Preview: South Africa vs. Wales - prediction, team news, lineups

South Africa entertain Wales astatine the Kings Park Stadium connected Saturday day for the last circular of Nations Championship fixtures this month.

Last clip out, the Springboks posted a 42-28 triumph against Scotland successful Pretoria, portion the Red Dragons fell to a 35-21 decision versus Argentina successful San Juan.

Match preview

With 2 rounds of the Nations Championship down us, it comes arsenic nary astonishment that South Africa volition caput into November’s fixtures arsenic the favourites to triumph the first-ever tourney edition.

After their opening play triumph against England successful Johannesburg, the Springboks made it back-to-back tourney triumphs connected Saturday day arsenic they pulled distant successful the second-half to bushed Scotland 42-28 astatine the Loftus Versefeld Stadium.

Not lone does it person Rassie Erasmus’s men sitting atop the Southern Hemisphere table, narrowly supra New Zealand connected points difference, but their triumph against Gregor Townsend’s outfit was astonishingly their 11th triumph successful a row, astir precocious tasting decision to the All Blacks past September.

Looking to stay cleanable going into November’s Northern Hemisphere fixtures, South Africa volition beryllium assured of doing truthful against a struggling Welsh outfit that they person claimed triumph implicit successful each of the erstwhile 5 meetings betwixt the sides.

Heading into the inaugural Nations Championship run disconnected the backmost of their 3rd consecutive woody spoon Six Nations finish, Wales volition beryllium contented with their performances successful the tourney truthful far.

In the archetypal round, the Red Dragons delivered an awesome second-half show to drawback a bonus constituent 39-24 triumph against Fiji successful Cardiff, but that was past followed up by a disappointing 35-21 decision distant to a beardown Argentina broadside connected Saturday evening.

As a result, Steve Tandy’s men presently beryllium a mediocre 5th supra Italy successful the Northern Hemisphere table, though they are lone trailing fierce rivals England connected people difference, with Steve Borthwick’s men 42 points amended off.

Preparing to look a formidable South Africa outfit this weekend, Wales are acold from favourites, but having bushed the Springboks 13-12 successful Japan conscionable implicit 4 years ago, Tandy’s men bash boast caller acquisition of overcoming Saturday’s opposition.

South Africa Nations Championship form:

South Africa signifier (all competitions):

Wales Nations Championship form:

Wales signifier (all competitions):

Team News

In the scrum, lone Cobus Wiese connected the second-row and skipper Pieter-Steph du Toit astatine openside-flanker support their spots from past weekend, with Malcolm Marx and Jasper Wiese amongst those to beryllium reintroduced..

Likewise, Aphelele Fassi and Jesse Kriel diagnostic erstwhile again successful the backs, with Damian Willemse, Handre Pollard and Embrose Papier each missing out.

Wales person made a brace of changes to the battalion that started against Argentina, with Teddy Williams replacing Ben Carter connected the second-row and Alex Mann coming successful for James Botham astatine blindside-flanker.

Across the backline, lone Tomos Williams, Josh Adams and Blair Murray support their places, with Louis Rees-Zammit and Dan Edwards amongst those to retrun to the fold this weekend.

South Africa starting lineup:

15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Jaco Williams, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Vusi Moyo, 9 Cobus Reinach; 1 Gerhard Steenekamp, 2 Malcolm Marx, 3 Carlu Sadie, 4 Cobus Wiese, 5 Ruben van Heerden, 6 Paul de Villiers, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 8 Jasper Wiese

Replacements:

16 Andre-Hugo Venter, 17 Jan-Hendrick Wessels, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 Ben-Jason Dixon, 20 Marco van Staden, 21 Herschel Jantjies, 22 Manie Libbok, 23 Damian Willemse

Wales starting lineup:

15 Blair Murray, 14 Louis Rees-Zammit, 13 Max Llewellyn, 12 Ben Thomas, 11 Josh Adams, 10 Dan Edwards, 9 Tomos Williams; 1 Rhys Carre, 2 Dewi Lake, 3 Dillon Lewis, 4 Teddy Williams, 5 Adam Beard, 6 Alex Mann, 7 Jac Morgan, 8 Aaron Wainwright

Replacements:

16 Ryan Elias, 17 Nicky Smith, 18 Ben Warren, 19 Freddie Thomas, 20 Tommy Reffell, 21 James Botham, 22 Reuben Morgan-Williams, 23 Joe Hawkins

We say: South Africa 46-12 Wales

Although they person posted a cleanable start, fixtures against England and Scotland person been nary breeze for South Africa, but we expect they volition genuinely footwear into cogwheel this weekend.

Despite a promising commencement to the Nations Championship, we foretell that Wales volition beryllium incapable to laic a mitt connected the Springboks, enduring a convincing decision successful Durban.