Overview
- South Africa beat Scotland 42-28 at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, with the match decided late in front of about 45,000 spectators.
- Jesse Kriel finished a Handré Pollard grubber to score in the 78th minute and seal the victory after a see-saw game that was 14-14 at half-time.
- A late pre-kickoff change forced Canan Moodie out and brought Ethan Hooker into the starting backline, and replacement Ben-Jason Dixon was yellow-carded early in the second half for head contact at a ruck.
- Erasmus again rotated heavily to manage injuries and probe options, with fringe players such as Embrose Papier, Evan Roos, Elrigh Louw and Zach Porthen making notable contributions amid persistent defensive lapses and a high missed-tackle count.
- The win leaves the Springboks 2-0 in the Nations Championship with a second straight bonus point and a trip to face Wales next weekend while Scotland earned a four-try bonus point and return home to play Fiji.