DURBAN, South Africa (AP) — South Africa put down Wales 43-0 and was three for three in Nations Championship rugby on Saturday.
The Springboks struggled to reflect their utter domination on the scoreboard and ought to have doubled their seven actual tries by seven different scorers.
A team of 10 changes with four debutants following the 42-28 win over Scotland was slick at times but frequently undone by knock-ons.
But even ragged with a slippery ball, the Springboks still blanked Wales in successive matches for the first time since the first two matches in this rivalry, in 1906 and 1912.
Wales was far stronger than the all-local team that was thrashed 73-0 by South Africa last November in Cardiff, and still outclassed. Wales hasn't scored a point against the world champion Springboks in more than 2 1/2 hours.
Only South Africa and New Zealand were unbeaten after the southern hemisphere leg of the new Nations Championship. The tournament takes a break to November when it will conclude in Europe.
“I think we've got a little bit better in every game of the Nations Championship but as we've been rotating it does take cohesion away,” Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus said. “We saw world-class players make a few knocks-on in this game. The field is really slippery, and you could feel it in the warmup, that it was really greasy. It was tough to play an expansive, pretty game in (conditions) like that against a team that really wanted to defend.”
Wales was the wooden spoon holder after the last two Six Nations and remained a work in progress. The defense missed 29 tackles against South Africa and missed 102 across all three Nations Championship fixtures this month.
Wales was overpowered by Argentina last weekend in San Juan and was determined to front up at Kings Park against the most direct team in world rugby. But it was quickly apparent Wales couldn't.
No. 8 Jasper Wiese blew through Jac Morgan and Rhys Carre to score the opening try in the fifth minute. The Bok scrum, with new cap Carlu Sadie at tighthead, monstered Wales' eight back over their own tryline to gain the put-in. From that scrum, scrumhalf Cobus Reinach crossed too easily.
New Boks flyhalf Vusi Moyo and wing Jaco Williams impressed in test debuts on their home ground. This season the 20-year-old Moyo has also made his Sharks debut and played for the Junior Springboks. After the halftime siren, his kickpass to Williams set up a try for Jesse Kriel and a 19-0 lead that flattered Wales.
Williams scored 44 seconds into the new half after superb work by Reinach and Wiese, then Williams returned passes with Herschel Jantjies to give the replacement scrumhalf a try in his first test since 2023.
While Wales prop Ben Warren was in the sin-bin for an upright tackle, winger Kurt-Lee Arendse crossed and South Africa finished the humid night with a try from a lineout maul by flanker Paul de Villiers, the man of the match in his third cap.
“We're not happy with the nil on the scoreboard, we're not happy with losing,” Wales captain Dewi Lake told broadcaster ITV. “There’s a lot for us to improve on but we've had growth.”
AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby
South Africa's Pieter-Steph du Toit runs with the ball during the Nations Championship Test rugby match between South Africa and Wales, in Durban, Saturday, July 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
South Africa's Cobus Reinach scores a try during the Nations Championship Test rugby match between South Africa and Wales, in Durban, Saturday, July 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
South Africa's Jesse Kriel, center, celebrates after scoring a try during the Nations Championship Test rugby match between South Africa and Wales, in Durban, Saturday, July 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
