South Africa extended their dominance over Wales with a commanding 43-0 victory in the third round of the Nations Championship at Hollywoodbets Kings Park in Durban. The Springboks ran in seven tries to maintain their unbeaten record in the competition and cement their position at the top of the world rankings.
Number eight Jasper Wiese opened the scoring after a charging run exposed Wales' fragile defensive line, with scrum-half Cobus Reinach crossing shortly after from a dominant set-piece. Centre Jessie Kriel added a third before half-time, gathering a speculative Vusi Moyo cross-kick to give the hosts a 19-0 lead at the break.
South Africa, fielding a much-changed side with four debutants including 20-year-old fly-half Vusi Moyo — the youngest Springbok to wear the number 10 jersey — continued their stranglehold after the interval. Jaco Williams sprinted away for the bonus-point try following a loose Welsh kick, before replacement scrum-half Herschel Jantjies scored his first Test try in three years. Kurt-Lee Arendse glided over from wide on the left, and flanker Paul de Villiers crashed over from a driving maul to complete the scoring.
The result means the aggregate score across the past two meetings between these sides stands at a staggering 116-0, following Wales' 73-0 record home defeat in Cardiff last November. Wales have now failed to score a single point against the Springboks across 160 minutes of rugby.
Wales head coach Steve Tandy expressed his disappointment after the match. "I am bitterly disappointed with the scoreline," Tandy said. "I commend the team around the effort, they stayed in the fight for large parts of the game. There's massive pride in our players, how hard they work and the effort they put in, up against the world champions."
Wales captain Dewi Lake, passed fit despite limping off against Argentina, insisted there had been growth. "Some people might be shocked with me saying that with the scoreboard looking as it does, but there is a lot of improvement in that," Lake added. "We're not happy with the nil on the scoreboard, we're not happy with losing, there's a lot for us to improve on, but we've had growth."
Flanker Jac Morgan, who missed the match through a shoulder injury that kept him out for eight Tests, insisted the squad is developing. "I think we are closing the gap — or at least we hope we are," Morgan said. "You can see the progress we've made since the autumn."
The Springboks, without rested stars Siya Kolisi, Cheslin Kolbe, Ox Nche and Eben Etzebeth, top the southern hemisphere table at the halfway stage of the inaugural Nations Championship with three wins from three, following earlier victories against England and Scotland. Wales, who opened their campaign with a 39-21 win over Fiji, have now suffered back-to-back defeats after their 35-21 loss to Argentina in San Juan and lie 11th in the world rankings.
Wales' first season under Tandy ends with three wins — against Japan, Italy and Fiji — and nine defeats from 12 internationals. They will face Japan, New Zealand and Australia in Cardiff in November before the Nations Championship finals weekend at Twickenham.
Sources
- https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/articles/ckg9mprjrvjo
- https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/articles/ckg62xwdwpxo
- https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/articles/c1514nglnnyo
