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'For 60 minutes we went toe-to-toe with the Springboks' - Ewan Ashman

By PA
Eben Etzebeth of South Africa is challenged by Ewan Ashman of Scotland during the Autumn Nations Series 2024 match between Scotland and South Africa at the Scottish Gas Murrayfield on November 10, 2024 in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Ewan Ashman believes Scotland can draw plenty of encouragement from their valiant effort against South Africa on Sunday as they build towards next year’s Six Nations.

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The Scots went down 32-15 to the double world champions at Murrayfield after dominating long periods of the second half and threatening to get their noses in front.

Gregor Townsend’s side – who played 20 minutes of the first half with 14 men following Scott Cummings’ red card – got within four points of the Springboks just after the hour and were within a converted score until the 74th minute, when the visitors started to close the game out.

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Rassie Erasmus on facing England at Twickenham Stadium on Saturday.

The Springboks will be bracing themselves for a huge showdown against an England team desperate to right the wrongs after suffering back-to-back home defeats.

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Rassie Erasmus on facing England at Twickenham Stadium on Saturday.

The Springboks will be bracing themselves for a huge showdown against an England team desperate to right the wrongs after suffering back-to-back home defeats.

Despite the frustration at missing out on a first victory over South Africa since 2010, hooker Ashman feels the Scots can be buoyed by the way they played as they prepare for two more Autumn Tests against Portugal and Australia before kicking off their Six Nations campaign at home to Italy at the start of February.

“Everybody’s disappointed because that was an opportunity for us and we let it slip,” he said.

Defence

146
Tackles Made
125
17
Tackles Missed
26
90%
Tackle Completion %
83%

“We probably won’t have another crack at them for two or three years. But there’s still a massive pride amongst the lads, and I think it’s just like a fire of confidence for us.

“You look at the positives of the game, like the defensive performance, the effort, that’s something that we can take forward into the next couple of games, into the Six Nations.

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“We were playing 14 men against the best-stats Springboks team, world champions. Obviously we need to learn and we need to be more clinical, but we can also take the positives and build on that.”

All of Scotland’s 15 points came from the boot of Finn Russell and Ashman rued their inability to get over the whitewash while on top.

“I think for 60 minutes we went toe-to-toe with the Springboks, but we just didn’t convert in those key moments and that’s the difference in these big games against a top, top team,” he said.

“It’s fine margins. We just weren’t clinical enough in that 22. If we want to take the scalps of world champions or top teams like that, you can’t miss one or two chances. You have to take every one.

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Eben Etzebeth
A general view as tempers flare between players of Scotland and South Africa during the Autumn Nations Series 2024 match between Scotland and South Africa at the Scottish Gas Murrayfield on November 10, 2024 in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

“But I’m really proud of the effort, the boys were banging. Even with the red card for 20 minutes, the boys fronted up. I think it was one of the best defensive performances we’ve put in.”

Ashman, who made his debut three years ago, is relishing the opportunity to make the number two jersey his own following George Turner’s transfer to Japan in the summer, which effectively removed him from Scotland contention.

“Yeah, obviously, that’s everybody’s dream,” said the 24-year-old Edinburgh player.

“You want to play for your country and that’s exactly what I want to do. But all I can do is control my performances and that’s just what I try and do.

“I’m on 21 caps now and I feel like I’m one of the less-new players in the squad, so I’m just trying to step forward for the lads and put my hand up.”

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Comments

4 Comments
N
NS 8 days ago

Pity you couldn't go 80 minutes. Because that's when it counts.

M
MakeOllieMathisAnAB 9 days ago

They look good in the redzone until the handling errors let the Boks off the hook.

J
JJB 9 days ago

Scotland were awesome, true grit and stood their ground with the mighty Boks. Great game to watch.

N
Ninjin 9 days ago

Yup they gave our "B team" a go. I am a Hugh Jones fan and believe he is the only Scot that might make a Bok team. Hope he goes on the B & I Lions tour.

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JW 1 hour ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Ok, managed to read the full article..

... New Zealand’s has only 14 and the professional season is all over within four months. In France, club governance is the responsibility of an independent organisation [the Ligue Nationale de Rugby or LNR] which is entirely separate from the host union [the Fédération Française de Rugby or FFR]. Down south New Zealand Rugby runs the provincial and the national game.

That is the National Provincial Championship, a competition of 14 representative union based teams run through the SH international window and only semi professional (paid only during it's running). It is run by NZR and goes for two and a half months.


Super Rugby is a competition involving 12 fully professional teams, of which 5 are of New Zealand eligibility, and another joint administered team of Pacific Island eligibility, with NZR involvement. It was a 18 week competition this year, so involved (randomly chosen I believe) extra return fixtures (2 or 3 home and away derbys), and is run by Super Rugby Pacific's own independent Board (or organisation). The teams may or may not be independently run and owned (note, this does not necessarily mean what you think of as 'privately owned').


LNR was setup by FFR and the French Government to administer the professional game in France. In New Zealand, the Players Association and Super Rugby franchises agreed last month to not setup their own governance structure for professional rugby and re-aligned themselves with New Zealand Rugby. They had been proposing to do something like the English model, I'm not sure how closely that would have been aligned to the French system but it did not sound like it would have French union executive representation on it like the LNR does.

In the shaky isles the professional pyramid tapers to a point with the almighty All Blacks. In France the feeling for country is no more important than the sense of fierce local identity spawned at myriad clubs concentrated in the southwest. Progress is achieved by a nonchalant shrug and the wide sweep of nuanced negotiation, rather than driven from the top by a single intense focus.

Yes, it is pretty much a 'representative' selection system at every level, but these union's are having to fight for their existence against the regime that is NZR, and are currently going through their own battle, just as France has recently as I understand it. A single focus, ala the French game, might not be the best outcome for rugby as a whole.


For pure theatre, it is a wonderful article so far. I prefer 'Ntamack New Zealand 2022' though.

The young Crusader still struggles to solve the puzzle posed by the shorter, more compact tight-heads at this level but he had no problem at all with Colombe.

It was interesting to listen to Manny during an interview on Maul or Nothing, he citied that after a bit of banter with the All Black's he no longer wanted one of their jersey's after the game. One of those talks was an eye to eye chat with Tamaiti Williams, there appear to be nothing between the lock and prop, just a lot of give and take. I thought TW angled in and caused Taylor to pop a few times, and that NZ were lucky to be rewarded.

f you have a forward of 6ft 8ins and 145kg, and he is not at all disturbed by a dysfunctional set-piece, you are in business.

He talked about the clarity of the leadership that helped alleviate any need for anxiety at the predicaments unfolding before him. The same cannot be said for New Zealand when they had 5 minutes left to retrieve a match winning penalty, I don't believe. Did the team in black have much of a plan at any point in the game? I don't really call an autonomous 10 vehicle they had as innovative. I think Razor needs to go back to the dealer and get a new game driver on that one.

Vaa’i is no match for his power on the ground. Even in reverse, Meafou is like a tractor motoring backwards in low gear, trampling all in its path.

Vaa'i actually stops him in his tracks. He gets what could have been a dubious 'tackle' on him?

A high-level offence will often try to identify and exploit big forwards who can be slower to reload, and therefore vulnerable to two quick plays run at them consecutively.

Yes he was just standing on his haunches wasn't he? He mentioned that in the interview, saying that not only did you just get up and back into the line to find the opposition was already set and running at you they also hit harder than anything he'd experienced in the Top 14. He was referring to New Zealands ultra-physical, burst-based Super style of course, which he was more than a bit surprised about. I don't blame him for being caught out.


He still sent the obstruction back to the repair yard though!

What wouldn’t the New Zealand rugby public give to see the likes of Mauvaka and Meafou up front..

Common now Nick, don't go there! Meafou showed his Toulouse shirt and promptly got his citizenship, New Zealand can't have him, surely?!?


As I have said before with these subjects, really enjoy your enthusiasm for their contribution on the field and I'd love to see more of their shapes running out for Vern Cotter and the like styled teams.

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