Scotland produced another big performance against top-tier opposition but their wait for a first-ever win in South Africa continues after they went down 42-28 to the double world champions in a thrilling Nations Championship showdown in Pretoria.
Having seen off England, France and Argentina in impressive fashion already this year, Gregor Townsend’s resurgent side made the Springboks fight to the end for their victory.
After roaring back from 14-0 down to level things up at half-time, the Scots were ultimately left to rue their inability to score while Ben-Jason Dixon was in the sin-bin early in the second half.
The Boks looked to have broken the visitors’ resolve when they ran in three tries in the space of 10 minutes either side of the hour mark.
But Scotland hit back again through Josh Bayliss and Ben White to close to within a converted try of their hosts, who eventually made sure of a hard-fought victory with a late breakaway try from Jesse Kriel.
After an encouraging opening 10 minutes for the visitors, they were bludgeoned by two quickfire Springboks tries at the end of the first quarter.
The first was all about individual brilliance as scrum-half Embrose Papier sniped from the corner of a ruck and produced magnificent speed and footwork to outfox the Scottish defence and dart over the line in the 17th minute.
Scotland had no time to rediscover their poise as they were undone by a sensational team try by the Boks, finished from close range by Evan Roos, after Cobus Weise had acrobatically plucked Finn Russell’s kick-off from the sky and embarked on a brilliant carry.
Scotland looked in danger of going under, but they summoned a brilliant response in the second quarter.
Matt Fagerson got them back in the game with a pick-and-go try in the 34th minute, and after a swashbuckling spell of play, some brilliant work by Russell and Sione Tuipulotu set Kyle Rowe through a gap in the last action of the half, with Russell converting both.
Having failed to score a try in their previous two matches against South Africa, the Scots now had two in quick succession as a remarkable first half ended all square.
Townsend’s men continued in the ascendancy early in the second half and South Africa were reduced to 14 men within two minutes of the restart when replacement Dixon was sin-binned for catching Scott Cummings in the face with his head in a ruck.
Scotland looked set to go ahead moments later but Ewan Ashman was held up on the line. Following a bunker review, Dixon’s yellow card was not upgraded and the scores remained level when he returned to the fray.
South Africa took full advantage of their reprieve as Elrigh Louw, Damian Willemse and Zach Porthen all crossed the whitewash as the Scots lost their hold on proceedings.
The Scots’ challenge looked to be over but they fought back once more, with Scott Cummings laying one on a plate for Bayliss to score in the 68th minute before White scrambled his way over the line two minutes later to secure a four-try bonus point and set up a tense finale for the hosts.
The Scots were knocking on the door as they sought a fifth converted try that would have brought them level, but Kriel burst away in the 77th minute to kill off their hopes of a famous result.
