The double world champion Springboks get their 2024 Test campaign underway against Wales at Twickenham in London on Saturday with a squad comprised of seasoned veterans and four debutants.
South Africa v Wales
Saturday 22 June 2024 | 15:00
Twickenham
Rassie Erasmus and Warren Gatland will renew hostilities on neutral ground when the back-to-back World Champion Springboks face off against a Welsh outfit still picking up the pieces after going winless in the 2024 Six Nations. Shaun Goosen previews.
To Win Match
South Africa 1/25 | Draw 33/1 | Wales 9/1
Handicap
South Africa (-20.5) 9/10 | Wales (+20.5) 9/10
Much like he did in the opening Test match of 2018, Pieter-Steph du Toit will lead something of an experimental Springbok side against Wales, albeit this time in London rather than Washington D.C.
Aside from the 15 players involved in last year’s World Cup, Rassie Erasmus has opted to include four uncapped players in the squad, with Jordan Hendrikse at flyhalf, Edwill van der Merwe at No 14 and Ben-Jason Dixon (lock) and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (utility back) set to be introduced off the bench.
Meanwhile, the likes of Aphelele Fassi, Evan Roos, Salmaan Moerat and Ntuthuko Mchunu will be desperate to make big splashes (the latter two as subs) as they endeavour to cement themselves as squad regulars over the course of the next World Cup cycle.
With the seismic two-game Ireland Test series kicking off on 6 July, Saturday’s clash at Twickenham will provide the Boks with an opportunity to shake off the rust, though they will have to do so without a contingent of Bulls and overseas-based players who’re set to join up with the squad soon.
Six Nations wooden spoonists Wales are in the thick of a major rebuilding phase under wily Warren Gatland and represent an ideal place for the Boks to start their preparations for the new season. The Dragons are hardly pushovers and will relish the physical stuff but won’t be able to match the Bok intensity for the full 80 minutes.
Verdict: Wales (+20.5) 9/10
Get on Erasmus’ men to overwhelm the Welsh in the trenches and lay the platform for a comfortable win. The handicap is a stretch too tall though.
