Scottish national rugby team head coach Gregor Townsend calling on his side to raise their game v South Africa
Scotland national rugby team head coach Gregor Townsend has issued a warning to his side that they’ll need to raise their game if they’re to stand a chance of claiming their first win against South Africa for almost a decade and a half this coming Sunday.
The Scots go into that second autumn test, with kick-off at Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium at 4.10pm, looking to end an eight-game losing streak against the world champions dating back to 2012.
Their last win against the Springboks – currently ranked second in the world, five places higher than their hosts – was at Murrayfield back in November 2010, by 21-17.
All of the hosts’ points that day were kicked by Australian-born fly-half Dan Parks via six penalties and one drop-goal.
Head coach Andy Robinson’s starting line-up also included four Borderers – Hawick’s Nikki Walker and Scott MacLeod, Melrose’s Kelly Brown and Kelso’s Ross Ford – with Gala’s Chris Paterson joining them from the bench later on.
That was only Scotland’s fifth win ever against the South Africans and former Gala and Border Reivers stalwart Townsend is fully aware of how challenging a proposition trying to claim a sixth will be.
“There will be a focus on what we need to get right next week because of the opposition as well,” said the 51-year-old.
“I think we’ll have to be on it every action, every minute against South Africa because they're the best team in the world, world champions, however we want to describe them.
“They’ve got multiple threats throughout the team.
“It’ll be an open game, we believe. Our defence will have to be really on point, not just for their physicality that’s coming but also their threats when they move the ball wide.”
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