Wales Suffers Humiliating Defeat to South Africa
Wales suffered a historic 73-0 defeat against South Africa, marking the end of a dark year for Welsh rugby in Cardiff. The team, led by Steve Tandy and with a weakened lineup, could not counter the power of the Springboks, who scored 11 tries at the Principality Stadium, inflicting the worst home defeat in Welsh history. The match had a controversial ending when substitute Eben Etzebeth was sent off for an action on Alex Mann’s eye. Referee Luc Ramos showed a straight red card to Etzebeth in the 79th minute, after reviewing the video that showed his right thumb in Mann’s left eye during a scuffle between players from both teams. This was the first red card in Etzebeth’s career, who entered the match in the 51st minute and scored South Africa’s eleventh try. 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 there were also tries from Wilco Louw, Canan Moodie, Andre Esterhuizen, Ruan Nortje and the aforementioned Etzebeth. The Springboks surpassed England’s victory in Cardiff in March, which was 68-14. Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who studied at Llandovery College in Carmarthenshire as part of an exchange program with his school in Cape Town, scored 18 points with his foot, reaching a personal total of 28 points.
Although the post-match analysis by Tandy and his team will highlight the great difference between Wales and the world champions, questions will arise about the Welsh Rugby Union’s decision to schedule this match in the first place.
Wales were forced to field a weakened team, without their 13 players who play in England and France, because the match was held outside the official World Rugby international window. South Africa also lost players due to club commitments, but was still able to count on an impressive amount of talent, with its bench alone accounting for more international matches than the entire Wales team. From the first legal scrum, a predictable pattern was established that sent shivers down the spine in Wales and a penalty in the middle of the field. The ball was effectively recycled for prop Steenekamp to score from close range, and Feinberg-Mngomezulu converted the first of his nine conversions.South Africa’s dominance in the scrum led to a second try, when Hooker broke through the weak Welsh defense, and they went 14 points ahead in a few minutes. Wiese scored from another scrum five yards out, but Wales’ suffering in the first half didn’t end there, as the visitors managed their fourth try in the final moments.
Esterhuizen opened a gap in the center of the Welsh field and scrum-half Van der Berg was on hand for his fifth try in just six appearances. The butchery continued in the second half, as Louw benefited from another burst from Esterhuizen, Feinberg-Mngomezulu advanced unopposed, and Moodie successfully chased down a loose ball that had been kicked. Three tries in less than 10 minutes and South Africa sent their entire bench, with eight players, to join the party. Wales played 20 minutes of the second half with 14 players due to yellow cards for forwards Taine Plumtree and Aaron Wainwright, and South Africa had no intention of yielding. Esterhuizen ran and Feinberg-Mngomezulu scored his second try before Nortje and Etzebeth, who would not finish the match and now faces the possibility of a long suspension, scored to kick off the latest investigation into Welsh rugby.
