An absolutely breathless contest at Loftus Versfeld ended in defeat for Scotland as South Africa overcame them to win 42-28 in the second round of the 2026 Nations Championship.
Gregor Townsend’s players ran themselves into the ground in Pretoria in search of victory and pushed the best team in the world to their limits. However, the back-to-back world cup winners showed their class and strength in depth as a much altered side overpowered the Scots in the end.
It was a match where we saw some players at their very best while others really seemed to struggle. Here is how we rated the Scotland stating XV and replacements from their loss to the Boks:
1. Pierre Schoeman - 6
Played ten minutes longer than his other front-row starters and had a decent game all round. Some struggles at scrum time but also some good moments to balance it out | Getty Images
2. Ewan Ashman - 4
A few noticeable errors at the line out and in the loose for the hooker and a difficult time at the scrum | Getty Images
3. Zander Fagerson - 4
A nightmare afternoon for the prop who was second best at the scrum, made errors in open play and was caught daydreaming for the first South Africa try. | SNS Group / SRU
4. Gregor Brown - 6
Played his part in the big defensive effort that was required but was outshone by his second-row counterpart | SNS Group / SRU