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Wales confirm autumn series with Springboks and 2 World Cup rematches
By Josh Raisey
Wales will take on world champions South Africa in Cardiff in November as part of their three-match Autumn Nations Series.
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Rassie Erasmus’ side will arrive at the Principality Stadium on Saturday November 23 in a match that will see the number ten ranked side in the world host the number ones.
Wales will get their autumn campaign underway in a rematch of their opening match of the World Cup last year when they host Fiji on Sunday November 10. Warren Gatland’s side came away 32-26 winners in Bordeaux in 2023 in one of the games of the World Cup.
A week after facing Fiji, Wales will host Australia on Sunday November 17 in another World Cup rematch. Wales recorded their biggest ever win over the Wallabies in France with a 40-6 victory, dumping Eddie Jones’ side out of the tournament.
Since the World Cup, both Fiji and Australia have seen changes in personnel at the top, with Mick Byrne replacing Simon Raiwalui for Fiji and Joe Schmidt taking over from Jones. South Africa have also seen huge changes in their coaching staff, with Erasmus returning to his role of head coach after Jacques Nienaber’s departure after the World Cup.
Despite coming out on top against Fiji and Australia last year, the current Welsh squad is vastly different from the one that eventually lost in the quarter-finals against Argentina. This new-look Wales side are yet to win a match since the World Cup, picking up the Wooden Spoon in this year’s Guinness Six Nations.
Before taking on the Wallabies and South Africa at the end of the year, Wales will face the Springboks at Twickenham in June before a two-match series against the Wallabies down under.
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Looking ahead to the autumn, WRU executive director of Rugby Nigel Walker said: “This is an exciting Autumn Nations Series schedule for Wales, with fixtures against three key southern hemisphere opposition in quick succession.
“We look forward to welcoming Fiji, Australia and South Africa to Principality Stadium this November as we celebrate the stadium’s 25th anniversary – a particularly fitting milestone when we face the Springboks in our series finale having played them in the stadium’s first international fixture back in 1999.”
