FULL-TIME, SOUTH AFRICA 18-3 SCOTLAND. A truly emphatic win by the defending champions, South Africa showing their true quality in the face of a fiesty and determined Scotland… but that's the difference at the very top level. South Africa were at times sublime and if they keep improving they will be hard to beat. Scotland had it hard starting against the world champs, but they are definitely a team worth watching. Thanks for following the match with us, and enjoy the rest of the World Cup action we have for you LIVE from France.

Lovely run by Scotland, the ball going out to the wing, but Scotland again breaking the play down.

Scotland pressing hard, looking for a morale-boosting try…

Scotland with a lineout 8 metres out… the Boks steal the ball and Le Roux breaks and drive downfield on a superb run, and he was arguably on the way to a sensational try… but he is ankle-tapped and goes to ground.

Scotland spread the ball wide and quick but they can't find a way through the Boks.

Scotland feed the scrum short of their 22… they feed it right but are forced back, then spread it left… but the Boks are covering all areas superbly.

SUBSTITUTION, SOUTH AFRICA. Libbok gets a break for the last 10 minutes, with Le Roux taking his place.

WASTED! Scotland again concede a penalty, and the Boks clear the danger deep upfield

Du Toit with a great break past his 22 and driving upfield. but he's tackled hard and the ball is knocked forward… Scotland will feeds the scrum just short of the Bok 22…

A busy passage of play as possession chops and changes, both sides taking turns to run at one another, as the play slowly moves upfield into Bok territory… and the Boks concede a penalty on the halfway line.

Scotland controlling the ball beautifully, swinging left then right, then trying to drive upfield again… but it's a penalty for the Boks just ahead of the 10m line. Scotland could not afford to have lost that possession… time is running out rapidly.

Mbonambi\s throw favours the Boks, so the ref blows and Scotland will have the lineout… they win the ball and Russell kicks into the corner…

Boks with the lineout…

The players take stock of the match during the mandatory drinks break… you won't believe the heat in France at the moment. Cooking like the Karoo.

SUBSTITUTION, SOUTH AFRICA. Wiese takes a break and Vermeulen is on to bring fresh power to the base of the Bok scrum.

Oooooh! De Klerk's kick scrapes the outside of the far post, and Scotland clear upfield.

The Scottish front row cave to the Boks and it's a penalty inside the Scottish half about 7 metres in from the touchline.

SUBSTITUTION, SCOTLAND. The Scots change their front row in one go - Cherry, Bhatti and Nel replacing Schoeman, Turner and Fagerson.

Scotland drive forward into the Springbok half, they push into the 22, looking to strike back right away… but they concede a penalty, and Libbok clears to just short of the Scottish 10m.

CONVERSION, SOUTH AFRICA, DE KLERK! 18-3; Faf de Klerk takes over the kicking duties and curls the conversion over the poles, the natural arc of his left-foot pulling the ball just inside the post… but it's over… it's two more points… and it's a three-score game now for Scotland… and how brave they have to be from here!

TRY, SOUTH AFRICA, ARENDSE! 16-3; Magnificent skills from Libbok, and great finish by Libbok. Boks are starting to command this tie, make no mistake about that!

The Boks are driving hard now, commanding the centre of the field… Libbok pokes a long kick across field almost to the Scottish 22… and ARENDSE is there to catch it, and he's storming through to the line and no-one is going to catch him…

TRY, SOUTH AFRICA, DU TOIT! 11-3; Lovely try from the Boks, and that might take a little bit of stuffing out of the Scots. Libbok's conversion attempt from 10 metre in from touch is wife, so it's a two-score game at the moment.

De Klerk feeds the line, De Allende charges into the Scottish defence… the ball is fed out left… Du Toit gets the ball 5 metres out, he hits the Scottish line and then his team-mates pour in behind him to drive him over the line…

Boks win the ball back and charge forward, the ball is spread wide to the right and Arendse jinks inside from the wing but is brought down 5 metres from the line… the Boks keep pushing and win a penalty… and they'll take the scrums 8 metres short of the Scottish line…

Libbo strikes it from about 55 metres… and 10 metres in from touch… but it's short and wide.

The Boks win the first scrum after the break… but Scotland are penalised and the Boks have a penalty just inside their own half… and Libbok is going for poles!

KICK-OFF! We're underway with the second half - it's South Africa against Scotland in the 2023 Rugby World Cup!

HALF-TIME, SOUTH AFRICA 6-3 SCOTLAND. There's been plenty of hustle and bustle as two of the top-ranked sides in the world push and press for every yard of advantage. The Boks have looked stronger and more dangerous on attack, but Scotland are showing some excellent attacking instincts. The second half could get seriously feisty and both sides will want full points from the match. The Boks are looking better value for it, but it's so close that if Scotland can get their tactics to work on the field then they could give the Boks a real run for their Rand!

HALF-TIME, SOUTH AFRICA 6-3 SCOTLAND.

PENALTY, SCOTLAND, RUSSELL! 6-3; The Scotman slides it effortlessly through the posts. Lovely lick and the perfect way to end a super tough 40 minutes of rugby.

Superb scrum from Scotland push the Boks back and they win a penalty a few metres short of the Bok 10m… and this is the perfect chance or Scotland to open the score before the break for oranges and a cup of tea.

Scotland win the ball and run left, then send it back to the right… but they knock-on after running into the Springbok defensive wall… scrum South Africa.

Scrum collapses and the Springboks are sent packing 10 metres as Scotland clear the danger upfield.

Scotland win the scrum and clear the danger, the sides taking the chance for a quick drink… but we're backing scrumming on the Scottish 22… Scotland to feed again…

Boks win the ball drive a maul into the Scottish 22… and they concede a scrum inside Scotland's danger-danger area.

Boks win their lineout near the Scottish 22, Kolisi breaks well and combines with his backline, the Boks driving hard to the Scottish line, running it right then left; then a poke through towards the tryline but Scotland claim the ball and clear. Superb attacking from the Boks.

… but Kitshoff intercepts and the Boks break up the attack.

After a spell of kicking and attempted netball, Kolbe chases back a deep kick, just keeps the ball in play, the Boks drive forward only for Scotland to counter at pace down the line, but a great tackle halts the Scottish attack. This is superb rugby. Scotland still with the ball, spreading left then right…

No yellow card for Scotland, but the Boks have a penalty to clear the danger, Libbok spiralling the ball deep into the Scottish half. Wasted ball from the Scots.

Superb pressure from Scotland up in the Bok 22 but the Boks withstand the pressure, with Arendse breaking play up with an intercept before being shoulder charged to the ground… and the TMO looking carefully at the screen…

SUBSTITUTION, SOUTH AFRICA. Etzebeth is replaced by Snyman… not good news for South Africa.

Scotland push deep into South Africa's half and the Boks concede a penalty.

PENALTY, SOUTH AFRICA, LIBBOK! 6-0; Beautifully stroked through the posts by Libbok.

Scotland give a penalty away near their 22 and Libbok will have a crack from the left wing 12 metres in…

Both sides playing with a lot of pace and power, not scared to kick, run or ruck. A really good contest at the moment, albeit with the Boks looking the stronger.

A lovely passage of play by the Boks ended with Scotland dumping De Allende into touch and with a bit of afters perhaps, and the two sides square up on the touchline, lots of pushing and shoving and dipping into handbags.

Mbonambi is on to replace Marks temporarily at least.

Marks breaks from the lineout ruck, flips to De Allende, who can't take it one-handed and the ball is knocked on. Marks has a cut over his eye that has opened up and blood gushes…

And Scotland give a penalty away at the lineout… Libbok kicking into touch 10 metres inside the Scottish 22.

The Boks win Scotland's lineout, run the ball to the wing and drive into the Scottish half before being run into touch. Danger, danger… watch out for the rampant Springboks!

… the Boks are pushing and charging at Scotland past their 10m line, but finally the Scottish have a reprieve with a penalty.

Scotland with the ball run it right with Russell and then back left as they push the halfway line… but the Boks have turnover ball… De Klerk chips over into the 22 and Kinghorn claims the mark, but his clearance is taken by Willemse who charges forward…

PENALTY, SOUTH AFRICA, LIBBOK! 3-0; The Boks are on the board and in the lead!

The Boks win the ball back and ruck hard on the Scottish 10m… and they win a penalty for a deliberate knock-down by France. Libbok points to the poles again. This time he's in front of the posts and 7 metres ahead of the 10m line.

No luck for Libbok as he pulls the penalty from the right.

The Boks win a scrum and Scotland is penalised and the Boks have a penalty… and they're going for poles.

That scrum took some time to come together… Scotland run it wide but the Boks draw them to ground, Scotland swing it left but Kitshoff is penalised.

Scotland with the first scrum of the game just short of their 10m…

Libbok launches another one for Boks to chase into the Scottish half and they drive the Scottish out to touch.

Libbok with another kick over the Scottish, this one into the ingoal area and Scotland clear deep.

Libbok with a cross kick but the bounce is just wrong, but the Boks are up near the Scottish line and pouring on the pressure… a clearance kick is charged down but it bounces out of play. Gooooooood morning Scotland! The Boks are here to play!

KICK-OFF! We're underway here with South Africa against Scotland… in the 2023 Rugby World Cup!

Our referee today comes from a land down under… welcome Angus Gardner from Australia, and he will be assisted by Nika Amashukeli from Georgia, as well as fellow-Aussie Jordan Way. Welshman Ben Whitehouse will be on TMO duties.

Scotland: 15 Blair Kinghorn, 14 Duhan van der Merwe, 13 Huw Jones, 12 Sione Tuipulotu, 11 Darcy Graham, 10 Finn Russell, 9 Ben White, 8 Jack Dempsey, 7 Rory Darge, 6 Jamie Ritchie (c), 5 Grant Gilchrist, 4 Richie Gray, 3 Zander Fagerson, 2 George Turner, 1 Pierre Schoeman. Replacements: 16 David Cherry, 17 Jamie Bhatti, 18 WP Nel, 19 Scott Cummings, 20 Matt Fagerson, 21 Ali Price, 22 Cameron Redpath, 23 Ollie Smith.

South Africa: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Cheslin Kolbe, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Steven Kitshoff. Replacements: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Ox Nche, 18 Trevor Nyakane, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Marco van Staden, 21 Duane Vermeulen, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Willie le Roux.

They were due to play a series in 2020 before COVID cancelled the tour, but they did meet last in Edinburgh in 2021, South Africa running out 35-15 winners.

The two sides have only met 10 times since 2007, with South Africa winning nine of those matches, including the last seven. Scotland last beat South Africa 21-17 in Edinburgh in 2010. Their biggest defeat of those 10 matches was the 55-6 routing they endured in Port Elizabeth.

Today's clash is set to be only the third time they have squared up in the World Cup, with South Africa winning both of those previous clashes. The Boks won 46-29 in 1999 and 34-16 in 2015.

Scotland have enjoyed some solid wins in recent weeks, including beating Italy (25-13), France (25-21) and Georgia (33-6). They did suffer a 30-27 loss to France among those results, but they come in full of confidence. Earlier this year they finished third in a tough Six Nations which saw them win three of their five games, losing only to Ireland and France, both of whom finished above Scotland on the final table.

Their last two games have set them up perfectly to defend their World Cup title, smashing Wales 16-52 away from home, before taking New Zealand's badge and gun in a 7-35 rout at Twickenham in London. This was the All Blacks' biggest Test loss in their history, although they were a man down for much of the game, and down to 13 for 10 minutes. Still… look in the book, son!

They then squeaked home 22-21 at home to Argentina before beating them more comfortably 13-24 away.

South Africa have won five of their six internationals this year, starting with a 43-12 win over Australia, before being beaten 35-20 away to New Zealand.

If one goes by the world rankings, South Africa could be expected to make the final. Although fifth place in world rugby is an incredible achievement, for Scotland it suggests that (purely statisically) they might be expected once again to drop out at the quarter-final stage. But what counts is what happens out on the park… as well as recent form…

Judging by that record (and by the size of some of their lads!) you don't want to face up to them expecting a walk in the park… but when it comes to the best in show, they haven't proven yet that they have what it takes.

They were eliminated in the quarter-finals on six occasions, and in fact made the quarters in the first six World Cups. In 2011 and 2019 they went out in the pool stages, and in 2015 they again qualified for the quarters.

Scotland made the semi-final in 1991 when they were one of five hosts… and they lost the third-place playoff match to end in fourth place. To be fair they gave New Zealand a good game, losing just 13-6. But that's the height of their bar.

Scotland in the World Cup… ok, it's better than their record in the football World Cup, although that's not saying much.

South Africa have never failed to make it to the quarter-finals of the Rugby World Cup, losing twice at that stage, losing twice in the semi-final (both years ending in third place) and being crowned champions on three occasions. That's one hell of a record!

The Boks have also never lost a final, whereas New Zealand lost to South Africa in 1995. South Africa also have the best win rate (ie success in winning the World Cup) in the history of the World Cup, with a 42% win rate ahead of New Zealand's 33%

South Africa are the KINGS of World Cup rugby. The Boks have lifted the Webb Ellis Trophy on three occasions, putting them level with the All Blacks… however, the Boks have played in just seven World Cups compared to the nine of New Zealand.

Good afternoon and welcome to arguably the BIGGEST clash of the group stages… South Africa (ranked 2nd in the world) front up to Scotland (ranked 5th in the world) at the Orange Velodrome. It's day 3 of the 2023 Rugby World Cup… we've have two days of dramatic and thrilling rugby… what do South Africa and Scotland have in store for us today?