Scotland talk up their chances against world champion Boks as RWC 2023 becomes real

Duane Vermeulen is one of many vastly experienced Springboks that won't be reading too much into pre-tournament tags. South Africa face Scotland in their RWC 2023 opener at Stade Velodrome in Marseille on Sunday. (Photo: Steve Haag/Gallo Images)

By Craig Ray

5 Sep 2023

Scotland coach Gregor Townsend exuded confidence ahead of the clash against defending world champions South Africa in their Rugby World Cup opener.

There has been pageantry and pomp in cities across France as teams arrived for Rugby World Cup 2023. In sunny Nice, Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend immediately scored some local points by answering many questions in French.

Having spent five years playing club rugby in the south of France, for Montpellier, Brive and Castres, Townsend was quick to seize any initiative he could, knowing the size of Scotland’s first challenge.

If he wins over some French support for Sunday’s Pool B opener at Stade Velodrome in Marseille, all the better for his team because the Boks put Scotland, and the rest of the world, on notice.

South Africa’s crushing and record 35-7 win over New Zealand at Twickenham blew any chance the defending champions had of arriving in France with a huge “underdogs” tag around their necks.

The Boks might not be the bookies’ favourites yet, but anyone in rugby knows that to win RWC 2023, it might require finding a way to subdue the Boks’ power game, which is now also laced with finesse.

“They (the Springboks) got into their game very quickly, but I wouldn’t say they started on fire because New Zealand had a fair bit of pressure in the first five minutes too,” Townsend told the media on arrival.

Scotland vs Boks Townsend Scotland coach Gregor Townsend says his side must impose themselves on the Boks during their RWC 2023 opener this weekend. (Photo: Ian MacNicol / Getty Images)

“But after that South Africa were able to exert their power which led to penalties, led to yellow cards, led to opportunities and they kept that going.

“Looking at that, yes, we have to make sure that South Africa aren’t able to exert the game they want to play. At times, when they got ball, New Zealand were able to find some opportunities but they weren’t able to finish them off this time like they’d done at home against South Africa a few weeks before.”

As a coaching group, we’ve got to be as relaxed as possible, making sure our players are relaxed because this will be bigger than anything they’ve played in.

Townsend was referring to the All Blacks’ 35-20 win over the Boks in Auckland in mid-July. South Africa were outplayed in that match, particularly in the opening quarter when they went 17-0 down, but it’s fair to say they have also made some huge strides since then.

It was the first game in months for several players based in Japan and it also came at the end of an emotionally draining week following the death of Eben Etzebeth’s father in the days before the contest. Etzebeth captained the Boks at Mt Smart Stadium and it was inevitable that he was not in the best mental space for the clash.

Since then the Boks have won four from four, including record wins over Wales in Cardiff (52-16) and over the All Blacks, anywhere. They have timed their run to form well.

‘Impose our game’

But Scotland are a vastly improved team with some genuine match breakers in flyhalf Finn Russell and wing Duhan van der Merwe. The two British & Irish Lions players are key to Scotland’s attack, but it will be a question of whether their pack can succeed in giving them enough quality ball.

“Part of what we do this weekend is making sure they don’t play the game they want to play. The biggest part is making sure we impose our game on them,” Townsend said.

“We’ve got to make sure the story is told with us leading the narrative rather than the opposition because if we allow them to play their game they’ll be able to dominate possession and territory and eventually the scoreboard.

History doesn’t have any influence on the result of the World Cup.

“I think it’s important that we view this as another game, a chance for us to build on what we’ve been doing, not just in the last couple of games but in the last few months before we played these warm-up games.

“As a coaching group, we’ve got to be as relaxed as possible, making sure our players are relaxed because this will be bigger than anything they’ve played in. When you get to such a big stadium with a very different atmosphere than you’d get in the Six Nations, and with the World Cup games kicking off on the nights before it’s important that we keep our emotions focused on delivering our best rugby.”

Slow starters?

At the past two World Cups the Boks have lost their opening matches, suggesting they are slow starters.

Japan’s famous 34-32 win over the Boks in Brighton in 2015 immediately put South Africa on the back foot, but they rallied to make the semifinals and win the bronze medal.

Springbok head coach Jacques Nienaber has downplayed talk over his side being favourites at RWC 2023. (Photo: Steve Haag / Gallo Images)

In 2019, they lost 23-13 to the All Blacks in Yokohama in a match that didn’t matter much to the Boks’ prospects of advancing. They went on to win the title.

Read more in Daily Maverick: Boks need Scotland’s scalp in World Cup opener to avoid making history for the wrong reasons

Bok coach Jacques Nienaber brushed off suggestions that because of this history, the world champions are vulnerable this weekend.

“History doesn’t have any influence on whatever the result will be of the World Cup. That’s what we believe,” Nienaber said on arrival at the Boks’ base in Toulon this week.

For us, favourite or non-favourite, it doesn’t influence Saturday’s game. We can’t control who’s the favourites.

“We must focus on the reality and the reality is how we start our week on Tuesday and how much effort we put in.

“Winning your first Test match in a World Cup doesn’t necessarily mean that you will end up winning or losing the World Cup. It’s just history.

“It’s nice for the pundits and it builds up the game, but does it have an influence on [whether] you’re going to win the World Cup or not? No. But it obviously will take a little bit of pressure off if you win the first game – and if we lose the first game, there will obviously be more pressure for us to get out of the pool.”

Duane Vermeulen is one of many vastly experienced Springboks who won't be reading too much into pre-tournament tags. South Africa face Scotland in their RWC 2023 opener at Stade Velodrome in Marseille on Sunday. (Photo: Steve Haag / Gallo Images)

Nienaber also played down the favourites tag some have bestowed on the Boks since thumping the All Blacks. He took his usual, and sensible mantra, that it was about performance on the day and not what label they carry into the match.

“For us, favourite or non-favourite, it doesn’t influence Saturday’s game. We can’t control who’s the favourites,” Nienaber said.

Read more in Daily Maverick: Rugby World Cup 2023: Fixtures, pools and local kick-off times

“The reality is that it doesn’t have any bearing on us, [nor will it] have bearing on Scotland or France for that matter. It’s what you as a team believe within the group.

“How prepared are you? How much effort did you put in? How hard did you train? How did you make sure that you have ticked all the boxes in getting yourself prepared for the Test match against Scotland? That is the reality.

“If you are the favourite or not the favourite, or the underdog or not the underdog, it’s not going to make Scotland perform better or worse, or us better or worse.” DM

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‘Impose our game’

Slow starters?