Wales face world champions South Africa on Saturday in what might be head coach Warren Gatland’s closing sport on the helm.
Gatland’s gamers are on the again of a file 11 successive Check defeats and look unlikely to remotely hassle the Springboks.
Right here, the PA information company appears at among the speaking factors forward of the match.
Farewell to Warren Gatland?
Gatland is beneath intense stress, and it will be no shock if Saturday’s Principality Stadium encounter seems to be his final Check match accountable for Wales. The New Zealander has expressed his want to proceed, however outcomes are stacked in opposition to him. Wales haven’t received a Check because the 2023 World Cup, whereas defeat this weekend would condemn them to a complete calendar yr with out tasting Check match success, which has not occurred since 1937. It’s conceivable that Gatland, whose second stint as Wales head coach is in stark distinction to a trophy-laden first time period from 2008 to 2019, may proceed into the Six Nations later this season, but the chances don’t seem in his favour.
Wales’ yr from hell
Outcomes-wise, 2024 will likely be remembered because the worst in Wales’ 143-year worldwide rugby union historical past. It started with a madcap 27-26 house defeat in opposition to Scotland – the Scots’ first win in Cardiff since 2002 – and they didn’t get better. A slim away loss to England adopted, earlier than Wales shipped 31 and 45 factors in opposition to Eire and France, whereas a house defeat in opposition to Italy meant they misplaced each Six Nations sport and propped up the desk. The summer season introduced additional reversals in opposition to South Africa and Australia (twice), then Fiji and Australia triumphed in the course of the Autumn Nations Collection, leaving the Springboks in place to finish what could be a real annus horribilis.
Wales
South Africa
Have Wales followers had sufficient?
Judging by the numbers that streamed out of the Principality Stadium as Australia ran riot late in Wales’ final sport, endurance would look like sporting skinny. There have been tons of of empty seats by the point Australia eased previous 50 factors, and why would supporters not really feel disillusioned with the present state of affairs? The primary two autumn fixtures have been a mixed 30,000-plus wanting capability, and whereas kick-off instances haven’t helped – there have been two Sunday video games at 1.40pm and 4.10pm, and the South Africa match will swing into motion at 5.40pm – Wales followers in lots of instances are voting with their ft, and the prospect of one other complete defeat looms giant.
Springboks’ enviable energy
South Africa’s revered rugby juggernaut rolls into Cardiff for a sport the Springboks are anticipated to win simply. Despite the fact that head coach Rassie Erasmus has made a number of modifications from the workforce that noticed off England final day trip, the beginning line-up nonetheless has a mixed 515 caps, whereas the bench whole of 431 is sort of 100 greater than Wales’ total match-day 23. It’s troublesome to see an space of the sport the place Wales can set up parity, not to mention dominance, and South Africa’s file victory within the Welsh capital of 52-16 may come beneath severe risk. It’s simple to be pessimistic, given Wales’ present plight, however actuality factors to South Africa reducing unfastened.
Six Nations gives little respite
With Wales anticipated to finish the yr reeling from 12 successive Check defeats, consideration will shortly flip to the Six Nations, which they start in opposition to France in Paris on January 31. It’s the hardest of openers, then Wales head to Rome eight days later for an appointment with Italy that’s already being billed in some quarters as a picket spoon decider. Heavyweights Eire and England will make the journey to Cardiff, both facet of a Murrayfield conflict in opposition to Scotland, the place Wales misplaced 35-7 on their final go to in 2023. The dropping run has to finish a while, someplace, however pinpointing an actual date and site is way from easy.
