Wales suffered a historic and painful 73-0 defeat to South Africa, marking the end of a forgettable year for Welsh rugby. The team, led by Steve Tandy and visibly weakened, could not cope with the power of the Springboks, who demonstrated their superiority at the Principality Stadium.
The match, which exposed the gap between both teams, had a controversial ending with the expulsion of Eben Etzebeth for an assault. The South African player received a direct red card in the 79th minute after a video review revealed contact in Alex Mann’s eye during a dispute between players.
Etzebeth, who came on as a substitute in the 51st minute, scored South Africa’s eleventh try, but his action tarnished his career. This was the first red card in his 141 international matches.
South Africa, which will finish 2025 at the top of the world ranking for the third consecutive year, dominated the match from the start, reaching halftime with a 28-0 lead. The tries were scored by Gerhard Steenekamp, Ethan Hooker, Jasper Wiese and Morne van der Berg.
In the second half, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu scored twice, and Wilco Louw, Canan Moodie, Andre Esterhuizen, Ruan Nortje, and Etzebeth himself also scored. Feinberg-Mngomezulu added 18 points with his foot, reaching a total of 28 personal points.In a year full of disappointments, this was the second time in 2025 that Wales failed to score any points, following the 43-0 defeat against France in the Six Nations. The defeat raises serious questions about the planning of this match by the Welsh Rugby Union.
Wales was forced to field a weakened team, without its players playing in England and France, as the match was played outside the official international window. Although South Africa also had casualties, it was able to count on a very talented squad, with a bench that surpassed the Welsh team in experience.
From the first scrum, the South African dominance was anticipated, which resulted in a penalty in favor of the Springboks. Steenekamp took the opportunity to score the first try, followed by Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s conversion.
South Africa’s scrum superiority allowed them to extend their lead, with Hooker breaking the Welsh defense and Wiese scoring from a play near the try line. The first half concluded with a fourth try for the visitors, thanks to Van der Berg.
The second half continued in the same vein, with Louw, Feinberg-Mngomezulu, and Moodie extending the lead. South Africa introduced their entire bench, known as the “Bomb Squad”, to consolidate their dominance.
Wales played 20 minutes with two players less due to yellow cards to Taine Plumtree and Aaron Wainwright. Esterhuizen and Feinberg-Mngomezulu extended the lead before Nortje and Etzebeth, who could face a long suspension, closed the scoring.
