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South Africa completed their group with a maximum haul, brushing Wales aside 43-0 at Hollywoodbets Kings Park to make it three wins from three in the Nations Championship. This was a heavy defeat by any measure, and it leaves Wales still searching for the kind of performance that might trouble the top sides in this competition.
The Springboks did not need to leave much on the field. They scored inside four minutes, led 19-0 at the break and kept adding through the second half without ever having to force the pace. Wales, by contrast, spent long spells defending and could never build the pressure to threaten the home line.
J. Wiese (4'), C. Reinach (13'), J. Kriel (40'), J. Williams (40'), H. Jantjies (62'), K. Arendse (68'), de Villiers (79')
Tries
V. Moyo (5', 14', 41'), M. Libbok (79')
Conversions
Wales barely had time to settle before they were behind. Jasper Wiese crashed over in the fourth minute, and Cobus Reinach added a second on 13 as South Africa found space almost at will. Vusi Moyo, given the fly-half role, slotted his conversions and kept the scoreboard ticking.
The tone was set in the contact area. The Springboks were quicker to the gainline and cleaner on the ball, and the numbers back that up: 12 clean breaks to one, and 25 defenders beaten to eight. When a side wins those contests that heavily, the rest tends to follow.
A pair of tries either side of the interval finished the half as a contest. Jesse Kriel and replacement wing Jaco Williams both crossed around the break, and at 26-0 Wales were left with far too much to do.
CARRIES
CLEAN BREAK
DEFENDER BEATEN
TACKLE
MISSED TACKLE
TURNOVER WON
TURNOVERS CONCEDED
PENALTY CONCEDED
YELLOW CARD
POSSESSION
SCRUMS
LINEOUTS
The second half followed the same pattern. South Africa emptied their bench early and the changes made no dent in the flow. Herschel Jantjies came on and scored on 62 minutes, Kurt-Lee Arendse added another six minutes later, and Paul de Villiers rounded things off late, with Manie Libbok converting.
Wales's afternoon was summed up in one number: 27 missed tackles. They made 128 tackles in all, which shows how much defending they did, but the misses told the story of a side chasing shadows. A yellow card for replacement Ben Warren on 62 minutes only added to the discomfort.
There was plenty to like from the home side, even in a game they controlled comfortably.
Paul de Villiers was busy throughout, topping the carry count with 16 and adding 10 tackles and a try.
Jasper Wiese beat five defenders and made 36 metres from his nine carries before his early exit.
Jaco Williams made the most metres of anyone on the pitch with 56, plus two clean breaks and a try.
Aphelele Fassi chipped in with 58 metres and two clean breaks from full-back before being replaced.
The set-piece also did its job. South Africa were perfect at the scrum (5/5) and won 19 of their 20 lineouts, giving them a platform Wales could rarely disrupt.
It is hard to find much comfort in a shutout, but a few Welshmen kept swinging. Jac Morgan was relentless in defence, making 22 tackles, while Alex Mann added 16 before he was withdrawn. Aaron Wainwright led the Welsh carrying with nine, though the side struggled to make ground behind him.
The concern is the wider picture. Wales conceded 73 to the same opponents last November and were beaten again here without registering a point. Discipline did not help either, with 14 penalties conceded, five of them from tighthead Dillon Lewis. Against a side as accurate as this, that kind of penalty count is punished.
This was a defeat that leaves plenty to ponder. The effort in defence was there for long spells, but effort alone does not win contact, territory or possession, and Wales lost all three.
| # | Team | PL | W | L | D | PD | BP | PTS | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  France | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 41 | 4 | 12 | W W L |
| 2 |  Scotland | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 3 | 11 | W L W |
| 3 |  Ireland | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | -1 | 2 | 10 | L W W |
| 4 |  England | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 41 | 1 | 05 | W L |
| 5 |  Wales | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | -42 | 1 | 05 | L L W |
| 6 |  Italy | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | -94 | 0 | 00 | L L L |
South Africa top their group with three wins from three. Wales sit fifth in the northern group with one win from three.
For the Springboks, this was a straightforward job done well. For Wales, the search for a way to live with the best goes on.
