Beaten five times in the last seven confrontations with the XV of the leek, the world champions have settled what has long been a scoring duel thanks to a strength test from third row Malcolm Marx, at the conclusion of a penetrating group ( 73rd), having been behind in the score so far.

Combative for an hour before letting go against New Zealand (54-16), a week ago, Wales, reinforced by its players playing in England, and despite the absence of its emblematic captain Alun Wyn Jones , injured, this time put himself at the height of the southern hemisphere.

The fight was very fierce, giving pride of place to defensive actions.

South African pillar Bongi Mbonambi is tackled by the Welsh defense during their autumn test match on November 6, 2021 at Principality Stadium in Cardiff Geoff Caddick AFP

Almost impossible to pierce, very difficult to circumvent, the South African rearguard lived up to its reputation.

But the great merit of the Welsh, in attack, was never to lose patience, to be very good in the conservation of the ball and to capitalize on the few faults conceded by the adversary with the boot always very sure of Dan Biggar .

Welsh opening half Dan Biggar hits a penalty against South Africa in their autumn test match on November 6, 2021 at Principality Stadium in Cardiff Geoff Caddick AFP

Defensively too, the Welsh impressed, by putting themselves up to the meeting with some heroic saves, like this ball torn 5 meters from their line, after one of the rare large-scale actions of the Springboks, in the 49th minute, to go 2 minutes later to regain a 6 point lead (15-9, 51st).

At the break, the statistics betrayed the intensity of the fight with almost perfect equality in terms of both possession and territorial domination.

-Uncertain until the end-

Even the yellow cards for the pillar "sudaf", Ox Nché, at the half-hour mark then for his Welsh counterpart Rhys Carre, five minutes later did not unbalance the match, uncertain until the end.

In front of the score throughout the game, the Welsh still ended up physically bending, facing the Springbok pack, being notably sanctioned 4 times on closed scrums.

Smelling the scent of victory, the South Africans opted to hit a penalty within 22 meters as we entered the final ten minutes and the score was 18-15 in favor of the locals.

On the regrouping which followed, the penetrating group pushed the Welsh defense, exhausted, until the in-goal to switch the match, which ended with a new penalty from the visitors (23-18).

The South African pack organizes a maul against Wales, during their autumn test match, on November 6, 2021 at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff Geoff Caddick AFP

A very promising match nonetheless for Wayne Pivac's men who will face Fiji and then Australia in the autumn test-matches, while South Africa will take turns to challenge Scotland and England.

© 2021 AFP