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S4C commentator and former Wales captain Gwyn Jones assesses where Wales are at as they prepare to play the world champion Springboks
14:37, 17 Jul 2026Updated 14:46, 17 Jul 2026
By the time Wales run out at Kings Park on Saturday, they may be entitled to ask whether the Nations Championship has a complaints department. A long domestic season, a Barbarians game, three successive Tests and considerable travel have delivered them to Durban, where the reward is a meeting with the world champions.
The physical challenge has increased every week. Fiji brought tempo and unpredictability. Argentina brought aggression and the hard edges of San Juan. South Africa are something else again. They operate in a physicality bracket all of their own, and Wales have looked less equipped to cope as this series has become more bruising.
That is the central concern. The collision area has been a problem; so too the missed tackles, offloads conceded and the inability to slow opponents once they generate quick ball. Those faults are damaging against any Test side. Against South Africa, they are an invitation to a very long afternoon.
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The Springboks do not simply want to beat you. They want to dominate you. At times, one suspects the ball is only there to give the collision a vaguely legal purpose. Scoring tries is a bonus, the real enjoyment comes from emasculating you.
That old Springbok appetite for physical superiority has not gone away. The uncomfortable development for everyone else is that South Africa are now far more than a power side. Under Tony Brown’s attacking influence, they have become ambitious and skilful with the ball. This shows genuine evolution under Erasmus, something not even the great All Black side of the 2010s managed to do.
Steve Tandy’s six changes are therefore understandable. Wales need fresher bodies and clearer minds at the end of a draining tour. They also need players ready to meet the challenge from the opening collision.
There was, at least, a reason for encouragement in San Juan. Wales looked close to capitulating before their rousing final 10 to 15 minutes against Argentina. They found character, refused to fold and gave themselves something to carry forward. In Durban, that togetherness will be indispensable. The Springboks will test the Welsh set-piece and fitness, but they will also test the group’s willingness to keep working when the match begins to feel unfair.
Wales did some things well against Argentina. They competed effectively in the air, where Ellis Mee won some useful contests. But there was a familiar frustration in the middle third. Wales moved the ball wide too readily, attempting a sophisticated phase game without first earning front-foot possession. They are not presently a side that can go through phase after phase in midfield without getting over the gain line.
The consequences are familiar: isolated runners, turnovers, penalties and punishing transitions. Wales are trying to play a game which is beyond them in their current state. Pragmatism is not a dirty word. It means recognising when to use the kicking game, when to compete in the air and when to build pressure before attempting the spectacular.
This match also sharpens the bigger question. A year into Tandy’s tenure, Wales have made progress in attitude and spirit, but he still does not know exactly what his best team looks like. The pack is beginning to take shape. Rhys Carré, Dewi Lake, Tomas Francis, Ben Carter and Dafydd Jenkins offer a hard-working foundation, while Aaron Wainwright and Jac Morgan are class. It may not be the biggest pack in the world, but it looks increasingly like a pack.
Behind the scrum, the fog is thicker. Tomos Williams and Josh Adams look the two most secure names for the next time Wales need to win a significant Test. Fly-half remains unresolved; midfield remains unresolved; the back three remains unresolved. And if a coach does not know his best backs, it is difficult for a side to know precisely how it wants to play.
Eddie James has the attributes to help answer one question. He has the power and stature to make ground on the gain line, and Wales should persevere with him after a deserved rest. Louis Rees-Zammit is too good not to be involved. His response from the bench against Argentina was admirable: lively, determined and plainly eager to prove a point. But Wales still do not appear certain how best to use him, nor who their first-choice full-back should be.
There is still good news. This group looks honest, hard-working and united. The fight in San Juan said plenty about its character. But a World Cup is only a year away, and Wales remain a long way behind the leading sides. Saturday in Durban may be less about winning than discovering whether they can withstand the storm — and emerge with a clearer idea of who they are.
Gwyn Jones is part of the S4C commentary team for South Africa v Wales on Saturday. Coverage starts at 4pm.
