Springboks are enjoying a purple patch – long may it last

Overseas end of year international rugby tours are never easy. The four-time World Cup winning Springboks found that out against Scotland at Murrayfield in Edinburgh last night.

The men in green and gold had to dig deep to eke out a 32 – 15 win over Scotland last night to start their tour on a high, but it certainly wasn’t easy against a team they haven’t lost to since 2010.

The hosts provided a stern test in the first match of their three-Test tour, but the experience and sheer physicality of the Boks came good at the end of the day.

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The Boks entered the match having only lost two matches this year from 10 Tests – having won the Rugby Championship and drawn a two-match Test series against Ireland earlier this season on the back of their 2023 World Cup win in France, their second straight World Cup triumph.

The Springboks went back to world No 1 after New Zealand beat Ireland on Friday night, but the rankings will mean very little to Rassie Erasmus’s men.

They will want to maintain their dominance in world rugby, while handing new players opportunities and keep on winning at the same time.

The Boks are enjoying a purple patch. Bring on England next weekend and Wales a week later.