Scotland captain Sione Tuipulotu admits his side let a golden opportunity slip after a wild, momentum-swinging defeat to the Springboks. CLINTON VAN DER BERG reports.
Tuipulotu said the team was “proud of the resilience“ but “more disappointed in the missed opportunities”.
Scotland trailed by 21 points in the second half at Loftus Versfeld before clawing their way back into contention, only to fall short at altitude against the world’s top-ranked side.
“There were plenty of times where we could have thrown in the towel,“ Tuipulotu said, “but I’m proud of the resilience in the group to stay in it.”
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The captain pointed to a lack of composure in key moments as the difference.
“I thought we wrestled momentum back really well,“ he said, “but when we did have it, we failed to capitalise on the scoreboard.”
He singled out a South African goalline dropout that swung directly into a length-of-field try as a moment Scotland could have controlled.
“It’s a big swing of momentum when we’re down on their side of the field.”
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Coach Gregor Townsend echoed the sentiment, saying his side gave South Africa “some issues” early on but let the game slip during a costly spell after the break.
“We were sloppy for five, 10 minutes and we’re suddenly 14 points down,” Townsend said. “I really believed that with 70 minutes gone, we were going to go on to win.”
Townsend conceded his side may have moved too slowly with their bench, despite the impact of the replacements.
“The bench were the ones that were making those linebreaks and finishing off opportunities,“ he said. “We could have got the bench on earlier … easy in hindsight.”
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Asked directly whether the Springboks deserved their status as the world’s top-ranked team, Townsend didn’t hesitate.
“Yes,” he said. “They’ve obviously got huge strength and depth. They found a way to win today.”
Tuipulotu also highlighted the toll on his forward pack, who played the full 80 minutes against the Springboks at altitude.
“It’s a massive task,” he said. “I just want to give them a massive pat on the back to play the South African pack at altitude.”
Both captain and coach pointed to the URC’s growing crop of South African sides as a key factor in preparing Scotland for these encounters ahead of the World Cup, with Tuipulotu calling the exposure “amazing competition” and good preparation.
Scotland now turn their focus toward correcting their execution inside the opposition 22 before their next major test.
Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images
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Scotland captain Sione Tuipulotu admits his side let a golden opportunity slip after a wild, momentum-swinging defeat to the Springboks.
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