South Africa vs Scotland Preview & Prediction | 2026 Nations Championship | Round 2
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Gregor Townsend's impressive Scotland side are faced with the ultimate challenge in Pretoria as they taken on the world's best team on their own turf.
Start date/time:
How to watch on TV: UK – ITV / USA – Not televised
How to watch online: UK – ITVX / USA – RugbyPass TV
South Africa team news: Only five remain from England victory
Squad: Fassi, Van der Merwe, Kriel, Willemse, Moodie, Pollard, Papier, Roos, Du Toit (captain), De Villiers, Nortje, Wiese, Louw, Grobbelaar, Venter
Replacements: Wessels, Mchunu, Porthen, Dixon, Tshituka, Louw, Williams, Horn
Scotland team news: Finn Russell starts
Squad: Rowe; Steyn, Hutchinson, Tuipulotu (capt), Dobie; Russell, White; Schoeman, Ashman, Z Fagerson, Brown, Cummings, M Fagerson, Darge, Dempsey
Replacements: Hiddleston, Sutherland, Hurd, Samuel, Bayliss, Bradbury, Jordan, McDowall
South Africa vs Scotland prediction
World champions South Africa delivered a statement win in their opening Nations Championship contest last weekend as they saw off the challenge of England in Johannesburg without ever being truly troubled.
The world's number one-ranked side raced out of the blocks at Ellis Park and controlled the match in an emphatic 45-21 victory over their northern hemisphere opponents.
This weekend's visitors Scotland will take plenty of belief into this clash in Pretoria though, with Gregor Townsend's side having come out on top in a thrilling encounter with Argentina last time out.
The Scots were 47-38 winners in Cordoba as they picked up where they left off after an impressive Six Nations campaign earlier this year.
South Africa have won the last nine meetings between the two nations, and 16 of the last 17, while Scotland have never beaten the Boks in South Africa. It's a tall order for Townsend's side, then, but they have shown enough quality this year to give us confidence that they can make this competitive.
South Africa vs Scotland tip: Scotland +16.5
