A breathless match, all the more so given the thin air of Pretoria, but the upshot is, for all Scotland’s wit and energy, South Africa march on with another full house of points. The visitors were brilliant in scoring their four tries, their pace and skill regularly making mugs of their hosts, but power remains the thing the Springboks do better than anyone. At this altitude, it is very hard to stop.They were unanswerable in the middle of each half, scoring five of their six tries around then, but Scotland scored two apiece in the second and fourth quarters. They were within sight of a losing bonus point with 10 minutes to go. They even looked as if they might score again. But Jesse Kriel’s late score meant they had to settle for one.Let’s not get too carried away. This was not much more than the Springboks’ second or third team, given they were not at full strength last week, against England, and they made 10 further changes for this. Those looking for weaknesses in the world champions not much more than a year out from the next World Cup remain confounded.Still, Scotland showed here that there might be faults in and around the sheer power for those quicksilver enough to find them. They might have been playing against an outfit unfamiliar to each other, as well as the wider world, but they were on quite the itinerary. To arrive at this altitude, having flown in from Argentina, where they scored nearly 50 last weekend, and play like this is no mean feat. Finn Russell was back in the saddle, looking a million dollars, Ben White continues to impress beside him, and the pace throughout the side is now something they are exploiting on a consistent basis.Quick GuideJansen's debut try helps Ireland to Nations Championship win over JapanShowSean Jansen (centre of picture) scored a try on his Ireland debut as they made it a perfect opening two wins from two in their Nations Championship campaign with a 36-20 bonus-point win over Japan in Australia.Nick Timoney, Tom O’Toole, Robbie Henshaw and Tom Stewart were responsible for Ireland’s other tries, Ciarean Frawley kicked for six points and Harry Byrne for four to ensure they remained top of the Northern Hemisphere group.Ireland head coach Andy Farrell made nine changes from their narrow win over Australia, with Tadhg Beirne captaining for the first time and hooker Ronan Kelleher reaching a half-century of caps.No 8 Jansen started, while his Connacht teammates Billy Bohan and Sam Illo were also handed debuts off the bench alongside Ulster back-rower Bryn Ward.It did not take long for Japan to strike, capitalising on an error-strewn Ireland lineout that allowed Taira Main to run in their first try in the third minute. Ireland hit back six minutes later, keeping the pressure on after Henshaw took a big hit, and were rewarded when Timoney drove between the posts. There was another poor lineout from Farrell’s side before Takuro Matsunaga pulled Japan back in front with a penalty, then Ireland took the lead when O’Toole crossed the whitewash in the 20th minute, aided by Stuart McCloskey.The lead switched again as Matsunaga added a second penalty, but it was 19-13 to Ireland after Henshaw powered over with six minutes remaining in the first half.Illo came on for his debut in a double-change for Ireland, who started the second half more clinically as fellow replacement Bundee Aki justified his introduction, latching on to a Henshaw pass.His run got Ireland close, but it was Jansen who finally finished the job and secured the bonus point in the 50th minute.Japan kept it a contest, taking advantage again after Ireland let themselves down from the lineout, paving the way for substitute hooker Hayate Era to battle his way to a try two minutes before the hour.Byrne added a much-needed cushion with a penalty to make it 20-29 with 10 minutes remaining.Japan were reduced to 14 men when Era was sent off with three minutes remaining before Stewart, set up brilliantly by Ulster teammate Nathan Doak, sealed the win. PA MediaPhotograph: Brendan Moran/SportsfileThat they survived two tries in the blink of an eye at the end of the first quarter to level at the break with two of their own tells its own story. Embrose Papier’s break from a ruck for South Africa’s first was lightning quick, and from the restart South Africa were brutal and skilful in equal measure to score a second. Cobus Wiese, quite possibly around number 10 in the Springboks’ pecking order in the second row, was ferocious in a 30-metre charge from his own 22, having gathered the restart and been flung into his run, literally, by Boan Venter. Power followed by power, followed by tireless support play, and the Springboks had Scotland reeling. Evan Roos drove over from close range.Lesser teams might have folded at that point. But Scotland scored twice themselves on the approach to half-time. Matt Fagerson took a turn at driving over from close range for the first, before Scotland set up an attack from a lineout on the stroke of half-time. It broke down, but the maestro Russell was on to the loose ball, fed his captain Sione Tuipulotu on the switch, and Tuipulotu’s carry and off-load put Kyle Rowe over.Scotland kept the pressure on after the break too, all the more so when Ben-Jason Dixon was shown yellow for a clumsy clash of heads with Scott Cummings at a ruck. But the visitors were not quite able to make his absence tell. When Dixon returned, South Africa did make it tell, breaking the game open all over again with three tries either side of the hour mark. Elrigh Louw became the latest to drive over from close range for the first, Damian Willemse showed great feet and power to combine with Grant Williams for the next, two minutes later, before Zac Porthren, well, drove over from close range. That seemed the game, 35-14 with 15 minutes left.Quick GuideSouth Africa 42-28 Scotland: Nations Championship teams and scorersShowSouth Africa Fassi; Van der Merwe, Kriel, Willemse, Hooker (Pollard 46); Pollard (Horn 42), Papier (Williams 42); Venter (Wessels 42), Grobbelaar (Mchunu 62), W Louw (Porthren 42), C Wiese (Dixon 32), Nortje, De Villiers (Tshituka 67; De Villiers 74), Du Toit (capt), Roos (E Louw 42)Tries Papier, Roos, E Louw, Willemse, Porthren, Kriel Cons Pollard 5, Horn__________Scotland Rowe; Steyn, Hutchinson (McDowall 64), Tuipulotu (capt), Dobie (Jordan 68); Russell, White; Schoeman (Sutherland 68), Ashman (Hiddleston 59), Z Fagerson (Hurd 59), Brown (Williamson 64), Cummings, M Fagerson (Bradbury 59), Darge, Dempsey (Bayliss ht)Tries M Fagerson, Rowe, Bayliss, White Cons Russell 4 Yellow card Dixon 42__________Venue Loftus Versfeld Stadium, PretoriaReferee Pierre Brousset (France)Attendance 45,053Scotland had other ideas. They have power too, but, boy, do they have pace. Right throughout the team. Scott Cummings, lock forward, went clean through a hole in midfield and linked with Josh Bayliss, whose pace is no secret. The flanker ran home to the posts.skip past newsletter promotionafter newsletter promotionScotland were away again from the restart, Gregor Hiddleston the next forward to show clean heels. His break precipitated dazzling Scottish hands and feet down the left. When the ball came right, White broke from a ruck and reached for the line. Bonus point secured.Alas, the Scots could not hold on to the second bonus point. There were still 10 minutes to play, but it was Kriel who rounded off the scoring with a couple of minutes remaining. He looked somewhat in front of Handré Pollard when he chased the latter’s chip ahead, but he was allowed to gather and run the ball home.“The amount of opportunities the players created through work and skill and intelligence –we’ve got to take more to beat the world champions,” said Gregor Townsend. “So that’ll be the frustrating element, because we don’t get to play South Africa here very often. But we’ve come a long way this season. Today was another step forward.”