Rugby, Australian Football: Rugby Union: Scotland we let it slip

Scotland captain Bryan Redpath was disappointed to see his side squander the lead in the latter stages of their first Test against South Africa.

Redpath watched his team enter the final quarter 25-12 up only to lose as the Springboks staged a late rally that saw them home 29-25 at the final whistle.

"We knew South Africa would come back at us and it is disappointing to have let it slip like that," he said. "They took their opportunities late in the game and secured the win."

But Redpath admitted the learning curve on dry fields was a great one for the Scots, and gave them an indication of what to expect in November in Australia when the World Cup rolls around.

"We're sure we will do better next week. We're confident and we did come here to learn. We have to improve our skills in dry conditions," he added.

Springbok coach Rudolf Straeuli was nonplussed by his side's performance, which was far from what local fans expected.

"A win is a win," he said. "We've only been together for a week and this is a small step for us.

"We will have to work on getting the combination between forwards and backs right. Next week we want to win in better style and I think you'll see a much better Test at Ellis Park."

Springbok captain Joost van der Westhuizen felt his side needed to get the basics right this week if they were to match their opposition better.

"We tried to stick to our game plan, but we lost a lot of our first-phase possession. We will take the win, it is the first step in our plan this year. But we certainly have a lot of work to do.

"We have to learn not to be too eager when we have the ball."

South Africa face Scotland again next weekend in Johannesburg.