland.
"In the World Cup last year, we were only three points up against them at half-time, and with the new dynamic they have brought to their game, we know it's going to be an 80-minute battle."
Meanwhile, Townsend was well aware of the task confronting his Scottish side against South Africa, who won the 2024 Rugby Championship after completing back-to-back World Cup triumphs in France last year.
"It is the biggest challenge in world rugby right now," he said.
The former Scotland playmaker added that, for all their renowned physicality, South Africa now had an "extra dimension".
"They are very innovative around their set-piece plays," Townsend explained
"They're moving the ball wide at pace and they have some very talented and dynamic players."
Players to watch
For Scotland: Tom Jordan will make his first Scotland start on Sunday after the New Zealand-born back came off the bench against Fiji. He has been selected at fullback in place of his injured Glasgow teammate Kyle Rowe. Toulouse's Blair Kinghorn, Toulon scrumhalf Ben White and Bath flyhalf Finn Russell are the three other changes to coach Gregor Townsend's starting side. They were unavailable last weekend for a match that took place outside World Rugby's designated window for November internationals. Russell has the potential to unlock any defence and if given enough time and space he could rattle the Springboks. No.8 Jack Dempsey and fellow loose forwards Rory Darge and Matt Fagerson will try to disrupt the Boks as much as they can at the breakdowns.
For South Africa: Rassie Erasmus has made 11 changes to the starting team that thrashed Argentina 48-7 in the Springboks' closing Rugby Championship clash in Mbombela in September. Andre Esterhuizen gets a rare start in the midfield, and he should have the power and awareness to cope with Sione Tuipulotu in the midfield. Flyhalf Handre Pollard has shown in the past that he can dictate play under pressure and his experience will be vital against Finn Russell. In the pack, Kwagga Smith provides a more mobile option in that No.8 position which might be needed against Scotland's speed. Locks Franco Mostert and RG Snyman return to the matchday squad and that will surely help the Boks get the edge in the physical exchanges.
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Prediction
@rugby365com: South Africa by 14 points.
Teams:
Scotland: 15 Tom Jordan, 14 Blair Kinghorn, 13 Huw Jones, 12 Sione Tuipulotu (captain), 11 Duhan van der Merwe, 10 Finn Russell, 9 Ben White, 8 Jack Dempsey, 7 Rory Darge, 6 Matt Fagerson, 5 Scott Cummings, 4 Grant Gilchrist, 3 Zander Fagerson, 2 Ewan Ashman, 1 Pierre Schoeman.
Replacements: 16 Dylan Richardson, 17 Rory Sutherland, 18 Elliot Millar Mills, 19 Max Williamson, 20 Josh Bayliss, 21 Jamie Ritchie, 22 Jamie Dobie, 23 Stafford McDowall.
Springboks: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Canan Moodie, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Jaden Hendrikse, 8 Kwagga Smith, 7 Elrigh Louw, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Eben Etzebeth (captain), 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche.
Replacements: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Siya Kolisi, 21 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 22 Jasper Wiese, 23 Grant Williams.
Date: Sunday, November 10
Venue: Murrayfield, Edinburgh
Kick-off: 16.10 (18.10 SA time)
Expected weather: It will be cold and cloudy. The temperature will be around 11° at kick-off.
Referee: Christophe Ridley (England)
Assistant referees: Luke Pearce (England), Craig Evans (Wales)
TMO: Ian Tempest (England)
Additional source: AFP