TALKING RUGBY with Andy Nicol, Jason White and Calum Crowe 

What do Scotland need to do better tactically compared to the 18-3 defeat to South Africa in last year’s World Cup?

Calum Crowe: We need to be smarter and show an ability to adapt to whatever South Africa throw at us. Scotland’s attack became far too predictable and one-dimensional in that game in Marseille. The blitz defence from the Springboks completely smothered Finn Russell and put the Scotland fly-half under huge pressure any time he got the ball.

In that regard, Russell is probably still having nightmares about Siya Kolisi and Pieter- Steph du Toit. Scotland didn’t kick the ball anywhere near enough, something which Russell referenced himself at the time. If South Africa continue to blitz, it’s only logical that there will be space in behind. The variation to Russell’s kicking game is one of his biggest strengths. Scotland need to give him the freedom to utilise it rather than sticking to a pre-scripted plan.

Andy Nicol: They need to take their chances. We only created one chance when Darcy Graham broke the defensive line but could not make the crucial pass to score the try. Scotland might only get one chance on Sunday and they must take it.

South Africa’s defence is ferocious. They blitz in defence with huge line speed which puts huge pressure on the passing with its timing and accuracy. Finn Russell is probably the best passer in world rugby and he will need to nail every one on Sunday for Scotland to win this game.

Jason White: For me, it’s less about being better tactically than at the World Cup and more about nailing our performance to a 9/10 or better. We know exactly how strong the Boks are and have a good idea of how they will play. We must start strongly and play the game in the right areas of the pitch, be accurate in the small details and transfer that to points. Easy to say, considerably harder to do against the best team in the world.

Duhan van der Merwe will have to be at his best if Scotland are to shock the world champions

South Africa’s Eben Etzebeth grapples with Scotland flanker Jamie Ritchie in France last year

 Siya Kolisi and his South Africa team-mates celebrate the country’s fourth World Cup triumph

How important is this game to Gregor Townsend’s future as head coach? Scotland had a poor World Cup and a poor Six Nations. He can’t afford a heavy defeat, can he?

CC: It’s a massive game for Townsend. This is comfortably Scotland’s biggest — and toughest — match of the four Autumn Tests. South Africa are not invincible. They lost to Argentina in the Rugby Championship in September. This is also their first game of the Autumn, so there is a chance that Scotland could catch them cold.

Townsend presided over a poor World Cup and then a Six Nations which yielded only two wins from five matches. We lost to Italy. A heavy defeat to the Springboks would only strengthen the feeling that this group of players aren’t progressing under his leadership.

AN: It’s important because it’s the next game, but it’s against one of the best teams in the world so expectations should not be too high. I want to see Scotland being hugely competitive throughout, matching the Springboks physically and tactically and using the home advantage. Being in the game in the last ten minutes is key to allow the crowd to be a factor. One thing missing from Gregor’s coaching CV is a win against one of the really top teams.

JW: The crux game of this series for me is the Australia fixture. As a minimum, we need to be competitive in every game we play at home. The playing group and coaches must believe they can win. If it does not go our way on Sunday with a poor display, then the Aussie game piles the pressure on Gregor and the other coaches.

Would this be the biggest victory of Townsend’s tenure if Scotland can pull it off?

CC: Undoubtedly. There have been some huge wins over the years under Townsend. Scotland have won in Paris and at Twickenham. They have won in Cardiff. They also put 50 points on a strong Wallabies side in 2017 not long after he had taken the job. But victory over the back-to-back world champions would top the lot. Scotland came close to beating the All Blacks in 2017 and in 2022, but fell just short on both occasions.

South Africa are world champions for a reason. For any team in world rugby at the moment, they represent the ultimate test. Speak to any former player who played in the win at Murrayfield in 2010, when the Boks were also world champions, and they will tell you it was probably the greatest win of their career.

AN: One hundred per cent. We should have beaten the All Blacks in 2022 and France in the Six Nations but we didn’t, so he could do with a win against the team that has won the last two World Cups. A tough ask.

JW: It probably would be. We have had some brilliant one-off victories, but beating the double world champions at home would be the best. We will need to dig deep, our best players need to produce the goods and the Murrayfield crowd need to get behind the boys.

Eben Etzebeth recently became the most capped Springbok of all-time. Is he the greatest Bok ever to play the game? Who in the Scotland camp could match the aggression and physicality of South Africa’s enforcer?

CC: It’s now difficult to argue otherwise. I understand some people will perhaps still go for someone like Francois Pienaar, who has a real emotional and sentimental pull to match his on-field talents after lifting the World Cup with Nelson Mandela.

But, as a two-time world champion, and a man who has dominated his position for over a decade, Etzebeth is now top of the pile for me. He is the complete package. Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha were the two enforcers in South Africa’s pack when they won the World Cup in 2007. Not only has Etzebeth taken that mantle, he’s raised the bar.

The most physically dominant and intimidating player in world rugby, there was an image of him holding Scotland captain Jamie Ritchie by the scruff of the neck in the game in Marseille last year. It felt emblematic of not only that match, but of Etzebeth’s career.

AN: He would be in the conversation but so would the likes of Pienaar, Bryan Habana, Joost van der Westuizen to name just three. Quite simply, we don’t have anyone like Etzebeth but, then again, who does? South Africa have so many huge players. We have players who have different strengths, like Jack Dempsey and Matt Fagerson.

They don’t use their bulk to get across the gainline, they use their footwork and try to hit a ‘soft shoulder’ to get on the front foot. They can match Etzebeth’s aggression but not his physicality. The great thing about rugby is there are different ways to play this game and the Springbok way is not the only way to do it.

JW: We have never really had anyone that compares to Eben. We just don’t produce players like him! Gilco (Grant Gilchrist) and Dempsey to be the ones setting our standards of physicality in the forwards and Sione Tuipulotu and Duhan van der Merwe need to do the same job in the backs. As for Eben being their best player ever, it’s probably too early to call. If he can win another World Cup, he might just get that accolade.

What about Scotland’s selection? Darcy Graham being ruled is a big blow. Who replaces him in the back three? Should Townsend go with a six-two split to match South Africa’s physicality?

CC: It was brilliant to see Darcy Graham back in action last week and scoring four tries. He’s a huge loss to Scotland any time he doesn’t play and, unfortunately, he’s been ruled out due to a failed HIA. If Kyle Rowe’s hamstring holds up, I would probably just slot him in on the wing in a straight swap to minimise any further disruption.

Blair Kinghorn could play on the wing, as he has done for Toulouse at times, and then Rowe could also play at full-back. Rowe has done well for Scotland any time he’s played, especially in the win over Wales in Cardiff this year. Harry Paterson is another option and he excelled on his debut against France. But I would go for Rowe. In terms of the six-two split, I’m not sure Scotland have enough quality or depth in the forwards to warrant that approach.

The best policy may be to try and stay in the game for an hour, hope that South Africa tire a little, and then look to up the pace with ball in hand in the final 20 minutes. I would go for a more conventional five-three split.

AN: Selection is quite straightforward for me. Ben White, Finn Russell and Blair Kinghorn return to the back line and the forwards are the same as started last week. If Kyle Rowe is okay, he plays. I would go six-two split because we have the players like Adam Hastings and Jamie Dobie who can cover a number of positions.

JW: Losing Darcy is big blow. I think a six-two split is the way we need to go, be bold and match the physicality of our opponents. Kinghorn will come back in and hopefully Rowe can pull through to play on the wing. It’s going to be one heck of a game on Sunday.