South Africa v Wales - Teams and Prediction
PREVIEW: The final round of the Southern Hemisphere leg of the Nations Championship sees the Springboks welcome Wales to Durban on Saturday.
The two teams head into the round three fixture at opposite ends of the scale when it comes to form in recent years.
The Springboks are certainly overwhelming favourites, with not a lot of fans giving the Welsh a chance against the world champions.
A win for the Springboks will see them register their 11th straight win in a row, which includes Nations Championship victories over England and Scotland.
For Wales, it’s a case of a rebuilding process rather than results under head coach Steve Tandy. Traditionally one of the most physical sides in world rugby, the Welsh have endured a difficult spell in recent years but have shown encouraging signs of improvement.
During the Six Nations, Wales recorded a 31-17 win over Italy before putting up a brave fight in defeats against Ireland (17-27) and Scotland (23-26).
They also opened their Nations Championship campaign with a win over Fiji, but could not overcome Argentina, suffering a 21-35 defeat.
Despite the loss, Springbok assistant coach Deon Davids believes they will be eager to put in a strong performance against the Boks following a difficult period.
“They [Wales] are going through a spell now where I think they are working very hard to build an upward curve,” said Davids.
“I think they would have learned a lot in the Six Nations and also in the game against Argentina.
“You can see improvements in their game. I think with them coming here and having the opportunity to play against us, that will be the next step for them in improving certain areas and becoming more competitive.”
The last time the two teams met, the reigning world champions handed Wales their heaviest home defeat (0-73) in Cardiff.
However, Davids insisted past results count for little, with South Africa fully focused on maintaining their standards while continuing to build squad depth and combinations.
“For us, we approach this game as a proper Test match,” said the 58-year-old.
“It’s always about having the same mindset and ensuring that we build our game the way we want to play and maintain momentum going forward.
“We expect a very tough game, a very physical game and a side that doesn’t go away.
“We will have to ensure that we execute with quality, put pressure on them, maintain that pressure and take the opportunities we get in the game.”
Heading to Durban, Wales had a major injury concern, but the team received a much-needed boost with captain Dewi Lake selected to start despite struggling with a groin injury earlier this week.
Tandy has opted for a six-two split on the Wales bench, which will provide some freshness in the pack.
“It’s the back-end of the season for us. We had a physical encounter last week, with lots of travel,” said the head coach Tandy.
“It’s definitely going to be a physical encounter on the weekend, so it’s making sure we’ve got freshness to come off the bench and add a lot of energy and physicality.”
Tandy acknowledged that his team faces a mammoth task against the back-to-back world champions, particularly after an inconsistent Six Nations campaign and last week’s defeat to Argentina, but has backed his team’s depth to produce an 80-minute performance.
“We’ve got a young group that are developing and over the last 11 months we’ve seen other combinations.
“We’re getting more consistency in and around our game and we believe that the 23 will have plenty of physicality and energy for the weekend.”
Players to Watch
For South Africa: There is no shortage of talent in the Springboks squad, but much of the spotlight will fall on Vusi Moyo, who is set to make his Test debut at flyhalf. The talented playmaker starred for the Junior Springboks and now faces the biggest challenge of his young career as he takes control of the attack against Wales. The hosts also hand debuts to Jaco Williams, Ruben van Heerden and Carlu Sadie. Williams brings genuine pace and attacking flair out wide, while Van Heerden adds physicality and a dependable line-out presence in the second row. Up front, Sadie will be tasked with holding his own in the scrums against a traditionally powerful Welsh pack.
For Wales: Captain Dewi Lake remains one of Wales’ most influential figures. A commanding presence at the set-piece, the hooker’s leadership will be crucial as the visitors look to upset the world champions. Flanker Jac Morgan is another key man to watch. One of Wales’ most consistent performers, Morgan thrives at the breakdown and boasts an exceptional work rate, making him a constant threat around the park. Out wide, Louis Rees-Zammit and Josh Adams possess the pace and finishing ability to punish any defensive lapses, giving Wales genuine strike power whenever opportunities arise.
Prediction
@rugby365com: South Africa by 25 points or more.
Teams:
South Africa: 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Jaco Williams, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Vusi Moyo, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Paul de Villiers, 5 Ruben van Heerden, 4 Cobus Wiese, 3 Carlu Sadie, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp
Replacements: 16 Andre-Hugo Venter, 17 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 Ben-Jason Dixon, 20 Marco van Staden, 21 Herschel Jantjies, 22 Manie Libbok, 23 Damian Willemse
Wales: 15 Blair Murray, 14 Louis Rees-Zammit, 13 Max Llewellyn, 12 Ben Thomas, 11 Josh Adams, 10 Dan Edwards, 9 Tomos Williams, 8 Aaron Wainwright, 7 Jac Morgan, 6 Alex Mann, 5 Adam Beard, 4 Teddy Williams, 3 Dillon Lewis, 2 Dewi Lake (captain), 1 Rhys Carre.
Replacements: 16 Ryan Elias, 17 Nicky Smith, 18 Ben Warren, 19 Freddie Thomas, 20 Tommy Reffell, 21 James Botham, 22 Reuben Morgan-Williams, 23 Joe Hawkins.
Date: Saturday, July 18
Venue: Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban
Kick-off: 17.40 SAST (16.40 BST; 15.40 GMT)
Expected weather conditions: It will be sunny with a high of 26°C and a low of 14°C
Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Pierre Brousset (France), James Doleman (New Zealand)
TMO: Olly Hodges (Ireland)
