Scrappy Boks comfortably overpower meek Wales

The Springboks completed the first phase of the Nations Championship with a predictable bonus-point win over Wales at Kings Park in Durban, but it was not a performance that will live fondly in the memory.

Despite scoring seven tries and keeping Wales scoreless for the second time in eight months, the Boks’ handling-error count went into double figures while their execution of the kicking game was erratic.

Victory ensured that the Boks ended the first half of the Nations Championship on top of the southern standings, ahead of New Zealand. Both teams are on 15 log points, but the Boks have a superior points difference.

Different standards

The Boks’ winning streak is now up to 11, while they continue to score more than seven tries per match in 2026. In that context it seems harsh to be critical, but such are the standards they have set, that they are measured differently.

This contest was always going to be a little disjointed, given the mix-and-match nature of the Bok team, but coach Rassie Erasmus will have gained valuable data.

Debutant flyhalf Vusi Moyo had a solid 50 minutes before giving way to Manie Libbok.

Moyo landed three out of four kicks at goal and produced one breathtaking moment of skill when he kept a deep Wales kick in-field, then beat two defenders before launching a counter-attack.

His kicking from hand was a little inaccurate, and he didn’t get the backline firing as slickly as he does at a lower level. Overall, though, it was a satisfying start to his Test career.

Tighthead Carlü Sadie was part of a dominant scrum, so can feel pleased with his outing. Lock Ruben van Heerden grew into the match after a few handling errors in the first half.

Wing Jaco Williams, the fourth debutant, also needed 40 minutes to settle. He struggled in the aerial contest, but when the Boks started putting him into space with ball in hand, he came into his own.

Williams’ patience was rewarded with a 42nd-minute try when scrumhalf Cobus Reinach won the scraps after a poor Welsh kick.

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Lock Cobus Wiese carried the move forward with a strong run and offloaded to Williams, who had too much pace for the covering defence.

Williams later turned provider for replacement scrumhalf Herschel Jantjies to score his first Test try in five years and his sixth overall.

Fast start

The Springboks have made a habit of falling asleep in the second quarter during the Nations Championship, and they followed the same script against Wales.

After a bright start, brimming with intensity that led to the tries for Jasper Wiese and Reinach, they seemed to lose their way for the next 20 minutes.

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Despite dominating territory and possession, mistakes piled up. There were multiple handling errors, two lineout mauls ending in mistakes, and poor option taking.

Wales are a mediocre team and lack confidence, but stronger opposition will make the Boks pay for their sloppiness.

Obviously, this was a team with four new caps and it was the third week in a row that coach Rassie Erasmus had made wholesale changes, so there was bound to be a lack of cohesion.

The aerial game, which had been so destructive against England a fortnight ago, was initially ineffective.

Moyo battled to find his range and Williams could not win the ball in the air for the first 39 minutes.

But in the 40th minute Williams did finally win an aerial contest when Moyo landed the ball accurately with a pinpoint cross-field kick while the Boks were on penalty advantage.

Try at halftime hooter

Williams did enough to tip the ball back despite the attentions of Wales left wing Elliot Mee. Centre Jesse Kriel was there to mop up the scraps and score the team’s third try after the halftime hooter.

It was the least the Boks deserved because Wales offered no threat in the opening stanza. The closest they got to scoring was when prop Rhys Carré knocked on, just inside the Boks’ 22-metre area. Otherwise Wales paid no meaningful visits to the red zone.

Jasper Wiese opened the scoring for the Boks with a marauding run, bursting through the attempted tackle of Jac Morgan, after a fine tip pass from Reinach.

The scrumhalf scored the team’s second try minutes later when he picked up off the back of a dominant scrum and used his pace to glide past opposite number Tomos Williams.

Late in the game, Kurt-Lee Arendse rounded off the Boks’ sixth try courtesy of a lovely Libbok pass, and flank Paul de Villiers rounded off the scoring from the back of a rolling maul.

De Villiers was excellent throughout, winning a turnover penalty while being a superb link player with the backs. He and Cobus Wiese have surely done enough to be included in the squad for the Greatest Rivalry series against the All Blacks.

It could have been so much worse for Wales but Van Heerden and Kriel each coughed the ball up only metres short of the line, while captain Pieter-Steph du Toit had a try chalked off for a marginal obstruction by De Villiers. DM

Scorers:

South Africa – Tries: Jasper Wiese, Cobus Reinach, Jesse Kriel, Jaco Williams, Herschel Jantjies, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Paul de Villiers. Conversions: Vusi Moyo (3), Manie Libbok.