It seems a strange case to make, given his team’s record against South Africa, but Gregor Townsend will be confident of causing a seismic upset in the first round of the World Cup.
Scotland last beat the Springboks in November 2010 when Dan Parks kicked every point in a 21-17 win at Murrayfield. Since then the world champions have won by an average of 20 points across seven Tests. But if Finn Russell gets enough space to work his magic, and if Scotland’s forwards can stand up to the Springbok pack, and if Duhan van der Merwe can get enough ball in space then they have a chance.
