The Springboks posted a 42-28 Nations Championship win over Scotland at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, but were made to work hard for it as a youthful Bok side twice let commanding leads slip before holding on through some anxious final minutes.
Jesse Kriel's try, running onto a grubber from Quan Horn, proved the decisive score that put the result beyond doubt.
The Boks flew out of the blocks, with Embrose Papier scoring a characteristic individual try and Evan Roos adding another to put them 14-0 up. Scotland clawed back through Matt Fagerson and Kyle Rowe to level it by half-time, and the pattern of the afternoon was set.
The pivotal moment arrived in the 50th minute, with scores level and Ben-Jason Dixon sin-binned for a marginal head-clash call. Down to seven men in the scrum just eight metres from their own line, the Boks absorbed a sustained Scotland drive and won a crucial penalty, extricating themselves from the red zone. From there they shifted momentum decisively — a lineout drive and pick-and-go carry allowed Elrigh Louw to barge over, before Damian Willemse jinked through two defenders to score, and Zac Porthen added a third consecutive try to push the lead out to 35-14 with 15 minutes remaining.
Scotland refused to capitulate. Magnus Bradbury and then Ben White touched down in the final quarter to trim the deficit to seven, before Kriel's try sealed it at 42-28.
Thirteen of Scotland's starting XV were Glasgow Warriors players, and with Kyle Steyn's side having famously beaten the Bulls at Loftus in a URC final in recent years, there was no shortage of familiarity with the venue — or belief on their part.
The win takes South Africa to two wins from two in the Nations Championship.