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:
17. Replacements (backs)
Stafford McDowall brought his trademark physicality to the backs but had little time to make a real impact (3). Tom Jordan came on as a winger and demonstrated some neat footwork to create space and dodge tackles (4). | Getty Images