Wales v SA: Tale of the Cardiff tape

STAT ATTACK: Wales and South Africa share a great history between the two rugby-loving countries, and maybe another chapter will be written this weekend when they go head-to-head in Cardiff.

The sides first met in 1906 in Swansea, with South Africa recording the first victory in the storied rivalry, but it was in 1912 when they first met in Cardiff at the Arms Park Stadium where South Africa emerged as 3-0 winners.

Wales and South Africa have met on 42 occasions, with South Africa boasting 34 wins compared to Wales’ 11, there was also one draw.

In Cardiff, however, they’ve met 21 times out of those 42 meetings, with South Africa winning 15 Tests and Wales a mere five including the one draw.

South Africa recorded the first five victories in Cardiff and a draw before Wales recorded their first win in 1999.

South Africa bounced back since 2000 and won all eight meetings until 2013, before Wales started a mini dominance at home over the Boks.

In 2014 Wales got one back over the Boks and won the next three meetings against them in Cardiff until the Boks’ outgoing tour of 2018.

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South Africa have managed victories over Wales during that dominant Cardiff period, but it all took place at neutral venues – including two World Cup knockout matches in 2015 (quarterfinal) and 2019 (semifinal).

There has been a first Test win over the Boks on South African soil when Wales narrowly edged the hosts in Bloemfontein by 13-12 after a late score by Josh Adams and the match-winning conversion slotted by Gareth Anscombe back in 2022 to level the three-Test series.

South Africa have won the last two meetings in Cardiff with the last outing being a 52-16 rout in 2023 prior to the World Cup as a warm-up Test.

The odds are heavily stacked against the hosts who are currently on a 11-Test losing streak which marks their worst period in history ahead of their clash with the Boks this weekend.

Wales’ only win this season was in a non-Test when they narrowly edged Super Rugby side the Reds with a last-minute score to save their blushes.

All signs indicate this weekend won’t be the classic tight matches we’ve came to encounter between the two sides, but who knows, maybe, just maybe, Wales will keep their best performance of the season for last to write another great chapter in the storied rivalry.