Scotland 21-17 South Africa: Parks humbles the springboks

It seems vaguely appropriate that the story of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde was produced by one of Edinburgh's favourite sons, for the same city witnessed a transformation every bit as astonishing as anything from the imagination of Robert Louis Stevenson.

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• Battle charge: Scotland's Richie Gray Photograph: Ian Rutherford

The woeful rabble of last weekend morphed into yesterday's giant killers who claimed the world champion Springboks' scalp for only the fifth time in history. What a pity that just 35,000 fans chose to brave the elements to witness this jaw dropping drama. Andy Robinson's record with Scotland against the big three from the Southern Hemisphere now reads played three, won two.

Go figure!

After last Saturday's supine capitulation against New Zealand, a much- improved performance was required and this squad duly delivered. There wasn't much vintage rugby from either side, and the Boks claimed the only try of the match, but the Scots showed courage in abundance while the self-belief slowly worked its way back into their veins, first as a trickle and then in a torrent.

Presumably Peter de Villiers watched last weekend's match but still his side insisted on playing like playground bullies, attacking the narrow channels relentlessly, running at bodies rather than space and only rarely trusting their outside backs with the ball. Admittedly the wet conditions weren't ideal for Barbarian style running rugby but still the Boks were desperately limited in their ambition. The only time their backs really threatened was in the first half when Gio Aplon flew up on the left flank, but his inside pass got no further than Graeme Morrison.

This route one rugby played straight into the Scots' hands. With their pride stung by criticism, this team were in no mood to have sand kicked in their faces for the second Saturday in succession. The home side matched their opponents for physicality at the breakdown, they were wonderfully aggressive in defence, swarming all over the green shirts, and they tackled everything in sight. It warmed the heart on a cold, wet and miserable afternoon.

Not for the first time all of Scotland's points came from the boot of their enigmatic Aussie flyhalf Dan Parks, who kicked six penalties and slotted a first-half drop goal into the bargain. He varied the play expertly with deft chips and ranging touch-finders, but this victory was built firmly upon the sweat of the Scottish forwards.

Everyone played their part but leading the charge was John Barclay, Ross Ford and Allan "Chunk" Jacobsen who has never played as well in a Scotland shirt and may never do so again. In one little cameo the popular prop drove the giant Flip van Der Merve backwards after the replacement breakaway had snaffled a bobbling ball at the lineout. He scragged the Boks' scrumhalf Francois Hougaard and he won a key penalty at a set scrum. At one point Jacobsen even got involved in a spat with Victor Matfield at a lineout; the "sans culottes" of this world had fired a warning shot over the bows of rugby's royalty and the peasants' revolt was well under way.

In truth this Scottish win came despite problems at the lineout and scrum, where they lost their first four put-ins. Rory Lawson was under constant pressure and below his best because of it, hesitant at times with an occasionally erratic service. Still Lawson led the team magnificently and tracked back tirelessly on those few occasions that the Springboks threatened to break loose.

Morne Steyne is officially the best kicker in world rugby but he missed one first-half penalty and Frans Steyne missed another which didn't prevent the Boks from hoofing their way into an early 6-0 lead.

The Scots slowly found their feet and adjusted to the intensity of the game. Parks got his first penalty on 16 minutes and a sweet drop goal four minutes later to level the scores. Sean Lamont enjoyed a good charge up the midfield using a move from the training field and the home team were now dominating possession. South African fullback Zane Kirchener looked profoundly uninterested in Parks' up and under so the flyhalf duly fed him a few more. Further penalties from Parks and Morne Steyn's third success meant the Scots enjoyed a 12-9 lead at the break and the gap should have been bigger.

Both kickers swapped penalties early in the second half but the Springboks played with greater purpose even if they utilised the same narrow (minded) tactics. Parks put Nikki Walker under horrible pressure on his own try line by passing the ball instead of hoofing it off the park but Scotland survived that scare and extended their three-point lead to nine points with two more penalties on 63 and 67 minutes.

A wayward pass from Lawson saw the field open up for Richie Vernon who was on for Scott MacLeod. The mobile eight charged upfield but a lack of support meant that the move died, while Vernon felt like doing the same after being halved by Bakkies Botha. By now the crowd had woken up to the fact that they were witnessing something special, they responded by cheering every South African mistake to the rafters.

The Springboks had one last throw of the dice. With ten minutes left on the clock they marched a maul 20 metres over the Scottish try-line where the ball was deemed to have been held up. A penalty was kicked to touch and from the five-metre lineout Willem Alberts charged over unopposed. Had replacement Patrick Lambie's conversion gone through the posts the Scots would have been defending a perilous two-point lead.

Instead the ghost of Lambie's Scottish grandad obviously distracted the young flyhalf, he pulled his kick wide of the uprights and the whistle soon signalled wild Scots celebrations.

Scorers: Scotland: Pen: Parks (6), DG: Parks. South Africa: Try Van der Merwe. Pen: M Steyn (4).

Scotland Southwell, Walker (Paterson 73 min), Ansbro, Morrison, Lamont; Parks, Lawson; Jacobsen, Ford (Hall 67 min), Murray (Low 68 min), Gray, MacLeod (Vernon 34 min), Hines, Brown, Barclay.

South Africa: Kirchner, Aplon, F Steyn, de Villiers, Mvovo; M Steyn (Lambie 63 min), Hougaard (Pienaar 46 min); Mtawarira (van der Linde 71 min), B du Plessis (Strauss 73 min), J du Plessis, Botha (van der Merwe 64 min), Matfield, Stegmann (Alberts 46 min), Smith, Kankowski.

Referee: S Dickinson (ARU). Attendance: 35,555.

How they played

15 Hugo Southwell 7

Nerves of steel to wait for a rolling ball to cross the line late on before touching down and relieving some intense Boks pressure.

14 Nikki Walker 6

Mostly on the periphery but willing to run and carry at every rare opportunity.

13 Joe Ansbro 6

A bit over-awed by the occasion of his debut but showed some neat stepping and deft touches.

12 Graeme Morrison 8

Fine tackle on flyer Aplon as he went scorching up the wing. Was part of the all-round sound defence.

11 Sean Lamont 7

Surged into Boks 22 in carefully orchestrated line-out move that set up Parks for his drop goal. The most dangerous of the backs.

10 Dan Parks 8

All Scotland's points from six penalties and a drop goal in another trademark kicking performance leavened by variation in play.

9 Rory Lawson (capt) 7

Hesitant start as captain but turned it round to lead the team to a tremendous victory.

1 Allan Jacobsen 8

A personal grudge match with Matfield and a true terrier in loose play, hunting and harrying.

2 Ross Ford 7

A power of work in the loose with tackle after tackle blunting the Boks attacks. Erratic lineout throwing.

3 Euan Murray 7

The tighthead absorbed some fearsome pressure and anchored the scrum well.

4 Scott MacLeod 7

On course for a stormer until forced off by injury after 34 minutes to be replaced by Richie Vernon.

5 Richie Gray 8

Growing into the role and acquiring a streetwise factor they don't put in the coaching manuals.

6 Nathan Hines 8

Introduced to the back row to add weight and guile and was the inspiration for the pack's impressive display.

7 John Barclay 9

After the initial Boks onslaught, bossed the broken play and launched himself off the back of the scrum.

8 Kelly Brown 7

Lightning fast spoiling at the breakdown to ensure the South Africans were unable to produce much quick ball.

15 Zane Kirchner 5

Fumbled a high kick in first half and couldn't deal with an awkward grubber in the second.

14 Gio Aplon 6

A real flyer with ball in hand but the Scots saw the danger early on and ensured he didn't have any space.

13 Francois Steyn 6

Rallied the defence and prevented Scotland crossing the try line but had little opportunity to take the game to the home side.

12 Jean de Villiers 6

A class act and clinical in the tackle but again all his work was in defence without any error-free go forward.

11 Lwazi Mvovo 5

First cap standing in for Bryan Habana but hardly got a look-in on his wing.

10 Morne Steyn 6

Four penalties out of five was ultimately not enough for victory.

9 Francois Hougaard 6

Good but predictable distribution, hampered by lack of quality ball, replaced just after start of second half.

1 Tendai Mtawarira 5

Huffing and puffing from the Beast but he was coming off second best and couldn't do much about it.

2 Bismarck du Plessis 5

Tendency to concede penalties and a wild punch late in the game relieved the pressure on Scotland.

3 Jannie du Plessis 4

Anonymous throughout and beaten in the scrum and all round the park by Jacobsen.

4 Bakkies Botha 4

A destructive force and effective ball carrier but couldn't do it all himself until replaced late on.

5 Victor Matfield (capt) 5

As aggressive and combative has he has ever been in any of his 104 internationals but increasingly frustrated.

6 Deon Stegmann 5

Third cap but, apart from the first few minutes, failed to dominate his Scottish counterparts. Replaced for final half hour.

7 Juan Smith 6

A hard day ended in bewilderment at referee's decision to penalise him at a ruck in front of the posts that gave Parks his sixth penalty.

8 Ryan Kankowski 6

A couple of eye-catching breaks but they failed to result in anything productive. Previous wins over the boks

Scotland's 21-17 win was their fifth over South Africa in 21 meetings. Their previous victory came in 2002 when tries from Nikki Walker and Budge Pountney sealed a 21-6 Murrayfield triumph. The first came in 1906 when, like yesterday, the Scots prospered in the pouring rain. K G MacLeod and A B H L Purves scored a try apiece in a 6-0 win at Hampden.

2010: Scotland 21 South Africa 17

2002: Scotland 21 South Africa 6

1969: Scotland 6 South Africa 3

1965: Scotland 8 South Afirca 5

1906: Scotland 6 South Africa 0