The Springboks take on Wales in the season-ending international Test on Saturday at a time when the gulf between the two rugby nations has never been more apparent.
The Boks are back-to-back world champions and arrive in the Welsh capital in high spirits on the back of wins over Japan (61-7), France (32-17), Italy (32-14) and Ireland (24-13).
A victory in Cardiff would mark the second successive season that they complete an Autumn Nations Series clean sweep.
It would also mean a 12th victory in 14 Tests this year, including a 67-30 thrashing of Argentina and a record 43-10 win over the All Blacks in Wellington.
Wales, however, languish in 11th spot in the world rankings, their only two Test victories since the 2023 World Cup over Japan.
They beat them in Japan in July – ending a run of 18 successive defeats – and in Cardiff two weeks ago, which was the hosts first home win in over two years.
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Having conceded 52 points to both Argentina and New Zealand this November, pundits fear for Saturday’s game, which is being played outside the international window.
As a result Wales coach Steve Tandy has lost 13 players, who have returned to their clubs.
It has left the Welsh team depleted and looking decidedly underpowered for the clash at the Millennium Stadium.
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While Bok coach Rassie Erasmus has also faced the departure of several big names, including newly-crowned world player of the year Malcolm Marx, the strength in depth he has developed means Wales will face a formidable South Africa side.
Eben Etzebeth, with 140 caps to his name, is named as part of a monster “Bomb Squad” bench featuring seven forwards and just one back, Cobus Reinach.
There are 374 caps alone among the Bok replacements. Wales’ starting XV boasts just 267 and their three front row replacements only two between them.
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“In any walk of life, what are we going to focus on?” asked Tandy, who took over from interim coach Matt Sherratt following Warren Gatland’s departure after a second spell at the helm of Welsh rugby.
“Are we going to be downbeat on something? It’s an opportunity for these boys, and for us as coaches to coach against South Africa.
“I can’t see how we go into it and be negative. I don’t believe in that anyway, I want to see the best in what we do.”
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Erasmus, who as an abrasive flanker was part of the first Springbok team to lose to Wales in 1999, insisted that the Welsh were “the kind of people who don’t give up”.
“I don’t understand currently what’s going on in the Wales set-up,” he said. “I don’t understand the politics and what works and what doesn’t work.”
Erasmus added: “I know deep there in the underbelly of the Welsh there’s fight and somewhere it’s going to come right and Tandy looks like he’s getting the structures together.”
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The Bok coach acknowledged the chasm in experience between the two teams, with his side averaging 40 caps per player to Wales’ 11.
“It can either be a very highly energetic team of the Welsh that gives nothing away and just fights like hell and really surprises us, or we can grind it out if we have the right mindset and eventually try and get away from them on the scoreboard.
“We hope to win the game and fly home with our heads high. But the Welsh will certainly try and stop us.”
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– AFP
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