South Africa start Rugby World Cup defence with Scotland victory

AFP, MARSEILLE: South Africa kicked off the defence of their Rugby World Cup title with an 18-3 victory over Scotland in the teams’ opening Pool B match in Marseille on Sunday.

The Springboks, featuring 14 of the match-day squad of 23 that beat England in the 2019 final, were made to work hard for the win, with just two Manie Libbok penalties to show for their first-half graft, Finn Russell pulling one back for Scotland.

A brace of tries within three minutes from Pieter-Steph du Toit and Kurt-Lee Arendse early in the second period, however, turned the game.

It was the first time South Africa have won their first match at a World Cup since they edged out Wales 17-16 in 2011, having then gone on to opening-game defeats by New Zealand in 2019 and Japan four years earlier.

The victory also extended the Springboks’ winning run over the Scots to eight and maintained their record of having never lost to them outside of Scotland.