Springbok Flip van der Merwe
The also have a draw to show for more than a century of endeavour against South Africa. By contrast, Scotland have endured many more lean years than fat, yet they have won five times in 21 starts against the Boks. Take away the five games played in this country and the Scots have won a third of all their games against South Africa.
The last of those wins came at Murrayfield just two years ago, on a day of teeming rain. Written off after going down 49-3 to the All Blacks a week earlier, Scotland won 21-17, thereby stymying the Boks' best chance of a Grand Slam in half a century. The tourists rallied to beat England the following week, but by then it was too late.
There were mitigating circumstances in Edinburgh. Several stalwarts had been left at home with injuries and Bryan Habana broke his hand in training four days before the Scotland game. At the time there were dark rumours that Habana had been sent home before anyone could stick a needle into him, because a drug scandal had engulfed the squad.
It seems hard to believe at this distance, but there was a real chance that the tour might be abandoned at one stage after Bjorn Basson and Chiliboy Ralepelle tested positive for the banned stimulant methylhexaneamine following the opening Test against Ireland. The Springbok medical staff blamed a supplement that was being supplied to the whole squad, which suggested that if anyone cared to test the rest they would all be on the aeroplane home with Basson and Ralepelle.
This messy business had an unsettling effect on the squad and it became all too apparent on that Saturday afternoon. Tactical naivety, a regular Springbok bugbear, saw them kick away possession and surrender the initiative at the set pieces.
Fullback Zane Kirchner had a day to forget under the high ball and Frans Steyn was wasted at outside centre when he should have been shoring up the last line of defence.
Injuries
Just two years later, it is astonishing to contemplate that Kirchner is one of just four starters from 2010 who will do so again this weekend. Indeed, there is a real chance that this figure will drop to two, because both Jean de Villiers and Jannie du Plessis are battling to shake off injuries in time for kick-off.
Then there is the small matter of history repeating itself. Scotland played the All Blacks last week and, despite being the first side to score three tries against them in 2012, they went down 51-22.
This week's side is stiffened by the return of prop Euan Murray, who doesn't play on Sundays. Murray is a survivor of the 2010 winning team and has given a few scrumming lessons to Bok sides down the years.
The Scots have never been great tourists, but they beat Australia, Samoa and Fiji on their trip south this season and there are signs that they are building a decent unit. The win against Australia at the unlikely venue of Newcastle in southern New South Wales was the highlight. Playing in appalling conditions, Scotland won 9-6 to set the Wallabies off on a nightmare season that saw them thrashed 33-6 by France in Paris last week.
So there should be no reason to underestimate the Scots this time around and Bok coach Heyneke Meyer has spent the week talking up the opposition.
Greater conviction
Other than bringing in the experienced Gurthro Steenkamp, Meyer has resisted the urge to experiment. The only real tactical change is at centre, where Jaco Taute is replaced by the highly deserving Juan de Jongh.
Meyer now appears to believe that Taute's future lies at fullback, a surmise that would carry greater conviction were it not for Pat Lambie beginning the tour as the coach's second-choice fullback and now finding himself first-choice flyhalf.
Despite his designation, Lambie battled to get his hands on the ball in the first half against Ireland. Once the youngster gained the trust of the players around him and was allowed to make decisions, things changed for the better after half-time. It was, generally, a stuttering performance in Dublin and the question to be asked is whether that was due to unfamiliarity or fatigue.
Certain players enhanced their reputations. Francois Louw will never be a classic open-side flank, but he has found a way to compete in Test rugby and is now a force to be reckoned with.
Ruan Pienaar has put behind him the bad old days of hopping positions and has emerged as a genuinely Test-class scrumhalf.
Elsewhere there is the feeling that certain players are on borrowed time: Kirchner and Juandre Kruger fall into this category.
The match looks like being another hard day at the office and Meyer will be hoping that the rain stays away so that the pedigree of his side can stifle the mongrel that is Scottish rugby.