Wales v South Africa LIVE: Rugby result and reaction from World Cup warm-up in Cardiff

Wales 16-52 South Africa: Wales thrashed in their final Rugby World Cup warm-up by the Springboks as Siya Kolisi returns from long-term injury

(Action Images via Reuters)

Winger Canan Moodie and centre Jesse Kriel ran in a brace of tries each as South Africa flexed their considerable muscle with a thumping 52-16 victory over Wales in their Rugby World Cup warm-up fixture in Cardiff.

Wales coach Warren Gatland names his 33-player squad for the World Cup on Monday and will have learnt much about his team from this home humiliation, in which they were out-muscled up front and out-thought with ball in hand.

The Springboks scored eight tries in all as hooker Malcolm Marx, flanker Pieter-Steph du Toit and replacement back Damien Willemse also crossed to go with a penalty try, though they will be concerned over a high error count and some poor kicking.

South Africa captain Siya Kolisi made a successful return from long-term injury with a superb 40 minutes in his first international appearance in 2023 and will hope to add to that when the Boks play old foes New Zealand in a final warm-up fixture in London on Friday.

Relive the action from Cardiff with our blog below and you can find the latest rugby tips and betting offers here

Wales vs South Africa - Rugby World Cup warm-up updates

• Wales thrashed South Africa in final World Cup warm-up in Cardiff
• Springboks run in eight tries and captain Siya Kolisi successfully returns from long-term ACL injury
• FULL-TIME! Wales 16-52 South Africa
• 72’ - TRY! Parry burrows over the line for a consolation try (WAL 16-52 RSA)
• 69’ - TRY! Willemse runs in an eighth try from Libbok’s flat pass (WAL 9-52 RSA)
• 61’ - TRY! Moodie intercepts a Williams pass for a simple run-in (WAL 9-45 RSA)
• 59’ - TRY! Du Toit powers over from a five-metre lineout (WAL 9-38 RSA)
• 52’ - TRY! Springboks go coast to coast as Du Toit intercepts and passes to Kriel for interception try (WAL 9-31 RSA)
• 35’ - TRY! Grady’s ludicrous offload in his own in-goal area touched down by Kriel (WAL 9-24 RSA)
• 34’ - TRY! Penalty try as Dyer deliberately knocks the ball into touch (WAL 9-19 RSA)
• 23’ - TRY! Moodie finishes off superb team move (WAL 6-12 RSA)
• 5’ - TRY! Marx over in the corner after brilliant Kolisi offload (WAL 0-5 RSA)

[19 August 2023 16:15 · Luke Baker]

HALF-TIME! Wales 9-24 South Africa

Here was that Canan Moodie try, one of four for the Springboks in the first half

[19 August 2023 16:07 · Luke Baker]

HALF-TIME! Wales 9-24 South Africa

A harrowing half for Warren Gatland’s men. South Africa have been far the better side and four tries speak to that dominance, while Wales are also down to 14 men after Rio Dyer’s sin-binning.

A big second-half turnaround needed for the hosts

(Getty Images)

[19 August 2023 16:05 · Luke Baker]

Wales 9-24 South Africa, 40 mins

The Welsh lineout has been much, much better than it was at Twickenham at least. Not much else has gone right for them.

But a Johnny Williams pass then goes straight to South African hands, they kick ahead but Kriel’s kick goes into touch

[19 August 2023 16:03 · Luke Baker]

Wales 9-24 South Africa, 38 mins

How can Wales bounce back from that quickfire double blow. Treble blow really if you throw in Dyer’s yellow card.

Good kick chase by Jac Morgan and can Wales get something back before half-time from a lineout in the Springboks half?

[19 August 2023 15:59 · Luke Baker]

TRY! Wales 9-24 South Africa (Jesse Kriel, 35 mins)

Oh no - Mason Grady, what have you done?!

It’s a moment of utter, utter madness from the young Wales centre and Jesse Kriel scores his first Springboks try for five years.

South Africa surge forward in attack, spread the ball to the left and De Allende stabs a grubber kick through. Grady just gets there first but Kolbe wraps him and pushes him into the in-goal area where Grady inexplicably tries to offload the ball... It pops straight to Kriel for a simple touch down.

Grady has to just eat that and give South Africa the five-metre scrum. He won’t want to see that in review on Monday... Libbok misses the touchline conversion but Wales are really struggling here.

[19 August 2023 15:55 · Luke Baker]

TRY! Wales 9-19 South Africa (Penalty try, 34 mins)

A Kolisi bash takes South Africa within five metres and a clever kick nearly finds Moodie on the right touchline with the try-line at his mercy. But it’s great covering defence by Rio Dyer to get his hand in there and stop the Boks winger collecting.

Or is it? TMO review and the question is whether Dyer deliberately knocks the ball on into touch - in which case it’s a penalty try... Standby

Does the ball brush off Moodie’s arm first of all? That’s all that can save Dyer here. Nothing clear to suggest that, so it’s deliberately knocked into touch and it’s a PENALTY TRY to South Africa as they judge Moodie would have otherwise collected and scored. Plus 10 minutes in the sin-bin for Rio Dyer.

(Getty Images)

[19 August 2023 15:52 · Luke Baker]

Wales 9-12 South Africa, 33 mins

The Welsh scrum is under serious pressure once more and it’s another Boks penalty. It’s men against boys in the front row at the minute.

Hardy wasn’t sure if he could get the ball in with the scrum still moving and Assiratti loses his bind on Kitshoff’s shirt. A good platform for South Africa to build with a lineout on the 22.

[19 August 2023 15:49 · Luke Baker]

Wales 9-12 South Africa, 30 mins

Quick tap from South Africa and they quickly rush into the Welsh 22 with a barrelling Steven Kitshoff run.

But one offload attempt too many as Kieran Hardy wraps in the tackle and the ball hits the ground. Great clearance kick towards halfway

[19 August 2023 15:47 · Luke Baker]

Wales 9-12 South Africa, 28 mins

(Action Images via Reuters)

(Action Images via Reuters)

(Action Images via Reuters)

(AFP via Getty Images)

[19 August 2023 15:46 · Luke Baker]

Wales 9-12 South Africa, 27 mins

A bit of broken-field play for Wales. Lovely long pass from Johnny Williams out to the debutant Cai Evans and he charges into the Springboks half.

But great scramble defence, Marx does his best impression of a back-rower to jackal at the breakdown and win the turnover. What an advantage it is to have someone like him at hooker.