In his programme notes for this controversial Cardiff Test match, Welsh Rugby Union president Terry Cobner had a message for home supporters. ‘They say what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger,’ Cobner wrote.
Wales might not have been killed by this defeat by South Africa. But at the same time, the country’s national game is only just alive and most certainly not stronger after their senior side shipped 11 tries in a 73-0 hammering on home turf.
The WRU’s hierarchy, iconic Springbok captain Siya Kolisi and his director of rugby Rassie Erasmus had defended this fixture on the grounds Wales’ young team would be better for the experience. But it is difficult to see what Wales learned from this other than how far they have fallen. This was one of the most one-sided Tests this writer has ever seen. The only saving grace for Wales was that it was not a record defeat, South Africa falling 10 points short of the margin when they battered Wales 96-13 hammering in 1998.
That said, Wales failed to score in a home Test in Cardiff for the first time since 1967. The score was no real surprise, but to watch it live was to see Welsh rugby’s tragic demise in front of your eyes. The overriding emotion was one of very real sadness.
So, to see WRU director of rugby Dave Reddin smiling and laughing in the stands during this game was nothing short of disgraceful.
Both teams were without 13 players due to this match taking place outside of World Rugby’s designated Test window. But the difference in strength between the two amounted to a chasm.
Erasmus could still field a formidable squad which had 899 caps worth of experience. Wales, meanwhile, had just 306 – a total surpassed by the away side’s bench, one which contained seven forwards, alone. A crowd of 50,112 was in attendance. The Principality Stadium being far from full reflected the view of many that this was a game which shouldn’t have been taking place at all. The WRU has long needed a fourth November Test for financial reasons.
Wales suffered a humiliating defeat in Cardiff as they were thrashed by South Africa
The controversial test match has done a lot to harm the national game in Wales
That is the brutal truth of the matter. But there was a concern pre-match that monetary gain could well be totally outweighed by the prospect of potential sporting humiliation. You have to say that was the case come the full-time whistle.
‘I smell Welsh lamb on the braai,’ read a sign in the crowd held by one of many Springboks fans.
Erasmus’ men were soon cooking.
Gerhard Steenekamp and Ethan Hooker put them 14-0 up in the opening quarter. As expected, Wales were in serious trouble at the scrum against a monster away pack. Home tighthead Keiron Assiratti was all at sea up against opposite number Steenekamp and Hooker benefited from some weak Welsh tackling. Wales’ struggles were no surprise. But they didn’t help themselves, with Blair Murray kicking dead, Dan Edwards putting a restart out on the full and Gareth Thomas conceding a cheap penalty.
Wales, as they have done all autumn, also struggled to deal with kicks in the air.
Their coach Steve Tandy has to consider switching Murray from full-back to wing to improve Wales’ aerial game. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, the new darling of South African rugby, ended the game with 28 points. He kicked two early conversions and also made a clean line break. A third Springbok score came from the scrum platform again. In front of the posts, Wales’ eight were sent into reverse at a rate of knots. The cruel but brutal truth was that it was men against boys. When Wales at last had an attacking platform, Dewi Lake’s line-out throw missed its target and a penalty was conceded.
South Africa’s physical dominance meant they made regular gains in contact, Andre Esterhuizen doing his fair share of damage. Player of the match Esterhuizen has often played on the flank this month. He was at centre here, but targeted Edwards in defence and did so again with the clock in the red at the end of the first period. From yet another scrum, the former Harlequins man wreaked more havoc. Morne van den Berg dived over. It was 28-0 at the break and you feared further damage given Erasmus had seven forwards in reserve. South Africa’s power game ramped up in the second half.
Wilco Louw was the next to go over from close range and what was worse for Wales was that Taine Plumtree was yellow carded for his team’s persistent infringements.
Assiratti left the field and on came Christian Coleman for only his second cap. You wished him the best. But Assiratti and Coleman scrummaging against this South African team was the very definition of a total mismatch. Feinberg-Mngomezulu was a joy to watch.
The national game is hanging by a thread and this will not have benefited Steve Tandy
He is such a silky runner, no doubt helped by the forwards in his team, and waltzed over for his team’s sixth. Canan Moodie then raced away to score. At 49-0, South Africa were going at a point a minute and as if things weren’t bad enough, Erasmus then sent on all eight of his replacements at once. It was the ‘Bomb Squad’ and some. It felt almost unfair.
Among the fresh faces was the hulking Eben Etzebeth. It was his 141st cap.
Esterhuizen smashed through tackles to grab a deserved try. Wales No 8 Aaron Wainwright was yellow carded for a high tackle on Feinberg-Mngomezulu who soon had his second.
Starting tighthead Assiratti was forced to come back on when his replacement Coleman limped off. Ruan Nortje and Etzebeth completed the rout and in the final 10 minutes, the fans who had come were streaming out of Principality Stadium.
Those who had departed missed controversy at the death. Both teams engaged in a scuffle, with the giant Etzebeth putting his fingers in the eyes of Wales flanker Alex Mann. It was an inexcusable act of violence for which there is no place in rugby.
Etzebeth was rightly sent off and will now surely face a long, long ban.
