Men’s international rugby has not been kind to Wales in November with two test matches at the Principality Stadium returning two defeats and the double world champions coming to town.

Having only won two non-test matches since the 2023 World Cup, earning the unwanted accolade of the Wooden Spoon at the Six Nations and suffering defeats to South Africa and Australia over the summer, Wales are in desperate need of a victory.

Standing in the way of that goal this weekend are South Africa, a formidable team that will test Wales and Warren Gatland.

What will Wales have to overcome in order to register a first test win of 2024 against South Africa at the Principality Stadium on Saturday? Read on to find out!

South Africa

Fixture: Saturday 23rd, 17:40

World Ranking: 2nd

Other Matches on Tour: Scotland and England.

Head Coach: Rassie Erasmus

The Springboks head coach does not need any introduction. Certainly, one of the top coaches in world rugby – if not of all time – Rassie Erasmus was head coach when South Africa won the World Cup in 2019 and then Director of Rugby in 2023 when the Boks retained their world title.

Erasmus returned to the head coaching role this year, following Jacques Neinaber’s move to Leinster, winning the Rugby Championship and drawing a close-fought summer series with Ireland.

Recent Form:

South Africa played ten test matches in 2024, winning eight and losing just two: against Ireland in Durban and Argentina in Santiago del Estero – both serious contenders for match of the year.

Despite that Argentina defeat, a brace of wins over Australia and New Zealand meant that the Boks won the Rugby Championship for the first time since 2019.

Star Man: Ox Nché

A prop has never even been nominated for World Rugby’s Player of the Year, let alone won the award.

If ever there was a prop to win it, it would be Ox Nché.

The loosehead prop was first capped for the Springboks in 2018 as a 23-year-old tyro, only fully breaking into the squad as a regular in 2021.

Since then Nché has been an integral part of the South African front row, often sharing starting duties with Steven Kitshoff.

The World Cup semi-final victory over England really showed off his superpower: scrummaging. Nché replaced Kitshoff with half an hour left on the clock and South Africa in the rare position of looking underpowered physically.

Nché dominated his English counterpart, Kyle Sinckler, helping the Boks overturn a 15-6 deficit to win by a single point.

After the World Cup victory, Nché has fully taken on the role of the Springboks premier prop – no mean feat – and started all but one of their matches in the summer tests and successful Rugby Championship.

If Wales are to get a foothold in the game against the Boks, they will have to rely on Nché having an off day.

One To Watch: Aphelele Fassi

For so long Willie le Roux was the Springboks’ go-to man at fullback, with only the recent emergence of Damian Willemse, who missed this year’s internationals through injury, upsetting the 35-year-old’s supremacy.

Now though, a new face seems to have won the number 15 shirt for himself now. Enter: Aphelele Fassi.

Thrice capped prior to 2024, Fassi played all three of those games on the left wing, scoring against Georgia and Argentina. A return to the squad after two years away from international rugby was a reward for being the bright spark in a poor season overall for Sharks, capped by scoring a try in the Challenge Cup final.

Fassi’s return to the Boks came against Wales in June, before he was given a run of games in the Rugby Championship scoring four tries, a team high and second overall.

Whereas le Roux and Willemse act as second playmakers for the Boks, Fassi brings a physicality unmatched by most international fullbacks, all while being imperious under the high ball like all modern 15s must be.

Teams:

Wales

Blair Murray; Tom Rogers, Max Llewellyn, Ben Thomas, Rio Dyer; Sam Costelow, Ellis Bevan; Gareth Thomas, Dewi Lake (capt), Archie Griffin, Will Rowlands, Christ Tshiunza, James Botham, Jac Morgan, Taine Plumtree.

Replacements: Ryan Elias, Nicky Smith, Keiron Assiratti, Freddie Thomas, Tommy Reffell, Rhodri Williams, Eddie James, Josh Hathaway.

South Africa

Aphelele Fassi; Cheslin Kolbe, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Kurt-Lee Arendse; Jordan Hendrikse, Jaden Hendrikse; Thomas du Toit, Johan Grobbelaar, Wilco Louw, Jean Kleyn, Franco Mostert, Siya Kolisi (capt), Elrigh Louw, Jasper Wiese.

Replacements: Malcolm Marx, Gerhard Steenekamp, Vincent Koch, Eben Etzebeth, RG Snyman, Cameron Hanekom, Cobus Reinach, Handre Pollard.

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