World champions South Africa hammered Wales 45-12 in Cardiff on Saturday to condemn Warren Gatland’s team to a 12th consecutive Test defeat and a winless calendar year for the first time since 1937.
The Springboks were dominant throughout at the Principality Stadium, scoring seven tries to two in a relentless display that matched attacking accuracy with defensive brutality and set-piece mastery.
The result meant the Boks, who wrapped up the Rugby Championship title this year, finish their season with 11 victories from 13 Tests, having used a whopping 52 players and scoring 57 tries.
“The first two games we weren’t happy, there was so much we could have done better,” Springbok captain Siya Kolisi told TNT Sports of opening November victories over Scotland and England.
“Results are important but it’s how you do things.”
It was also the first time South Africa have won all their matches on their November tour since 2013 and means they will see in 2025 as World Rugby’s number one ranked country.
The Boks’ sole losses were one-point defeats by Argentina and Ireland, a record of which Gatland and his backroom staff could only dream.
Wales’ last victory came over pool opponents Georgia in October 2023 at the Rugby World Cup, with Gatland having to blood a raft of inexperienced players after a host of seniors hung up their boots.
The pre-match entertainment included choirs singing “Yma O Hyd”, the Dafydd Iwan folk song that has become the go-to song for Welsh football’s “Red Wall” support.
Ironically, it translates into English as “Still Here”, albeit in reference to Wales and the Welsh language and not Gatland per se.
The Welsh Rugby Union has its AGM on Sunday where discussions are expected on the New Zealander’s future.
“You don’t make a decision straight after a game,” said Gatland. “Let’s just see what happens over the next few days.”
Wales captain Dewi Lake told TNT Sports his side had showed “a lot of heart and character”.
“They are double world champions, that’s not for no reason,” he said.
“We have to keep the faith, the second we lose our faith in ourselves then it’s pointless us stepping on the field, we can definitely see a light at the end of the tunnel.”
– Lock pair at double –
The scene was set within the opening eight frantic minutes in the Welsh capital as the visiting lock pair of Franco Mostert and Eben Etzebeth each crossed for a try after deft attacking lead-up play by Kurt-Lee Arendse on both occasions.
Kolisi was held up over the line by James Botham, but the Boks fired back to the Welsh line and Arendse got his just rewards for his strong start, stepping inside Blair Murray’s attempted tackle with ease.
Jordan Hendrikse converted two of the three tries to make it 19-0 after the opening quarter.
Murray did well to hold up Aphelele Fassi over the line and Kolisi had a try disallowed, but the toll on Wales was beginning to show.
How long could their defence hold out? Not long as the Boks promptly pushed Wales off their own ball at scrum time and flanker Elrigh Louw barged over for the visitors’ fourth five-pointer after a quick tap penalty by Jasper Wiese.
A rare Welsh incursion into the opposition half saw the home side, wearing white to avoid a colour-blindness clash with the green of South Africa, go for an attacking line-out, but the Boks repelled two 12-man mauls.
The ball was eventually moved wide and Welsh winger Rio Dyer showed a brilliant flash of raw pace to scorch the defence for a fine individual try. Sam Costelow missed the conversion to leave the score 26-5 at half-time.
Fassi crossed for South Africa’s fifth try after the outstanding Arendse split the Welsh line early in the second period.
A raft of replacements for both sides gave Wales a degree of respite, but it was not long before Gerhard Steenkamp was driven over from short range.
Things turned scrappy and the 67,236-strong crowd turned attention away from the action and Welsh hymns to foot-stomping Mexican waves, always a sure sign the game was well and over as a contest.
Hendrikse crossed for the Boks’ seventh try and converted for a personal game tally of 15 points before a Botham consolation try converted by Ben Thomas.
