The Springboks scored two tries in as many minutes at the outset. That both were scored by locks underscored the task that lay ahead of Wales in the capital city.
With little more than five minutes on the clock, Franco Mostert was away down the right wing to score, and before the home side knew it, Eben Etzebeth was doing likewise down the left thanks to an inside pass from wing Kurt-Lee Arendse for a 0-12 lead. Any hopes of a bright Welsh start – against all odds, granted – had soon faded.
Arendse then had acres of space to score his team’s third with a straightforward wide pass to the winger after a South African lineout in the Welsh 22. Fly-half Jordan Hendrikse registered his second conversion: 0-19.
Etzebeth, his country’s most-capped player, departed injured after half an hour, but ubiquitous Springbok firepower being what it is, he was replaced by the equally gargantuan RG Snyman. There was to be no let-up for Wales.
South Africa were in full overpower mode as they laid waste to the Welsh scrum on the home 5m, and then the Welsh try line as Elrigh Louw went over. Hendrikse added the two points: 0-26.
Rio Dyer, the Wales winger back in from the cold, showed the world all of his considerable speed with an angling run that the Boks were powerless to stop as he crossed for a try. It was the final act – barring fly-half Sam Costelow’s missed conversion – the home crowd needed after 40 minutes of seeing their team overrun by the world champions: 5-26.
Wales introduced Gloucester second row Freddie Thomas in the second half for a baptism of fire, but if ever a player wanted to see what the best looks like, it is this Springboks team.
Wales were in a good position to score their second as play neared 50 minutes, but inexplicably messed up their lineout in South Africa’s 22. The Boks had been let off the hook all too easily with the error, and capitalised on the reprieve by going up the other end of the pitch and scoring via Aphelele Fassi after a Cheslin Kolbe show-and-go put away the fullback: 5-31.
A set of pick-and-gos Gerhard Steenekamp his first Test try after an hour, and this time Hendrikse was able to convert for a 33-point lead. South Africa had their seventh try in the bag with a few minutes remaining as replacement scrum-half Cobus Reinach passed the ball in contact to Jordan Hendrikse – the only one of the brothers still on the pitch – to score. Hendrikse’s aggressively curling conversion was a delight to behold.
Wales showed their resilience with a try on the stroke of full time when flanker James Botham dived through a pile of would-be defenders to score. Costelow converted for a final score of 12-45.
It was to Wales’ credit that the cricket score many predicted never materialised, even if their inexperienced side were outshone in every facet of the game. For South Africa, it has been an Autumn Nations Series well played: undefeated and convincingly the best team in the world.
