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Wales have continually preached the mantra in recent years of wanting to play the world’s top teams more regularly.

While one rugby superpower in New Zealand left Wales having delivered a clinical rugby masterclass, another in South Africa has rolled into town this week.

It does not become any easier for Wales. Fresh from the 54-16 drubbing by the All Blacks, Wales now face the might of the world champions with the arrival of a Springboks side that defeated New Zealand in its last outing in October.

Wales’ players and supporters have painful memories of the last time they faced South Africa. Almost exactly two years ago, fly-half Handre Pollard kicked a late penalty to inflict heartbreak on Warren Gatland’s side in the World Cup semi-final in Yokohama.

Some of the top Welsh players also suffered disappointment in the summer as part of the British and Irish Lions squad that lost the Test series 2-1 in South Africa.

The aftermath of that three-match power struggle was dominated by accusations of conservative playing styles and that has continued to rumble on.

Sitting in the Principality Stadium stands will be South Africa’s director of rugby Rassie Erasmus, in the coach’s box rather than carrying water bottles as he did against the Lions.

The Springboks are still awaiting a verdict from a World Rugby disciplinary hearing into Erasmus’ hour-long video posted online, in which he criticised match officials after the first Test defeat by the Lions.

Coping without Captain Marvel

Since being selected for his Test debut against Argentina in Patagonia 15 years ago, Alun Wyn Jones has featured in 149 of Wales’ subsequent 194 Test matches, starting 138 of them.

The 36-year-old’s consistency of performance has rarely dipped, and he captained Wales at the last World Cup, in addition to leading the Lions in South Africa this summer, while also holding the world record for most Test match appearances.

Jones is now absent, though, missing the remainder of the Autumn Nations Series and probably all of the 2022 Six Nations after suffering a shoulder injury against New Zealand last weekend that requires surgery.

Wales must find a way of managing without him. The situation does not help with Jones and Ross Moriarty adding to the list of injured Lions alongside Ken Owens, Justin Tipuric, Josh Navidi, Taulupe Faletau, Dan Lydiate, George North and Leigh Halfpenny.

Centre Jonathan Davies will captain the side in Jones’ absence, while Dragons Will Rowlands comes in at lock alongside Adam Beard. Last weekend’s woeful lineout will have to improve immeasurably if Wales are to match the Springboks’ physical prowess.

Comeback kid

For all the injury doom and gloom, there is a heart-warming comeback story, just a week after Ospreys fly-half Gareth Anscombe returned to international action after a two-year absence.

Cardiff flanker Ellis Jenkins will make his first Wales appearance in three years against the same opposition that saw his rugby career come to a shuddering halt.

He produced a man-of-the-match display in the 20-11 victory against South Africa in November 2018 but suffered a serious knee injury in the final minute. Jenkins missed 26 months of action before finally returning for Cardiff in February 2021.

Jenkins will replace the injured Moriarty as one of six changes, with prop Rhys Carre and Rowlands the other recalled forwards.

English-based fly-half Dan Biggar, wing Louis Rees-Zammit and centre Nick Tompkins are available after missing the New Zealand defeat, because they were not released by their clubs with the match falling outside World Rugby’s international window.

The trio are included in the starting backline for Gareth Anscombe, Owen Lane and Johnny Williams.

There are two uncapped forwards on the bench, Ulster’s South African-born hooker Bradley Roberts and Scarlets prop WillGriff John.

South Africa have made three changes from the team that defeated New Zealand 31-29 on 2 October.

Damian Willemse replaces Willie le Roux at full-back and centre Jesse Kriel comes in for S’bu Nkosi on the wing, while scrum-half Herschel Jantjies replaces the injured Faf de Klerk.

Flanker Pieter-Steph de Toit and wing Cheslin Kolbe are also missing through injury.

What they say

Wales head coach Wayne Pivac: “We want to build on last week and try to be positive where we can. But we’ve got to be sensible as well. We know the threat South Africa bring. They’ve world class. They won the World Cup and they won their last match against New Zealand.

“They’ve got a magnificent set piece, so discipline will be the key. We must try not to give them too many set pieces, because they’re very strong in that area of the game and have the aerial threat as well. We’re going to have to be on top of our game.”

South Africa head coach Jacques Nienaber: “Wales are a tough side to beat and our track record over here in the last few years is evidence of that.

“We also edged them in the [2019] Rugby World Cup semi-final, so we know that this is going to be a hard grind of a Test.

“They may have lost against the All Blacks last week but this result was in the absence of a number of key players, so this week will be a completely different proposition.”

Head to head

South Africa dominate the 36 past matches between the two nations with 29 victories, six Wales wins and a draw in 1970.

After Wales celebrated a first victory over the Springboks in 1999 – in the opening match at the then Millennium Stadium – South Africa won 16 successive home and away games between 2000 and 2014.

The balance then tilted slightly, with the Springboks losing on their last four Cardiff visits and have not won in the Welsh capital for eight years.

There are only two starting survivors from the 2013 South African winning side in lock Eben Etzebeth and number eight Duane Vermeulen, while current skipper Siya Kolisi was a replacement.

South Africa have triumphed in the recent crucial matches, beating Wales in the quarter-final of the 2015 World Cup at Twickenham and inflicting that 2019 defeat on the way to being crowned world champions in Japan.

Line-ups

Wales: Johnny McNicholl; Louis Rees-Zammit, Jonathan Davies (capt), Nick Tompkins, Josh Adams; Dan Biggar, Tomos Williams; Rhys Carre, Ryan Elias, Tomas Francis, Will Rowlands, Adam Beard, Ellis Jenkins, Taine Basham, Aaron Wainwright.

Replacements: Bradley Roberts, Wyn Jones, WillGriff John, Ben Carter, Seb Davies, Gareth Davies, Gareth Anscombe, Liam Williams.

South Africa: Damian Willemse; Jesse Kriel, Lukhanyo Am, Damian de Allende, Makazole Mapimpi; Handre Pollard, Herschel Jantjies; Ox Nche, Bongi Mbonambi, Trevor Nyakane, Eben Etzebeth, Lood De Jager, Siya Kolisi (capt), Kwagga Smith, Duane Vermeulen.

Replacements: Malcolm Marx, Steven Kitshoff, Vincent Koch, Franco Mostert, Jasper Wiese, Cobus Reinach, Elton Jantjies, Frans Steyn.

Match officials

Referee: Paul Williams (NZR)

Assistant Referees: Andrew Brace (IRFU) & James Doleman (NZR)

TMO: Olly Hodges (IRFU).