Gregor Townsend had no hesitation confirming the Boks deserve their world No.1 ranking after Saturday's 42-28 defeat, pointing to their ability to grind out wins even when disjointed — referencing the November series where they kept winning with 14 men as further evidence of that mental fortitude. What clearly stung Townsend most, though, was not the margin but the missed opportunities: Scotland were level at half-time, had the Boks under genuine pressure at stages, and then failed to score during a man-advantage period right after the break. The Boks promptly regroup, rattle off three unanswered tries, and although Scotland clawed back two late scores to make it competitive on the board again, Jesse Kriel's late try closed it out. The piece is essentially a post-match autopsy on what Scotland did well — and where the gap between promising and world-class still sits.