SCOTLAND only had themselves to blame for yesterday’s narrow loss against South Africa, according to the Scots man of the match Huw Jones.
The Glasgow centre produced some magical moments in front of a full house at Murrayfield. However, he was only too well aware of where things went wrong, and how bitter the taste of defeat was.
Describing how he felt afterwards, Jones admitted he was “massively disappointed. We came in to the game, knowing what they bring and I felt we dealt with that really well, their physicality and their kicking game.
“We went in at the break with the scores pretty close. The two tries we let in were pretty soft, mistakes of ours that they finished off really well.
“They had us at the breakdown a few times. It’s a disappointing loss but we know that we left a few chances out there. It’s our own fault really.”
He added; “Every time we seemed to make headway, they’d come back. Even when we got into their half, they would come back. We got into their 22 quite a few times, but just didn’t get over the line. But we just could never get ahead.”
Jones was singled out after the loss in the Doddie Weir Cup match against Wales in Cardiff for a couple of missed tackles, the first time he has had to face individual criticism during his 18-cap Scotland career.
Yesterday though, he showed what he was made of, both in terms of his contribution and how he had put that Cardiff disappointment behind him.
“It was the first time I’d come in for that much criticism. It’s upsetting but you need to get over it. For any professional player, having a game like that in Cardiff, you really take a knock to your confidence. But I was pretty chuffed when I was told I was back in the team.
“You always want to put that kind of thing right.”
Jones nevertheless, while happy with his contribution, conceded that Scotland’s first-half tries, good as they were, counted for little ultimately.
“I was pretty worried when they went to the TMO, but to get tries is always nice. The boys will enjoy watching those back.
“When we look back at this though, utlimately it's a loss, no matter what you did on the field.”
South Africa coach Rassie Erasmus said he took much from the win.
“I think to beat a team who have been on a great run, and really are a force in world rugby – and I believe Scotland are. That is so satisfying.”
Erasmus added he did not see his captain Siya Kolisi’s alleged headbutt on Peter Horne.
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