Key events
14 mins. The Wales lineout is approximately 1345% better than last week, which is good, and the latest possession from one is spilled by Johnny Williams in the tackle, which is not as good.
11 mins. Wales have a clear strategy of lumping the ball up with the boot to chase and compete for it, and so far it’s going well with a few won and SA not dealing with it comfortably. A clean lineout from the home side presents an opportunity to set up a maul in the Bok 22, but Kleyn gets his massive paws on the ball to prevent the ball being released.
PENALTY! Wales 3 – 5 South Africa (Sam Costelow)
8 mins. Johnny Williams has a solid carry in midfield and the Boks are offside at the ruck. It’s in front and Costelow calmly puts it through the posts.
TRY! Wales 0 – 5 South Africa (Malcolm Marx)
4 mins. Kleyn claims the lineout and after solid few metres gained in the maul Hendrikse sets the backs moving all the way right. The Welsh tackle line contains it, but the Boks are patient and work it back left in the 22 before some short drives and offloads on short side have Kolisi feeding Marx to go over the corner.
Libbok can’t convert.
2 mins. It’s all Wales for the opening couple of minutes, with plenty of players warming their hands with the ball and a couple regathering some kicks to compete. The latest of said kicks has Kolbe confidently claiming it before Tom Rogers grips him in the air to give a penalty away.
Kick Off!
Man of the moment Libbok hoofs it deep to put us amongst it
The teams emerge from the tunnel to the usual pyrotechnic welcome with Jac Morgan first out for Wales and Siya Kolisi back at the head of his nation’s line.
Anthems, then game time incoming
Pre match viewing
Elsewhere in the rugby world, Eddie Jones has been Eddie Jonesing all the way up to eleven this week in his interactions with the Aussie media whilst wearing a daft looking hat and suit combo.
Have a look here
Is Manie Libbok the man for South Africa? Answer that or any other question you like via email or on Xitter. As Neneh Cherry (an Youssou N’Dour) said, “I’ll be waiting..”
Teams
Gatland has been forced to make number of changes following the game at Twickenham and subsequently since naming the squad as precautions abound regarding the physical state of the squad. Alex Cuthbert, Liam Williams and Dan Biggar are among the later withdrawals, bringing in Cai Evans, Tom Rogers and Sam Costelow. In the pack, the Domachowki/Assiratti prop axis are back in for a sterner test after a decent outing vs England in week one.
The huge news for South Africa is the return of talisman and captain, Siya Kolisi, a few short months after his cruciate injury. There’s also Munster’s Jean Kleyn in Bok colours following his switch back to the nation of his birth after five Ireland caps.
Wales:
15. Cai Evans, 14. Tom Rogers, 13. Mason Grady, 12. Johnny Williams, 11. Rio Dyer, 10. Sam Costelow, 9. Kieran Hardy, 1. Corey Domachowski, 2. Elliot Dee, 3. Keiron Assiratti, 4. Ben Carter, 5. Will Rowlands, 6. Dan Lydiate, 7. Jac Morgan (capt), 8. Aaron Wainwright.
Replacements: 16. Sam Parry, 17. Nicky Smith, 18. Henry Thomas, 19. Teddy Williams, 20. Taine Basham, 21. Tomos Williams, 22. Max Llewellyn, 23. Louis Rees-Zammit.
South Africa:
15. Willie le Roux, 14. Canan Moodie, 13. Jesse Kriel, 12. Damian de Allende, 11. Cheslin Kolbe, 10. Manie Libbok, 9. Jaden Hendrikse, 1. Steven Kitshoff, 2. Malcolm Marx, 3. Frans Malherbe, 4. Jean Kleyn, 5. RG Snyman, 6. Siya Kolisi (capt), 7. Pieter-Steph du Toit, 8. Jasper Wiese.
Replacements: 16. Bongi Mbonambi, 17. Ox Nche, 18. Vincent Koch, 19. Franco Mostert, 20. Marco van Staden, 21. Duane Vermeulen, 22. Grant Williams, 23. Damian Willemse.
Preamble
Welcome to Cardiff for another installment of pre-season matches that the marketing lads and lasses are calling the Summer Nations Series.
You could say that it’s easy to defy expectations when the level of expectation is somewhere between 0 and 0.22; but Warren Gatland’s Wales have done it nonetheless. Heading into these August matches, the Kiwi and his band were torn to ribbons by retirements and rumours of acrimonious and factional camps, like some 1990s Dutch football team cosplay. Fast forward a few weeks following a win plus a shoulda-won in back to back England matches, and the home side have the hallmarks of a plan shaping up and are manifesting the hopeful spectre of not being dreadful come the Rugby World Cup.
However, this hope will take on its toughest test today, as it is ordered to smash itself repeatedly into the craggy, fuming face of a fully armed and operational South Africa team.
Jacques Nienaber may have raised a few eyebrows with his decision to leave humanoid adding machine Handré Pollard out of his World Cup squad, but what remains are still 23 formidable names for Wales to contend with. The Bok coach has staked his tournament on the mercurial shoulders of fly-half Manie Libbok of the Stormers – a delightful player to watch, but is he the fulcrum around which a victory can be built?
This, and other questions – like is Cai Evans really an international fullback? – will be have something resembling and answer in a few hours.
