Scotland lock Richie Gray has pinpointed the key issue that led to his side’s loss against South Africa in their World Cup opener in Marseille. Scotland went into half-time with a 6-3 lead, but Gray highlighted the team’s slow reaction to South Africa’s change in intensity after the break as the decisive factor in the match.
Gray explained that Scotland knew a reaction was coming from the Springboks in the second half, but they failed to respond quickly enough in the crucial 10 to 15 minutes following the break. South Africa came out stronger in the second half, winning a scrum penalty early on, which set the tone for the rest of the match.
Gray acknowledged that South Africa started to move the ball more and increased their intensity at the breakdown and scrum, and Scotland was unable to match that level of play. He emphasized that those crucial minutes after half-time cost them the game, especially against a strong side like South Africa.
The loss to South Africa has put Scotland in a challenging position in the World Cup, and they will need to regroup and address their issues as they continue their campaign.
