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With Warren Gatland returning in his role as head coach of Wales after his successful tenure with the British and Irish Lions in Australia earlier this year all eyes were set on their first game of the autumn internationals.
The talk within the Welsh camp had been on trying to defeat a southern hemisphere side (one of Australia or South Africa, though Wales will be keen to avenge their surprise loss to Argentina last year) and to set down a marker with just under two years ago until the next World Cup.
Their opponents were South Africa, who apart from New Zealand are the in-form international team of 2013 with their scintillating performances in the Rugby Championship.
Under Heyneke Meyer they have kept their well-known physicality but have added exquisite style with their numerous line breaks, as their damaging incisions into the opposition defence have resulted in clinically scoring several tries, bringing delight to many Springbok fans.
The game at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff was certainly a cracker and South Africa’s 24-15 win against Wales brought about several talking points.
1) South Africa’s physicality was brutally shown – for better and for worse
Utter the words South African rugby and one of the first words you will hear is physicality.
It is the DNA of South African rugby with strength a prerequisite – especially in the forwards.
Though Meyer has been keen to have his team play a running game when the time calls for it, he certainly hasn’t shirked the physical side of the game that makes South Africa such a hard team to face.
This was shown to full effect in Cardiff as South Africa imposed themselves on the Welsh.
In their tackling the Springboks pushed back their ball carriers with consummate and merciless ease.
In the breakdown their backrow forwards of Francois Louw, Willem Alberts and Duane Vermeulen were such a nuisance – swarming over isolated Welsh red shirts and forcing them to hold onto the ball thus conceding the penalty.
Wales managed to concede three penalties within 20 minutes – all for holding on and earned themselves a warning from referee Alain Rolland.
South Africa dominated the physical battle and that played a part in them winning the game.
However, their physicality has also earned them a bad reputation, which has been deserved at times: who can forget Bakkies Botha headbutt on Jimmy Cowan.
Sometimes their physical nature does lead them to cross the line and Francois Louw certainly did this when leading with his forearm against Richard Hibbard in the ruck.
While it was a penalty, it was debatable whether it should have been a yellow but the baying crowd possibly helped Rolland make his decision.
2) South Africa’s clinical use of their strengths
The Springboks’ ability to maximise their strengths to full effect troubled the Welsh.
In their tactical kicking the South African chase was good and were able to enforce mistakes from Wales – either in forcing a knock on or isolate the Wales player who caught the ball and get the penalty.
But it was in the rolling maul where South Africa applied their most destructive tool.
From the lineout, which had been won from the penalties as a result of their physical approach, they were able to at times canter deep into Welsh territory.
Two particular mauls stood out – the first was their second try scored by Bismarck du Plessis as a result from a lineout where they drove effortlessly to the line with no trouble and du Plessis was able to score with ease.
The second maul was late in the first half where they managed to advance some twenty to thirty metres and dismantled the Welsh’s attempts to disrupt the rolling maul.
Moreover, South Africa’s maul defence was good, as they managed to turn over Wales’ rolling maul from a lineout after good work from talismanic young lock Eben Etzebeth helped stop Wales’ momentum.
As shown in the Rugby Championship the rolling maul is a tool that South Africa love to use and will continue doing so.
3) Wales’ performance symbolises the gulf between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres
Although Wales had the lion’s share of possession (especially in the first half when they had 62 percent to South Africa’s 38 percent), were able to make 349 meters to South Africa’s 258 and forced the Springboks to make more tackles, the Welsh simply failed to capitalise on those superior stats.
This is compounded by the fact they were unable to score a try and did not score a single point when Louw was yellow carded.
Wales, in recent days before Saturday’s game, were keen to express how much they wanted to beat a top Southern Hemisphere side but their performance showed the gulf between South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.
Every time Wales had a line break, edge into the Springbok 22 after multiple phases or seem to gain some sort of momentum they lost composure either by a turnover via a penalty, a forward pass or knock on.
It happened on several occasions and must have been frustrating for the players and Warren Gatland.
The difference between Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere teams (apart from having superior skills) is that when it matters the Southern Hemisphere sides are clinical in taking their chances.
The South Africans showed this by scoring when it looked like Wales had some momentum.
On each occasion South Africa were able to capitalise whether it was a mismatch in the Welsh defensive line (as happened with Jean De Villiers’ try where Habana ghosted past Welsh hooker Hibbard) or miscommunication between Welsh players (as happened with Fourie du Preez’s try though Jaque Fourie was offside) from a kick that went deep into Wales’ half.
If the Welsh want to beat the top Southern Hemisphere teams and go far at the Rugby World Cup in 2015 they have to capitalise on their dominant possession.
They must score tries instead of relying on the impervious kicking of Leigh Halfpenny who got them back into the game by kicking all of their points before Fourie du Preez’s controversial try made it 24-15.
Wales’ match against Australia on November 30th will show if they are able to beat a top ranked Southern Hemisphere side.
4) Wales’ injuries hurt them badly
Another reason behind their loss was their string of injuries suffered before the game and during it. Wingers Alex Cuthbert and Eli Walker’s injuries prior to the game were a blow as they are both exciting players – Cuthbert showing his talents in the Lions series and Walker for his club Ospreys in the Pro 12.
However, their replacement Liam Williams had to be carted off with concussion, which had been suffered in the leadup to De Villiers’ try.
But it was the injuries to centre Jonathan Davies and prop Adam Jones in the first half that hurt Wales.
Davies before getting injured in the lead up to De Villiers try had been excellent for Wales, as he had made two good line breaks in the first ten minutes and had put Wales inside South Africa’s half.
He was running great angles and replicating the form he showed for the Lions earlier in the year.
His injury was certainly a blow as was Adam Jones. The prop is one of Wales’ important players with his prowess in the scrum a notable strength as well as his ball carrying.
Wales will hope he is available for their game next week against the Pumas for they need him when it comes to the scrum.
5) Alain Rolland – stringent yet refreshing methods when it comes to the scrum
You could not help but smile when Irish referee Alain Rolland acknowledged the loud boos from the partisan Welsh crowd with a smirk when his face was put on the big screen prior to the kick off.
Many in Wales have not forgotten the infamous incident when Rolland controversially sent off Sam Warburton in the World Cup semi final against France where Wales went on to heroically lose.
Alain Rolland’s performance as ref was mixed – he did miss Jaque Fourie being offside in the lead up to Fourie du Preez’s try that killed any hope of Wales winning the game.
However, he was consistent if not stringent when it came to the breakdown – penalising both side for putting hands in the ruck on several occasions and warning both captains about slowing the ball down.
But it was in the scrum where Rolland shown his ruthless streak.
Continued penalties in the scrum as a result of it collapsing led to Rolland warning both sets of props the next infringement would result in one prop from each side being sent to the sin bin.
The following scrum the scrum collapsed and Rolland unceremoniously yellow carded Wales’ Gethin Jenkins and South Africa’s Coenraad Oosthuizen.
It was unfortunate for Oosthuizen for he had just come on but Rolland had warned him prior to that scrum.
What Rolland did was unorthodox but refreshing as collapsed or reset scrums are a scourge on the game.
Scrums, especially in the northern hemisphere, have taken up at least 10 minutes of a rugby game hence why the IRB introduced these new scrum laws.
Though the amount of collapsed scrums since the new laws have been implemented has been cut there is room for improvement.
Although Rolland’s method might stop players from collapsing scrums.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.