Scotland clinch historic win over SA

By Angus MacKinnon

Edinburgh - South Africa crashed to their second defeat in a week on Saturday after being comprehensively outplayed by a Scottish side which produced a spirited display to record their first win over the Springboks in 33 years.

Second half tries from flanker Budge Poutney and winger Nikki Walker and 11 points from the boot of New Zealand-born centre Brendan Laney earned the Scots a famous 21-6 win, their first victory over South Africa since the country's 1994 return to international sport.

For the South Africans, the defeat represents an unprecedented humiliation, coming just a week after they were routed 30-10 by France - a performance that Rudolf Straeuli had described as the worst ever by a Springbok team.

The Scottish rugby union had assembled the biggest ever gathering of pipers and drummers to entertain the Murrayfield crowd.

If the object was to put some fire in the bellies of the home side, it seemed to have done the trick as Scotland's experienced pack quickly put the Springboks on the defensive, winning two penalties inside the first three minutes.

Laney stroked the second of them over for the opening score and it was no surprise when he added a second six minute later after the South African pack was penalised for pulling down in a maul.

It was all Scotland at this stage and flyhalf Gordon Ross was narrowly wide with a 20th-minute drop goal attempt.

But for all their pressure the Scots were not converting good position into scoring chances, the best of which came after fullback Werner Greef spilled a straightforward take.

Nikki Walker kicked on the loose ball to set up a maul 10 yards out and when the ball emerged, Scotland had a man over. But a stumble by flyhalf Gordon Ross saw the ball go to ground and Laney was unable to reach his kick-on before it ran into touch.

South Africa got back into the match when Budge Poutney was penalised 40 yards out and Butch James put it over.

James added another penalty to even things up but it was Scotland who finished the first half the strongest and should have gone in ahead from an injury-time penalty which Laney pushed wide.

The South Africans inevitably received a half-time rollicking from their coach Rudolf Straeuli. It briefly appeared to have had an impact because the Boks came out looking as if they meant business and after Breyton Paulse kicked on a loose ball, Scots winger Chris Paterson had to touch down under his own posts to give the visitors a scrum five yards out.

But they failed to transform the chance and Scotland went ahead from the resulting clearance. Paulse gathered the bouncing ball but was superbly tackled by Paterson as he tried to launch a fresh attack, enabling Scotland to win a penalty which Laney converted.

Scotland's try came three minutes later after a superb break down the left by Edinburgh wing Paterson. He slipped the ball inside to Craig, who was bundled into touch by Robbie Fleck five yards out.

Scotland won the lineout and despite some heroic defending on the line by the Springboks Poutney was judged to have touched down after Welsh referee Nigel Williams consulted the video.

Laney missed another penalty chance before Scotland killed off the match, thanks to some suicidal defending by the South Africans.

First Greef spilled his third straightforward ball of the afternoon to allow Laney to set up Walker. But the winger failed to gather his pass and Scotland looked to have blown a golden opportunity.

But they reckoned without the generosity of second-half replacement Andre Pretorius. A minute after Walker's blunder, Pretorius attempted to run the ball out of his own touch area through a mass of blue shirts. Unsurprisingly, he slipped and his desperate attempt at a pass gifted a touchdown to Walker.

Laney failed to convert but by then Scotland were already in the safety zone. - Sapa-AFP