Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend admitted his team dared to believe they were on the verge of an historic victory over South Africa, only to fall agonizingly short in a thrilling ten-try encounter in Pretoria.
Seeking their first win against the Springboks on South African soil, Scotland battled back from an early deficit and trailed by only seven points with ten minutes remaining. Townsend indicated that at that juncture, he felt his team had the momentum to secure a seismic result against the world champions. However, crucial missed opportunities, including a kick that fell just beyond the reach of Kyle Steyn, ultimately allowed South Africa to pull away and secure their second consecutive win in the Nations Championship.
"We were encouraged but also frustrated at half-time," Townsend stated, referencing how his team had drawn level at 14-14 by the break after conceding two quick tries. "We managed to get ourselves back into the game and we were causing South Africa problems."
He highlighted a missed opportunity just before halftime, when the team was close to the try line, as a source of frustration. In the second half, despite playing well and creating chances, especially when having a man advantage, Scotland could not convert possession into points. A brief lapse in concentration led to South Africa scoring 14 unanswered points.
"At 70 minutes, I really believed that we would go on and win the game. So it’s a real mix of pride and frustration," Townsend said. "We probably didn’t score enough points when we were on top if we are being honest, particularly in that period after half-time."
The coach acknowledged that while there were many positives, including scoring four tries against a team they've historically struggled against, Scotland needs to improve their performance over the full 80 minutes. "I'm massively proud of the effort we put in, but it wasn't to be today," he added. "It's a learning for us, we've got to be better for 80 minutes."
Scotland captain Sione Tuipulotu echoed the sentiment of disappointment, describing the feeling as "gutted." He noted the team's struggle to capitalize on possession in the opponent's 22 and identified execution under high pressure as an area for improvement.
Scotland will conclude their summer campaign against Fiji next weekend. Townsend's side aims to build on the lessons learned from this close encounter with the world champions as they prepare for another physical test.
