Wales v South Africa LIVE rugby: Result and reaction after Springboks condemn hosts to winless year
Wales 12-45 South Africa: The hosts were comfortably beaten to prompt renewed questions over Warren Gatland’s future
Wales were condemned to the ignominy of a winless 2024 as world champions South Africa proved much too good for Warren Gatland’s embattled side.
The hosts have looked completely bereft of confidence and belief as their losing streak has reached a record-breaking 11 games and they never felt likely to challenge a Springboks side who concluded an unbeaten Autumn Nations Series. There were signs of fight in the Welsh ranks, with Jac Morgan and others standing up impressively to the visitors’ physicality, but the final scoreline was predictably one-sided as South Africa ran in seven tries.
Gatland has looked like something of a broken man at points over the last year and questions about his job security have hugely increased following the historically bad past 12 months, with a real chance that he may leave before the Six Nations begins in February.
Re-live all the action from Cardiff in our live blog below:
Wales 5-26 South Africa, 43 minutes
Sterling work from Taine Plumtree, somehow stripping the ball free of RG Snyman’s leviathan limbs as South Africa threaten. Bits of Wales’s defence have been really good today.
Wales 5-26 South Africa, 42 minutes
Changes. Back amongst things having been on briefly during Sam Costelow’s HIA earlier is Eddie James, with Costelow again opff and Ben Thomas in at fly half. Cameron Hanekom, meanwhile, makes his international debut against the land of his grandmother - the newest Springbok is on for Elrigh Louw in South Africa’s back row.
Wales 5-26 South Africa, 41 minutes
Ellis Bevan has managed to avoid the problems Jack van Poortvliet dealt with against South Africa last week, his box kicks clearing any Springboks blocking hands. But, to quibble, his box kick is slightly long, allowing South Africa to counter-attack well before eventually being forced into touch inside the Welsh 22.
Second half...
The players are back out there, both bearing those early tight five changes (RG Snyman for Eben Etzebeth; Keiron Assiratti for Archie Griffin) but no with other alterations for now, it would seem.
HT: Wales 5-26 South Africa
You feared at times in that first half that the game would get out of hand, with Wales seemingly unable to escape their own end and the Springboks piling on the pressure. But while the half-time score is, predictably, one sided, Wales have shown real steel and scrambling savvy to hold out a couple of times, preventing the Springboks from totally running away with it.
That Rio Dyer score should instil a bit of much-need confidence, too, having at last got on the right side of the referee’s whistle and shown what they can do in attack. A winless year surely beckons but it is important for this young home side to show character.
TRY! WALES 5-26 South Africa (Rio Dyer, 40 minutes)
Life for Wales just before the interval!
Sheer sprinting speed from the recalled Rio Dyer! It looks as if Wales have run aground when after a fair bit of forward huffing and puffing, Ben Thomas is caught a long way behind the gainline. But a wild fling out to the right is gathered by Dyer, who fancies testing his pace against Jordan Hendrikse. He’s right to, putting on the afterburners to leave the South Africa fly half trailing in his wake on his way into the right corner. How Wales needed that!
Wales 0-26 South Africa, 39 minutes
Three whistles on the spin against the Springboks as their aerial efforts at the lineout are deemed illegal. Lake opts to throw again...and hits banker ball at the front. Into another shove Wales launch with a few backs lending their weight.
Wales 0-26 South Africa, 38 minutes
South Africa infringe again. “Take the three!” a few supporters cry, fearing a nilling; Dewi Lake ignores them and chooses to give himself another five-metre lineout to throw.
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