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Welcome to our coverage of South Africa against Wales, a really tough game for the Welsh even though the Springboks have not played a proper Test since November
Look away now if you're Welsh. In 27 meetings with South Africa so far Wales have won once. They did manage a draw as well. Wales don't seem to be a big draw which is a bit unfair. Loads of empty seats in Durban.
A Zulu warrior sprints on ahead of South Africa, loses his footing and does the splits. South Africa buck the trend of scantily clad young female singers for the anthems and opt for a very earnest gentleman instead, and then one in a smoking jacket which would not have been out of place on Noel Coward
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| 1 |
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Romain Poite gets the game underway. Wales kick off. Lovelky break for Wales from Liam Williams but his pass is juggled and then dropped
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| 2 |
0 - 3 |
Flowing start from Wales, slick passing and South Africa defending deep in their half, and Dan Biggar lands a good drop-goal from around 25m out. First blood Wales
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| 5 |
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South Africa woken by that and pushing the Welsh back. Making good ground and well inside the 22. A turnover allows Biggar to clear the lines. First onslaught repelled, Lots more to come
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| 6 |
5 - 3 |
Bryan Habana chases down a deft kick through from Willie le Roux and appears to get the touchdown. Romain Poite asks if the player was taken out, but as he got the ball down it seems immaterial
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| 7 |
7 - 3 |
Good kick from wide and you suspect it's only going to get harder for Wales
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| 10 |
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Habana breaks and makes good ground. Wales going forward look eager, South Africa going forward look dangerous
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| 12 |
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Jamie Roberts takes out Willie le Roux in the air, not deliberate but his instant apology shows he knew he was in trouble. Romain Poite goes upstairs and a yellow card follows
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| 13 |
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Cornall Hendricks almost breaks through on the wing but is held up and the ball goes forward. Real speed from Hendricks but he just did not have the room
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| 14 |
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Wales penalised by the theatric Romain Poite and South Africa kick to the corner. Here comes the driving line-out
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| 15 |
12 - 3 |
Hot knife.Through butter. Wales part like the Red Sea and Duane Vermeulen bulldozes over from two or three metres out. The defence were simply overpowered, like a middleweight trying to stop a heavyweight
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| 17 |
14 - 3 |
Morne Steyn adds the points
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| 19 |
14 - 6 |
Wales play the advantage, drive into the South Africa third and that gives Dan Biggar the chance to land another drop-goal
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| 20 |
19 - 6 |
What a response. Bryan Habana hits straight back from the restart, he has a gap and all the pace and Wales again flat footed and outpaced as he strolls over the line
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| 21 |
21 - 6 |
Another good kick from the touchline by Morne Steyn
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| 22 |
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Wales back to full strength and they need everyone they can get. South Africa's defence wobble for a second but Wales' chance comes and goes in an instant. Score aside, the worry for Warren Gatland is the flimsiness of the Wales defence when stretched
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| 24 |
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Wales knock on, South Africa break and fumble after several plays but Romain Poite pulls it back. He allowed too much time to elapse in that instance. There's only so much advantage from a knock-on
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| 25 |
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South Africa will not mind balls kicked into the night sky because Wales simply cannot cope when they come down
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| 28 |
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Morne Steyn with a slick kick behind the Wales backs, two players dive and it's a referral upstairs. Mike Phillips did enough to put Jan Serfontein off, and although the South African got his hand on the ball all he managed was to knock it on
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| 30 |
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South Africa build the pressure, their front row punching at the Welsh backs. Wales turn it over and Alex Cuthbert breaks, and suddenly the South Africans are the ones scrambling back in the face of a good counterattack. Briefly Wales had numerical advantage and they are going to need to take the few chances they get
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| 33 |
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South Africa once more deep in the Welsh 22. Bismarck du Plessis immense here, pounding repeatedly at the defence
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| 36 |
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Knock-on gives Wales respite, but that attack contained a lovely pick-up on the bootlaces from Morne Steyn
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| 37 |
26 - 6 |
Willie le Roux kicks through, a nasty, bumbling kick which kinks just as Liam Williams goes to take it, le Roux gathers and spins over the line. Lovely rugby and he deserved that
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| 38 |
28 - 6 |
Steyn with the conversion and Wales now losing touch
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| 40 |
28 - 9 |
Wales gain a penalty about 30m out and with the clock running down they go for the three points. Biggar cuts the deficit but as they head off, they have a mountain to climb
Wales offered little, a few breaks and three good kicks from Biggar. But South Africa have battered them and have made inroads when it matters. The second half could start to get embarrassing. Warren Gatland has his work cut out at the break
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| 40 |
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What can Wales do this half
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| 44 |
31 - 9 |
Morne Steyn slots another three points after Wales penalised for a dangerous tackle
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| 48 |
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Same pattern, Wales backs against the wall
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| 51 |
36 - 9 |
Cornall Hendricks scores on his debut, South Africa run the ball from one side to the other, Willie le Roux makes the pass and Hendricks brushes off George North's tackle and over he goes
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| 52 |
38 - 9 |
Amid all this. Steyn's kicking has been superb. But you can see this going well over 50 and closer to 60. It's very very one-sided
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| 55 |
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Wales make three changes. A bit like being asked to come on to bowl when Sachin Tendulkar is 300 not out on a flat track
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| 56 |
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Wales' best 90 seconds and they drive onwards to the line but the defence solid as a rock. The Welsh had an advantage in their somewhere as well. Romain Poite eventually blows it after about 50 seconds of huff and puff
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| 57 |
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Bismarck du Plessis penalised for killing the ball. Second such offence in a minute but the referee doesn't show a card this time. Kick and a lineout results
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| 59 |
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Wales break, Gareth Davies shows explosive pace, Biggar is caught a yard from the line, retuns the pass but that looked forward and the TMO agrees
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| 61 |
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Much better six or seven minutes for Wales but they have nothing to show for it
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| 64 |
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Understandably the pace has slackened a bit but you suspect South Africa can up a gear or two if they want to
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| 67 |
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A cynical person might note Wales have got better since they fell so far behind they were out the game. Or have South Africa eased off the gas?
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| 68 |
38 - 14 |
Good for him ... Alex Cuthbert with a solo try, outpaces the backs from his own 22, weaves through tackles and scores
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| 69 |
38 - 16 |
James Hook adds the points with an easy kick
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| 70 |
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South Africa's turn to make a raft of changes, four men head off with the game won
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| 73 |
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This is all being played in the middle third with the intensity of a training session
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| 74 |
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All a bit scruffy as both sides knock on, eventually the third one produces no advantage
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| 76 |
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Wales penalised for going off their feet in their own 22 and South Africa kick the penalty to the corner
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| 77 |
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Wales desperately defend as the ball is thrown around close to their line. Eventually they are penalised and again South Africa kick to the corner
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| 79 |
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Tendai Mtawarira held up inches short, and another attack starts and stops right on the line. Non stop and Wales concede another penalty as they were offside
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| 80 |
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Earlier and we might have had yellow by now, but South Africa take the tap and drive for the last time. Wales hold on. Lodewyk De Jager just stopped. Then Tendai Mtawarira stopped. Brutal and the best defence of the match from the Welsh
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| 80+1 |
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Wales have actually pushed these attacks to the edge of their 22.
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| 80+2 |
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Wales finally strip the ball and clear to touch. And that's that but some great defensive work from Wales.
Wales will take heart from a better second-half showing but by then they were all but beaten, and while the game was alive they were very much second best.
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