Warren Gatland told the BBC last week that “we had an inferiority complex against the southern-hemisphere sides”, adding: “We spoke about it and thought we’d addressed it but were proved wrong.”

Wales last beat the Springboks back in 1999 at the Millennium Stadium, but they have never beaten the Boks in South Africa or anywhere else.

The last time Wales beat a Tri-Nations team at home — Australia in 1969- was well before most of the current players were born. Their best result against any of the Tri-Nations sides came in 1987 when they beat Australia in New Zealand at the World Cup.

So a win against the current world champions at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, despite a three-quarter-full stadium for the home crowd, seems a very tall order.

Better to use this rather as a prelude before meeting the Springboks for the third time this year, at home at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, on November 8 in front of a capacity crowd of 80 000 singing Welshmen.

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  • Tony led the change in corporate identity of South African Airways from the airline of the old South Africa to the flag carrier of the new South Africa. Before that he was a competitive provincial sportsmen in swimming, diving, waterpolo, lifesaving and white water rafting. Rugby was played at Bishops, NW Cape, Maties, van der Stel, UCT, Hamiltons and False Bay. Tony singularly authored the blueprint for the establishment of Soccer City Stadium for the PSL which in 2010 hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the FIFA World Cup and the Finals of the soccer showpiece. He was past CEO of the Southern & Eastern Cape Super 14 Rugby franchise, the Southern Spears and now CEO of the Super 20 Rugby World Series.

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Tony McKeever

Tony led the change in corporate identity of South African Airways from the airline of the old South Africa to the flag carrier of the new South Africa. Before that he was a competitive provincial sportsmen...

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