South Africa started their summer with a comprehensive win
against Italy Henyke Meyer’s men have a prime opportunity to rack up the points
once again when facing a battered and beleaguered Scotland in the second game
of their Castle Larger series today. Meyer’s men, currently ranked as the
second best side in the world, had only a tricky second half period of 15
minutes before romping to a 34 point win with a flurry of late tries.
Meyer’s plan has been for gradual change and patience, and
it’s only now that players such as Willie le Roux and Arno Botha have been
given a chance on the big stage, both impressing with their starts last week,
and Trevor Nyakane and Jan Serfontein may be given longer spells on the park
than their brief cameo’s last week.
Scotland gave a manful resistance towards the Samoans last
week but were second best and left the field, as so many sides do, battered and
bruised after numerous physical confrontations, with 15 players needing
treatment after last weekend and seven changes made to a side which was already
shorn of it’s best players who are on tour with the Lions. The pace of Stuart
Hogg and Sean Maitland, along with the forward power of Richie Gray and Ryan
Grant, are a huge spine of the Scotland side already gone, and injuries to Kelly
Brown, hooker Pat MacArthur and prop Geoff Cross mean this is essentially a
reserve side despite the best efforts of new captain Greig Laidlaw and Ruaridh
Jackson at halfback.
South Africa have made just the two changes, with Ruan
Pienaar coming in slightly fresher than usual after a long season and Marcell
Cotzeee in for Francois Lowe, but they’re practically fielding a first choice
side with one of the biggest packs in world rugby behind them, and sooner rather
than later they are likely to overpower or outclass the Scots, with a handicap
of 28 points looking fair if they can play as well or better than last week
given the weaknesses in Scotland’s team.
Advice
2 pts South Africa -28 (evs Paddy Power)
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