Wales sien hul Gat-Land : South Africa (22) 43 Wales (10) 17

Bloemfontein – South Africa

When I joined Will Carling’s website, Rucku.com, he welcomed me aboard but warned me that I better dig up loads of Springbok supporters because the place was crawling with Welshmen – and he wasn’t kidding either the place is infested. Those fecking Welshmen are everywhere and having just won the 6 Nations they”d have you believe that their lot are world champions. They aren’t as they just found out when they crashed big time to the actual world number 1.

Jokes aside lads it really is great to see Wales back among the world’s best because they have a wonderful rugby tradition with among the most passionate supporters you’ll find anywhere. Land of our fathers sung before any test crowd makes it worth having these lads down our way any time. Goosebumps aplenty.

Unfortunately for them the singing of the national anthem was to be their highlight for the day.

In the first 23 minutes Wales were handing out penalties like candy bars as Butch James punished them four time to a solitary Stephen Jones kick to leave them trailing 12 -3. This was testimony to the hard hits that were flying in as the Bokke backline and forwards, who seemed to be on the Welshmen before they had a chance to breath let alone consider their options, let them have it time and again. On several occasions each time a Welshmen caught a pass he copped a Springbok at the same time and the ball was going backwards fast.

On 30 minutes Andries Bekker, the massive lock, son of Hennie Bekker, stole lineout ball to put Adrian Jacobs and Conrad Jantjes, who combined brilliantly, in for the opening try. James converted to leave Wales trailing 19-3.

37 minutes in and we found out why Shane Williams is so dangerous – After a tapped penalty he got the ball to Sonny Parker who broke two tackles and then slipped the ball to Jamie Roberts to get over in the corner.

Butch James then slotted a 5th penalty to close out the half with a deserved 22-10 lead for the Springboks.

In the second half the Springboks took their dominance to the next level. Jean De Villiers beneficiary of the umpteent turnover made a straight run to score South Africa’s second try. 29 – 10.

On 54 minutes Luke Watson releases Bolla Conradie who explodes down the middle and offloads to Pierre Spies coming from his left to crash over for the 3rd try. 36-10

On 66 minutes Wales find Shane Williams open on the left and his pace and a sidestep which leaves Bryan Habana, coming accross to intercept, for dead, brings him a try and a salute under the poles. Williams undoubtedly one of the world’s greatest wingers. 36-17

Finally on 70 minutes Percy Montgomery shows us some of the old flair losing two tackles and crashing over for South Africa’s fourth try. Butch James named man of the match completes a perfect kicking afternoon. 43 – 17

Bryan Habana might have had a 5th try but the ball was adjudged to be held up over the line. While he was trying to score CJ Van der Linde and Richard Hibberd were trying to reignite the World Heavyweight division on the sidelines and earned a yellow card each.

Wales as 6 Nations Champions can’t have taken much comfort from this one as the World Champions steamrolled them for 80 minutes.

For South Africa it was a fabulous day. Instead of all the garbage about tokens and South Africa falling behind De Villiers, Muir and Gold have shown us that the Springbok rugby has frightening depth. If these guys are tokens then long live tokenism.

Every player was playing out of his skin, considering they had never played together as a unit, and if this is the type of rugby we can look forward to the crowds will be out in force.

The big tests against the All Blacks and Australia lie ahead. This means we won’t be able to see just how strong we are until we have faced the other Southern Hemisphere giants.

However, If South Africa is finally starting to benefit from it’s full pool as New Zealand and Australia did from their Fijians and Samoans then South Africa has the potential to be the giants of world rugby.

And I have the potential to become the most insufferable rugby journalist ever to have been born.

Please God let it be so!

Teams :

South Africa: Jantjes, Chavhanga, Jacobs, de Villiers, Habana, James, Conradie, Steenkamp, Smit, Mujati, Botha, Bekker, Watson, Smith, Spies.
Replacements: van der Linde, B du Plessis, Matfield, Rossouw, Pienaar, Grant, Montgomery.

Wales: Roberts, M Jones, Shanklin, Parker, S. Williams, S Jones, Cooper, Jenkins, Rees, A Jones, Gough, A W Jones, J Thomas, D Jones, R Jones.
Replacements: D Jones, Hibbard, Evans, Delve, Fury, Hook, Stoddart.

Referee: David Pearson (RFU)

Tries :

South Africa : Conrad Jantjes ; Pierre Spies ; Percy Montgomery : Jean De Villiers

Wales : Jamie Roberts ; Shane Williams