Preview: Scotland v South Africa

There is history here. Scotland played the first rugby international ever played, in 1871.

They hosted it and won it.

Scotland played South Africa in the first rugby international South Africa ever played against another country. Scotland hosted it and won it. That was in 1906.

The next time they beat South Africa was 59 years later and in the meantime South Africa had set a world record, beating Scotland 44-0.

In all the two countries have met 25 times, South Africa leading 20-5.

They have always met either in Scotland (18 times) or South Africa (7).

This will be the first time they have met on neutral soil.

They have met once before in a World Cup, when South Africa won 46-29 at Murrayfield in 1999.

That was in a pool match.

This, too, is in a pool match at a time when Scotland are leading the pool – after South Africa's Japanese defeat.

Scotland have 10 points, South Africa 7.

The focus is on this match, which in the here and now counts more than all that went before it and will determine the path forward for each team in the World Cup.

Under New Zealand coach Vernon Cotter, Scotland are playing purposeful rugby with good set pieces and lots of enthusiasm.

The South Africans seem, in their match against Samoa, to have shaken off the lethargy that characterised their performance against Japan.

That suggests that we can expect a tidy contest between two eager teams.

The Scots are an interesting side.

Of their 23 players, three are Southern Africans, two were born in England and one each were born in the United States, Spain, Holland and New Zealand.

All three of their loose forwards are of Southern Hemisphere origins.

But they will all be singing Flower of Scotland.

Players to Watch

For Scotland: Stuart Hogg, an adventurous, strong, fast fullback who is the spark to much of Scotland's attack, often surprise attack. Richie Vernon is a player of interest, a Test forward who has become a Test back. Going from back to forward is much less unusual.

For South Africa: How Fourie du Preez goes about things will be most interesting – a new captain, an instinctive player, a quiet man on the field but a highly effective one. By recent standards he has a young side with nine players in the 23 under the age of 25. The flyhalf is 21, the inside centre 23 and the outside centre 21. Another young player who will catch the eye is 22-year-old Lodewyk de Jager, who has been outstanding in every one of the 14 Tests he has played.

Head to Head: The meeting of front rows in scrums is always important, not least for the morale of the team. Here we have experience against inexperience, 210 caps for the Springboks against 29 for the three Scots. If experience means over the hill, the South Africans are in trouble, but if it means dominating the relative rookies, the Scots are in trouble. The other interesting contest is between the two sets of locks – the brothers Gray against Eben Etzebeth and Lodewyk de Jager. Both sets have the spring in their legs that makes for good line-out work and also for mobility about the field. That, too, is an interesting contest. Then there is the contest at scrumhalf, less of a bantam fight this time, but a genuine contest between two outstanding and experienced players, Greig Laidlaw of Scotland and Fourie du Preez of South Africa, captain against captain to add spice to the contest. When it comes to speed and determination, the clash between Matt Scott and Jesse Kriel could be of great fruit for the man who comes off better. They are at opposite ends of the field most of the time but the two fullbacks could have a massive impact on the game and its outcome. All of the World Cup teams this year, it seems, depend on their fullbacks to set the attack alight. Gone of the days of the catch-'n-kick fullback. Now he is a player with skill and vision, and both Willie le Roux of South Africa and Stuart Hogg of Scotland are players with skill, vision and dash enough to set a team (and a match) alight. Goal-kicking can be vital and Scotland have a more reliable goal-kicker in Greig Laidlaw than South Africa have in Handré Pollard, and they have  Stuart Hogg and Duncan Weir as back-ups.

Recent results:

2014: South Africa won 55-6, Port Elizabeth

2013: South Africa won 28-0, Murrayfield

2013: South Africa won 30-17, Nelspruit

2012: South Africa won 21-10, Murrayfield

2010: Scotland won 21-17, Murrayfield

2008: South Africa won 14-10, Murrayfield

2007: South Africa won 27-3, Murrayfield

2006: South Africa won 29-15, Port Elizabeth

2006: South Africa won 36-16, Durban

2004: South Africa won 45-10, Murrayfield

Each team has played two matches in the World Cup so far. Scotland have won both – beating Japan and the United States. South Africa have won one and lost one, beating Samoa and losing to Japan. The Japan result is the relevant one, but may be misleading.

South Africa lost to Japan 32-34.

Scotland beat Japan 45-10.

Prediction: We overestimated the Springboks against Japan and underestimated them against Samoa. But we believe there will be no overconfidence this time, that their forwards will be get on top and that their backs will have the thrust for the Springboks to win by 15 points or more.

Teams

Scotland: 15 Stuart Hogg, 14 Tommy Seymour, 13 Richie Vernon, 12 Matt Scott, 11 Tim Visser, 10 Duncan Weir, 9 Greig Laidlaw (captain), 8 David Denton, 7 Blair Cowan, 6 Josh Strauss, 5 Jonny Gray, 4 Richie Gray, 3 Willem Nel, 2 Fraser Brown, 1 Gordon Reid.

Replacements: 16 Ross Ford, 17 Alasdair Dickinson, 18 Jon Welsh, 19 Tim Swinson, 20 Ryan Wilson, 21 Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, 22 Peter Horne, 23 Sean Lamont.

South Africa: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian De Allende, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Fourie du Preez (captain), 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Schalk Burger, 6 Francois Louw, 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.

Replacements: 16 Adriaan Strauss, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Frans Malherbe, 19 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 20 Willem Alberts, 21 Ruan Pienaar, 22 Pat Lambie, 23 Jan Serfontein.

Date: Saturday, October 3

Venue: St James' Park, Newcastle

Kick-off: 16.45 (15.45 GMT; 17.45 SA time)

Expected weather: Partly cloudy without rain , with a high of 16°C, dropping to 7°C

Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)

Assistant referees: Chris Pollock (New Zealand), Leighton Hodges (Wales)

TMO: George Ayoub (Australia)

By Paul Dobson

@rugby365com