Chris Kirwan, Ioan Griffiths & Ceri Coleman-Phillips
That's a wrap for Wales' season - goodbyepublished at 18:56 BST 18 July
18:56 BST 18 July
FT: South Africa 43-0 Wales
Image source, Getty Images
So, Wales finish their first season under Steve Tandy
with another defeat, a ninth in 12 Tests.
It was an expected loss against South Africa and being
competitive would have been a success in Durban given that it was the number
one side in the world rankings against the 12th.
In truth, they weren’t when nilled for the
second time this season by the world champions.
The bookies gave Tandy’s men a 42-point head start
in the handicap before kick-off and that proved to be a good prediction.
Wales showed fight and spirit but it
was only Springboks' inaccuracy that kept the score down.
The world champions
have plenty more gears to go through and will be a different beast against New Zealand in the coming months.
Dewi Lake & Co know that the gulf to the top Test
teams remains huge despite some improvements made through 2025-26.
Can Wales close the gap when the Nations Championship
returns in November? Japan is a must-win followed by fixtures against New
Zealand and Australia in Cardiff.
A long season comes to an end, with Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets already back in training ahead of 2026-27.
See you in September for the United Rugby Championship!
Tandy 'proud of the effort'published at 18:55 BST 18 July
18:55 BST 18 July
FT: South Africa 43-0 Wales
Steve Tandy speaking on S4C: "Not scoring any points is always disappointing and we had one or two opportunities to score but we couldn't convert.
"Really proud of the effort the boys put in. There's a lot of growth in us and it's part of the journey that we are on and how quickly we have to catch up.
"Massively disappointed but this group is great and they work hard. They understand the journey and where we need to go to.
"We'll reflect on last year and seeing what we've improved on, but also the areas where we need to accelerate to catch up."
'We've had growth' - Lakepublished at 18:47 BST 18 July
18:47 BST 18 July
FT: South Africa 43-0 Wales
Wales captain Dewi Lake speaking on ITV: "I'm massively proud of the boys, some people might be shocked with me saying that with the scoreboard looking as it does, but for me there is a lot of improvement in that.
"You compare that performance to the performance in the autumn against the Boks.
"We're not happy with the nil on the scoreboard, we're not happy with losing, there's a lot for us to improve on, but we've had growth and I'm proud of every single one of those boys that pulled the jersey on and gave everything on that field today."
'Discipline let us down' - Morganpublished at 18:43 BST 18 July
18:43 BST 18 July
FT: South Africa 42-0 Wales
Jac Morgan speaking on S4C: 'It was a hard game, we knew how physical South Africa were going to be and respect to them, they were really good today.
"It was a physical game, I'm a little bit gutted we couldn't get any points on the board but fair play to the boys, they stuck in for long periods of the game. Our discipline let us down at times and that gave them opportunities.
"There's work for us to do as a squad. You can see as a team that we're developing over the last few months. I respect all the boys for their effort over the summer.
"It's been three hard Tests and we've been tested. We just have to stick together and carry on improving.
"They are a great group of boys and the heart they've shown to keep battling is something we can take pride in."
I know it’s not easy out there but Wales look like they don’t know what to do what they have ball in hand. They want to kick it away all the time and look petrified to run it
Ben, Pontypool
Tandy keeps backing the same names, but where’s the evolution? It’s time to blood the youngsters and add some genuine size in midfield. And if Sherratt’s calling the shots in the backs, perhaps it’s time for a fresh voice there too.
Gareth, Oxford
What are Wales doing in training? There is no structure or pattern to our game, we have no attacking threat.
Scott Baldwin Former Welsh & Ospreys hooker on BBC Radio Wales
What we've learnt today is that they are a resilient group.
We've got a set-piece against 90% of teams in the world and we've got to build on that if we want to be competitive in the Six Nations and the rest of the Nations Championship.
Fans switched on the lights on their mobile phones, creating a spectacular light show around the stadium.
In the 67th minute, the mood briefly changed with a giant image of Nelson Mandela appearing on the big screen to mark Nelson Mandela International Day. The timing is symbolic – Mandela dedicated 67 years of his life to the fight for social justice, and people around the world are encouraged to spend 67 minutes helping others in his honour.
Moments later, the music returns and the celebrations continue as the home supporters enjoy another Springbok try.
No questioning that Wales have no shape going forward and lack punch but the lack of refereeing around the offside mark and breakdown is poor. Third week in a row where they have been allowed to ‘push’ the limits
Owen, Cambridge
Regardless of what happens today, as a Welsh fan, I am convinced we’ll end up are on the right path with the right people. It will take time. It will be painful. It will be worth it.
Image source, Getty Images
