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Wales aim to defy the odds in South Africa
Wales travel to Durban to face South Africa in the Nations Championship, a fixture few expect them to win given the gulf in current form between the two sides. Head coach Steve Tandy's team arrive ranked 12th in the world after a 35-21 defeat by Argentina and a 73-0 hammering by the Springboks in Cardiff last autumn, though captain Dewi Lake has recovered from injury to lead the side in what will be his final match of the campaign. The result matters as a marker of Wales's progress at the end of a gruelling 10-month season, even as expectations remain low.
The match takes place at Kings Park in Durban, where South Africa have a mixed recent record of five wins and five defeats in their last ten internationals, offering Wales a rare statistical crumb of comfort. Wales have won just eight of 44 previous meetings with the Springboks, with only one victory achieved on South African soil, during the 2022 tour under Wayne Pivac when they won the second Test 13-12 in Bloemfontein having narrowly lost the first in Pretoria. Ticket pricing set by South African authorities has proved controversial, though organisers hope for a full 52,000 crowd amid a carnival atmosphere at the ground.
In short
- Wales face Springboks in Durban, heavy underdogs after poor recent form.
- Captain Dewi Lake fit again to lead his final match of the campaign.
- Wales have only one prior win on South African soil, in 2022.
Explained simply
Wales are ranked 12th in the world and arrive in South Africa following a difficult period that has included a 73-0 defeat to the Springboks in Cardiff last autumn and a 35-21 loss to Argentina. Captain Dewi Lake, who has recovered from injury, will lead the side in what is his final match of a gruelling ten-month season under head coach Steve Tandy.
Wales have won just eight of their 44 previous encounters with South Africa, with only one victory achieved on South African soil—a 13-12 win in Bloemfontein during the 2022 tour. The result will serve as a marker of the team's progress, though current expectations are limited given the difference in recent form between the two nations.
The match takes place at Kings Park in Durban, where South Africa have posted a mixed record of five wins and five defeats across their last ten internationals. The ground can hold 52,000 spectators, with organisers hoping for a full attendance despite controversy surrounding ticket pricing.
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