SCOTLAND lost a match for the first time at this Rugby World Cup, but they emerged with their pride and their hopes of qualification intact. South Africa are now top of Pool B and are overwhelming favourites to stay there, but - as was always expected to be the case - Vern Cotter’s team will still progress to the quarter-finals if they beat Samoa next Saturday here in Newcastle.

It was a much-changed Scots side that took on the Springboks, with seven or eight players missing from what is generally recognised as the head coach’s first-choice line-up. Curiously enough, though, the way in which the match developed was very similar to the first two games, with Scotland beginning slowly and gradually coming on to a game.

That slow-burning start and second-half acceleration was enough to see off both Japan and the United States, but it was never going to do against a team of South Africa’s quality. The Springboks dominated the early stages of the game, and were 20-3 up at half-time. The former world champions briefly looked vulnerable to an upset as Scotland rallied after the break, but they maintained their superiority in the scrum and lineout, and deservedly won by what in the end was a comfortable margin.

South Africa failed to win a bonus point, but that was a minor demerit on a satisfying afternoon for them. For Heyneke Meyer the task in his team’s last game against the United States is as straightforward as it is for his counterpart Cotter: any win will do to ensure a place in the quarter-finals.

The signs were ominous for Scotland when they lost the first scrum, and they remained second best in most areas of the game for the rest of the match. South Africa took the lead when, after their forwards were twice held up close to the line, Schalk Burger was credited with grounding the ball. Handre Pollard converted, and soon added a penalty to put his team 10-0 up.

Playing with an intensity and precision that had been utterly lacking in their defeat by Japan two weeks earlier, the Springboks continued to attack relentlessly. With quarter of an hour of the first half to go, Pollard made it 13-0 with a second successful penalty.

Greig Laidlaw pulled back three points five minutes later with a penalty from near the South African ten-metre line, and then the Springboks’ tight-head prop Jannie du Plessis was yellow-carded for flying into a ruck recklessly at the Scottish ball-carriers. But instead of taking advantage of their numerical superiority, Scotland conceded a second try to the 14 men. A lineout drive did the damage, and when the ball eventually came back Fourie du Preez put JP Pietersen through in the middle. Pollard’s conversion was the last score of the first half.

Laidlaw got the first score of the second half with a penalty after five minutes, and then a pass by Pollard was picked off by Duncan Weir, who ran 70 metres before cutting inside and finding Tim Visser. The left-winger passed to Tommy Seymour, who finished off the move from a few yards out. Laidlaw converted the try, and at 20-13 the cause was no longer so hopeless.

Pollard hit back two minutes later with a drop goal - a rarity at this World Cup - and South Africa were ten in front again. Then Laidlaw was sinbinned for a professional foul - tackling Bryan Habana after the winger had kicked ahead in a dangerous move up the left.

With 20 minutes left, Weir was successful with a penalty from the edge of the 22, and the score was 23-16. Again, though, the response was almost immediate, as Pollard scored with a penalty from barely a metre inside the Scotland half. Another penalty from the stand-off made it 29-16 with ten minutes left, and from that point in South Africa’s win was assured.

The Springboks finished strongly, and when Habana forced his way over for their third try, which went unconverted, they had seven minutes left to get a fourth and a bonus point. Many teams can prove unstoppable once they have momentum and have the incentive of a bonus to aim for, but Scotland defended well to deny their rivals the satisfaction of the five-point win.

Given those changes to their line-up, it was an honourable performance by the Scots; one which keeps morale intact ahead of that crunch game against Samoa. Almost as importantly, there appeared to be no injuries that would restrict Cotter’s selection choices for that game.

SOUTH AFRICA: Tries: Burger, Pietersen, Habana. Cons: Pollard 2. Pens: Pollard 4. Drop goal: Pollard.

SCOTLAND: Try: Seymour. Con: Laidlaw. Pens: Laidlaw 2, Weir.

South Africa: W le Roux; JP Pietersen (P Lambie 71), J Kriel, D de Allende (J Serfontein 75), B Habana; H Pollard, F du Preez (R Pienaar 78); T Mtawarira (T Nyakane 61), B du Plessis (A Strauss 56), J du Plessis (F Malherbe 50), E Etzebeth, L de Jager (P-S du Toit 74), F Louw, S Burger ( W Alberts 70), D Vermeulen.

Scotland: S Hogg (S Lamont 63); T Seymour, R Vernon (P Horne 65), M Scott, T Visser, D Weir, G Laidlaw (S Hidalgo-Clyne 70); G Reid (A Dickinson 51), F Brown (R Ford 61), WP Nel (J Welsh 64), R Gray, J Gray (T Swinson 68), J Strauss (R Wilson 55), B Cowan, D Denton

Referee: N Owens (Wales). Attendance: 50,900.