South Africans key to BOTH sides as Scotland face Springboks

World champions South Africa launch their November tour in Scotland figuring out the prospects of a shock loss at Murrayfield on Sunday may depend on “two of their very own”.

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Scotland’s beginning crew options wing Duhan van der Merwe, his adopted nation’s all-time main try-scorer, and prop Pierre Schoeman, two South Africans who turned eligible for the Darkish Blues below World Rugby’s residency guidelines.

The hosts will even be captained by Australian centre Sione Tuipulotu, certified for Scotland by way of his Scottish grandmother.

No 8 Jack Dempsey has performed for the Wallabies, whereas New Zealand-born fullback Tom Jordan will make his first Scotland begin after coming off the bench throughout final week’s 57-17 rout of Fiji.

Rugby union has been exhausting in Scotland

Scotland, nevertheless, can be bolstered by Toulouse’s Blair Kinghorn and Tub’s Finn Russell after the native backs missed the Fiji recreation as a result of it came about outdoors World Rugby’s designated window for November internationals.

Skilled rugby union has been exhausting for Scotland, with the home recreation sustaining simply two senior golf equipment, in Edinburgh and Glasgow, thereby lowering the pool of obtainable native expertise.

In the meantime, the issue of forging a profession in rugby-mad South Africa – lengthy a superpower of the sport – and the relative weak point of the Rand as a forex can lead gamers to take their likelihood elsewhere.

However Springbok centre Andre Esterhuizen has no regrets, regardless that the 30-year-old can be profitable simply his nineteenth cap on Sunday after spending a lot of his profession competing for a Take a look at place with the excellent Damian de Allende.

“I’d a lot somewhat have my 18 caps for the Springboks than 70 caps for a special nation that I’m not truly born in,” mentioned Esterhuizen.

“I really like this nation and this crew. I’m very content material with the place I’m at.”

He added: “Damian is there, Lukhanyo (Am) is there – there’s so many gamers that may play 12 (inside centre)… It’s additionally very wholesome for the squad.”

Esterhuizen insisted he meant no criticism of those that had taken a special path.

“It’s additionally straightforward for me to say it in hindsight,” he mentioned.

“If I left earlier and that chance got here I don’t know what I might have carried out… You additionally have to earn a living out of rugby, so there’s two completely different sides to it.”

De Allende and fellow common Take a look at backs Jesse Kriel, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Aphelele Fassi and Cheslin Kolbe have all been ignored, with only a six-day turnaround earlier than South Africa face England at Twickenham.

South Africa have been pioneers in packing the bench with ahead energy, with Grant Williams the lone again amongst their eight permitted replacements in Edinburgh.

Eben Etzebeth captains the aspect in a record-extending 129th cap.

The veteran lock is backed up by a bench the place Malcolm Marx, Gerhard Steenekamp, Vincent Koch, RG Snyman, common skipper Siya Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Jasper Wiese kind the newest model of the Springbok ‘bomb squad’.

‘Largest problem in world rugby’

Scotland coach Gregor Townsend averted the thorny challenge of eligibility by saying “there’s nothing we commented upon or talked about with our group”.

However he was extra forthcoming in regards to the job confronting his aspect in opposition to South Africa, who gained the 2024 southern hemisphere Rugby Championship after finishing back-to-back World Cup triumphs in France final yr

“It’s the largest problem in world rugby proper now,” he mentioned.

The previous Scotland playmaker added that, for all their famend physicality, South Africa now had an “additional dimension”.

“They’re very progressive round their set-piece performs, they’re transferring the ball huge at tempo they usually have some very gifted and dynamic gamers,” Townsend defined.

South Africa beat Scotland 18-3 in a World Cup pool match however solely led 6-3 on the break, and Springboks supremo Rassie Erasmus is forecasting an “epic battle” on Sunday.

“They’re a crew that by no means cease combating,” he mentioned of Scotland.

“Within the Rugby World Cup final yr we have been solely three factors up in opposition to them at half-time, and with the brand new dynamic they’ve delivered to their recreation, we all know it’s going to be an 80-minute battle.”

Prediction

Springboks by 13 factors

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

South Africa

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

Referee: Christophe Ridley (England)
Assistant referees: Luke Pearce (England), Craig Evans (Wales)
TMO: Ian Tempest (England)