South Africa vs Scotland Prediction & Betting Tips - Nations Championship

Prediction published on 09/07/2026, 11:40  by Ita Emmanuel | Modified on 10/07/2026 at 09:14 in Nations Championship Predictions

Scotland's upbeat performances of late come under a stern test as they travel to face World No. 1 South Africa in Round 2 of the Nations Championship on Saturday in Pretoria. The Thistles have lost each of their last 12 meetings against the Springboks and stand as underdogs against a South Africa side that has won its last nine Tests, mostly by blowout margins. Hence, our prediction here favors an emphatic victory for the world's best-ranked team.

South Africa doubled down on their terrific winning streak as they eased past sixth-ranked England by 24 points in their Nations Championship opener last week. The world's rugby heavyweights further demonstrated their depth and efficiency with seven players crossing the line to secure an emphatic 45–21 victory against the European giants.

Interestingly, that victory made it nine straight Test wins for the Springboks and saw them average a staggering winning margin of 48.7 points across their last three outings. They have put together 13 wins in their last 14 home matches, 10 of which by heavy margins. 

Scotland secured a shock nine-point away victory against Argentina in their Nations Championship opener, winning 47–38. That result snapped their six-match losing streak on the road against higher-ranked opposition. Nevertheless, with defeats in their last 12 meetings against South Africa, they are in for a stern challenge tomorrow.