Scots will try to make history against South Africa

DURBAN - Scotland aim to improve their away record when they meet South Africa tomorrow but will have their work cut out against a team who last lost at home in 2003.

"We've played really well at Murrayfield but we've not performed as well away from home, so the biggest challenge for us in these two tests is to perform well and build some confidence that we can play well away from home," Scotland captain Jason White said yesterday.

The Scots, who have never won in South Africa, are nearing the end of a campaign that started on June 5 last year, winning five of the nine tests they have played.

At Murrayfield, they lost to Argentina and New Zealand, but beat Samoa, France and England.

South Africa were beaten 52-16 by New Zealand in Pretoria in July 2003. It was a record home loss for the Springboks, but they have rebuilt steadily under coach Jake White and are now ranked second in the world.

"Not to lose a game in three years, and they're playing New Zealand and Australia regularly in the Tri-Nations, is a great record," White said.

"The Springboks are very direct when they attack, and their blitz defence causes a lot of problems.

"They're very set-piece orientated, they have a very good lineout and, without doubt, they will try to turn us over in the scrums. That's their mentality, they want to dominate you physically."

The teams have met 16 times since 1906, when they clashed in Glasgow, in South Africa's inaugural test. Scotland have won four of those encounters.

The last time the teams met, in Edinburgh in 2004, South Africa won 45-10.

Scotland, though, have been bullish about their chances of making history by winning tomorrow or in the second test in Port Elizabeth next weekend.

"We want to win, and we want to develop for next year's World Cup, and we want to mature as a squad," White said.

"We've always got one eye on the present and one on development for the future."

The fact that Scotland's season started a year ago has its positives, according to coach Frank Hadden.

"One of the things we've learned from our soccer friends is that when you're playing the nine-month season you have to taper the second half of it."

"We've done that, and some of our guys are surprisingly fresh and haven't played a lot of rugby recently.

"I think we've got a nice balance between guys who haven't played an awful lot and guys who are battle-hardened."

- REUTERS