@Springboks
The Springboks got their 2023 World Cup campaign off to a winning start, beating Scotland 18-3 in Marseille on Sunday night.
South Africa made a somewhat nervy start to the first half, with their dominance not reflected on the scoreboard, going into the half-time break with a slender 6-3 lead.
Flyhalf Mannie Libbok missed his first penalty, but slotted the next two, with Finn Russell getting the only points for the Scots in the first half.
The Springboks asserted their dominance in the second half leading to the first try by Pieter-Steph du Toit in the 46th minute, with the Boks' second try coming a few minutes later from a ‘no-look’ kick-pass from Libbok, for the winger to storm in for his 12th test try in 11 test matches.
Libbok kicked two penalties, while Faf de Klerk, playing in his 50th test, kicked on conversion after taking over the kicking duties.
Coach Jacque Nienaber described the match, as a “slippery one”, hinting at the tricky conditions in the heat.
Captain Siya Kolisi also said the first half was tough, saying that the half-time talk was “honest and direct”.
He said they knew they had to come out firing even though the hot conditions made ball-handling tricky.
The Springboks next game is against Romania on Sunday, 17 September, before the big clash against the World Number 1 side, Ireland, a week later.
