Dominant Springboks inflict 12th Wales loss in row

Autumn Test Series

Wales (5) 12

Tries: Dyer, Botham. Con: Thomas

South Africa (26) 45

Tries: Mostert, Etzebeth, Arendse, Louw, Fassi, Steenekamp, Jordan Hendrikse Cons: Jordan Hendrikse (5)

South Africa easily outmuscled an inexperienced Wales to underline the gulf between the teams.

That the world champions would extend Wales’ winless run to 12 games came as little surprise.

And once second-rows Franco Mostert and Eben Etzebeth had crossed inside eight minutes, it looked almost a certainty.

Kurt-Lee Arendse and Elrigh Louw also crossed in the first half before Aphelele Fassi, Gerhard Steenekamp and man of the match Jordan Hendrikse all followed in a disjointed second half as South Africa showed no let-up in the final game of their season.

Rio Dyer and James Botham crossed for what were consolation tries that, in the last minute, ensured Wales avoided a worst ever home defeat.

But it would never look enough to prevent an entire year without a win for the first time since 1937.

If there were positives for Wales it came from their flankers Botham and Jac Morgan and, at least, a desire to compete to the final whistle.

That could be all the proof the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) need to be convinced this team is still playing for head coach Warren Gatland.

While the closed roof of the Principality Stadium offered shelter from Storm Bert, there was no hiding from the relentless Springboks.

If one statistic told the game it was the 46 missed tackles by Wales as South Africa barged, bounced and battered their way to the try line - time and again.

They scored seven tries but could have added many more as Kolisi, twice, and Fassi were held up over the line.

There was a time when Gatland’s Wales beat South Africa four times in a row between 2016 and 2018.

But it is hard to think of two teams at more polar opposites of the rugby spectrum this year.

Gatland’s future will be decided by WRU boss Abi Tierney in the post-autumn review but the deeper-rooted issues will be discussed at an annual general meeting of all members on Sunday.

It is hard to see how one cannot to be sorted out without the other.

Gatland’s four changes from the Australia drubbing became six before kick-off with the loss of two of his better performers, prop Gareth Thomas (illness) and wing Tom Rogers (calf).

But this was still the most inexperienced Wales team in seven years with a meagre combined total of just 214 caps.

By comparison the Springboks second-row pairing of Etzebeth and Mostert have 207 between them and, as if to ram home the point, it was that pair who opened the scoring.

Both were gifted clear 20-metre runs to the line, Mostert from his perfectly timed run into Hendrikse’s pass, Etzebeth from a counter-ruck after Sam Costelow’s catch.

For the third week in a row, a Wales player limped off inside 10 minutes as Costelow made way, prompting a midfield shift that was horribly exposed for South Africa’s third try by Arendse.

Dominance at the scrum set up Louw for the fourth before Wales finally responded with a rare spell of possession on the stroke of half-time.

Having banged on a closed door up front for some four minutes, eventually it was simply the sheer pace of Dyer that got them over.

It was reminiscent of the days of Shane Williams - when all else fails, give it to the pacey wing.

Freddie Thomas won his Test debut after the break, the 15th new cap this year under Gatland, and there was at least some fight from the hosts.

But South Africa are world number one, the double world champions and the reigning Rugby Championship winners and wrapped up their first clean sweep of an autumn tour since 2013.

They were not convincing in the second half, but they did not need to be because they are so far ahead of the rest, especially Wales.

Gatland will try to fight on, but the next week could decide if he will be the man to lead them to the Six Nations.