5 talking points ahead of Wales' third Test against South Africa
Wales face South Africa in a Test series decider on Saturday that would have seemed inconceivable just four months ago.
After losing at home to Italy in the final game of this year’s Guinness Six Nations, Wales were written off against the world champions, but a second-Test victory – their first over the Springboks in South Africa – has set up a winner-takes-all clash.
Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the key talking points heading into the game.
The pressure is on South Africa
Make no mistake, the Springboks would not have seen Wales coming. After winning 10 successive home Tests against them and seeing the Azzurri humiliate Wayne Pivac’s team in Cardiff, the series had a 3-0 South Africa triumph written all over it. Wales, though, have made a mockery of pre-tour predictions, bouncing back in Bloemfontein after losing a first-Test thriller 32-29.
South Africa have dropped two places in the world rankings and their next game after this weekend is a Rugby Championship opener against New Zealand on August 6, so the heat is on, having been generated by a most unlikely source.
Wales tour already a triumph
Whatever happens in Cape Town on Saturday, Wales’ punishing South Africa tour is an unqualified success. A three-point defeat and stunning 13-12 victory in the opening two Tests at altitude represent a huge collective achievement, given that Wales had won just three of 11 games against all opponents before they left Heathrow last month.
Many individuals have shone, including previously uncapped Leicester flanker Tommy Reffell, and all superbly harnessed by captain Dan Biggar. Wales also travelled minus four injured British and Irish Lions – Leigh Halfpenny, Ken Owens, Justin Tipuric and Ross Moriarty – so 14 months out from the World Cup, the picture is promising.
George North reaches another milestone
Almost 12 years after making his Wales debut as a teenager against South Africa, North becomes his country’s most-capped international back in the men’s game.
The Cape Town clash sees him reach 105 Wales appearances, overtaking former Wales fly-half and current national squad attack coach Stephen Jones. Last year, North became the youngest player in world rugby to clock up a century of caps, beating Australia skipper Michael Hooper’s record, and no-one apart from Shane Williams has scored more Wales tries than North. An extraordinary career continues to flourish.
Warrior Dan Lydiate an inspired presence
Wales flanker Lydiate suffered a knee injury so serious last year that it sidelined him from rugby for more than 12 months. At 34, some might even have doubted whether he would play at Test level again, but Lydiate does not do normality.
He made 18 tackles and missed none in Wales’ Bloemfontein victory over South Africa. He looks as influential a player now as 10 years ago, when he was named Six Nations player of the tournament following Wales’ Grand Slam triumph, which says everything about his quality and durability. Lydiate is not so much pencilled in for next year’s World Cup, but his name written in capital letters and underlined. How South Africa will be glad to see the back of him.
Man in the middle is central
Eddie Jones often divides opinion in the rugby world, but few will disagree with his plans to convene a group of leading coaches, players and referees with an aim of removing repeated pauses in play caused by overuse of the television match official, draconian policing of high tackles and laborious set-piece officiating.
Wales were on the receiving end of four yellow cards from first Test Georgian official Nika Amashukeli, then Australia’s Angus Gardner sin-binned Alun Wyn Jones last weekend in what was a baffling decision by the officiating team. England’s Matthew Carley, outstanding when Wales and France fought out a titanic Six Nations encounter earlier this year, takes charge of the series decider, and he will be firmly under the spotlight.
Comments on RugbyPass
Ben Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
7 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
7 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
7 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
14 Go to comments