Scotland need a 'perfect game' to beat South Africa - Lawson

Scotland need to have a "10 out of 10" game if they are to defeat the Springboks, according to former scrum-half Rory Lawson.

It's been 14 years since the Scots beat South Africa at Murrayfield - a game in which Lawson captained - with the Boks going on to win the World Cup twice since.

"When you welcome a team that's not only done it once, but has done it a record number of times, you know it's a challenge," Lawson told BBC Radio Scotland.

"For anybody in any high performance environment, you want to challenge yourself against the best in the world and that's exactly what Gregor Townsend and his side are going to be doing this weekend."

Rassie Erasmus' side added a fifth Rugby Championship title to their trophy cabinet over the summer, but come into the autumn internationals as the number two side in the world rankings.

"Scotland's defence will have to be very good, under Steve Tandy, you know what's coming with South Africa albeit they have evolved their game to play a little bit more now.

"Scotland have to get their attacking game right. Assuming they all get the other bits right, you have got to be able to score points against South Africa because they score points.

"I believe that Gregor Townsend, on the whole, will believe that Scotland's game - if they nail a ten out of ten game - with the way that they plan it, will win the game. I would be surprised if he didn't have a couple of little tricks up his sleeve."

The Scottish attack looked to be at its best in a record 57-17 win over Fiji - and that was without first-choice half-backs Ben White and Finn Russell.

"We saw a couple of set piece plays last week against Fiji that just shows the creativity. He'll have unpicked all of the aspects of the Springboks' game that he believes there's even a slightest opportunity to have a go at them.

"They can have off days. They can have six out of ten days. There's part of that that you can create yourselves by asking questions of them that put them under pressure. That's exactly the way that Townsend will have looked to come into this week."

Apart from hoping South Africa have an off-day, Lawson believes Scotland will have to match South Africa in the biggest asset of their game - physicality.

"Every game, you know you have to be emotionally there. Emotion is such an important thing because it's directly linked to being physically ready for the challenge.

"Against South Africa it's different. You know that within their DNA, it is physicality. They love body on body contact. They typically seek physical dominance.

"That is the core of what matters to South African players. It's what matters to South African people. Physically and mentally and emotionally, you've got to be ready for the challenge and know what's coming."