The Springboks have shelved the history books, locked away the scorecards and refused to entertain any comforting memories ahead of Saturday’s Nations Championship clash against Wales at Hollywoodbets Kings Park in Durban.
Past victories, according to assistant coach Mzwandile Stick and captain Pieter-Steph du Toit, carry as much weight as yesterday’s weather. Test rugby offers no free passes, and the Welsh dragon still breathes fire.
Kick-off is at 17:40, with the match broadcast live on SuperSport.
Despite South Africa’s commanding recent record against Wales, Stick believes the visitors are travelling a familiar road, one the Springboks themselves once navigated during difficult rebuilding years.
“I was there in 2016, 2017, and 2018 when there was a transition in our own system,” said Stick. “We’ve had challenges. In 2018, we had only a 50% winning ratio, but people look at us now and see a world-class team, and Wales are in that same space.
“One or two good results might change everything for them. Back in 2018, our focus was to beat New Zealand in New Zealand, and then things turned around, and the belief grew.”
His message carried the weight of experience rather than sentiment. Rugby fortunes can swing like a high ball in a swirling Durban breeze.
The Springboks also turned a critical eye on their own performance after last week’s victory.
“I don’t think we were at our best when it came to our kicking game and defence last week,” Stick admitted. “So there’s a lot of room for improvement in how we’re operating as a team, and one of the biggest focus areas this week was the kicking game and how we defend together.
“Wales will probably look at that game and think that if they keep the ball in hand, they’ll pose challenges for us. That said, as long as we keep improving and making our people at home happy, that’s our biggest focus.”
The Bok management has also rolled the dice on the future, handing Test debuts to Carlu Sadie, Ruben van Heerden, Vusi Moyo and Jaco Williams.
Your match day 23 to take on Wales tomorrow 🇿🇦#Springboks | #ForeverGreenForeverGold pic.twitter.com/bVR8Ryb2PA
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“If you look at the team we’ve selected, it tells you how we’re approaching this game,” Stick said.
“A lot of people focus on the debutantes getting their chance, but if you look at the players around them, they are all world-class, and some of them are double Rugby World Cup winners.
“Looking at Wales, they are a world-class team, and people sometimes forget that and focus on results. But we know them very well.
“If you don’t prepare well, they’ll punish you because they also have world-class players, and in my experience from the early days when I started coaching, we used to struggle and lose against them a lot.
“So on a good day for them, if you’re not at your best, it will be tough. We’ve prepared for this game with 100% respect, and that’s the same way we prepare for matches against teams like Ireland or New Zealand.”
Du Toit expects the collision zone to resemble organised chaos, especially against a Welsh loose trio led by Jac Morgan.
“They have strong ball carriers and are very physical in defence, so we have to get the set pieces right,” said Du Toit.
“We also made some mistakes on defence last weekend, and we’ve tightened that up this week. I’m sure Wales will target those weaknesses, but I’m excited to see if we’ll be able to fix that.”
Stick also praised the new arrivals for injecting fresh energy into the squad.
“The guys who joined us this year came in open-minded and adapted really fast to how we want to play, how things are done here, how the system works, and what is expected of them.
“The intensity, excitement, and hunger they’ve brought is probably the most important thing. They are thrilled to play and put on the jersey, and for them to get the opportunity to play at Hollywoodbets Kings Park is an unbelievable privilege.”
For the Springboks, this is not a stroll through familiar territory. It is another examination where reputation earns no marks, respect is compulsory, and eighty minutes will reveal whether preparation can silence the Welsh roar.
Teams:
South Africa: 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Jaco Williams, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Vusi Moyo, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Paul de Villiers, 5 Ruben van Heerden, 4 Cobus Wiese, 3 Carlu Sadie, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp
Replacements: 16 Andre-Hugo Venter, 17 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 Ben-Jason Dixon, 20 Marco van Staden, 21 Herschel Jantjies, 22 Manie Libbok, 23 Damian Willemse
Wales: 15 Blair Murray, 14 Louis Rees-Zammit, 13 Max Llewellyn, 12 Ben Thomas, 11 Josh Adams, 10 Dan Edwards, 9 Tomos Williams, 8 Aaron Wainwright, 7 Jac Morgan, 6 Alex Mann, 5 Adam Beard, 4 Teddy Williams, 3 Dillon Lewis, 2 Dewi Lake (captain), 1 Rhys Carre.
Replacements: 16 Ryan Elias, 17 Nicky Smith, 18 Ben Warren, 19 Freddie Thomas, 20 Tommy Reffell, 21 James Botham, 22 Reuben Morgan-Williams, 23 Joe Hawkins.
Date: Saturday, July 18
Venue: Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban
Kick-off: 17.40 SAST (16.40 BST; 15.40 GMT)
Expected weather conditions: It will be sunny with a high of 26°C and a low of 14°C
Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Pierre Brousset (France), James Doleman (New Zealand)
TMO: Olly Hodges (Ireland)
