Wales 15 South Africa 20: WALES HAVE come a long way in the 11 months for which Warren Gatland has been in charge, but after winning the grand slam in March the New Zealander no longer sees the need to massage his charges with emollient words.
The coach let rip on Saturday after they blew the chance to beat the World Cup holders, who were anything but champion.
The prospect a year ago of Wales holding South Africa to a five-point defeat was fanciful. They had failed to make the quarter-finals of the World Cup, sacked yet another coach and were trying to convince Gatland that he would not be wasting his time moving from Waikato. The Springboks were planning a tour to parade the Webb Ellis Cup. On Saturday the gap had closed so much that, one crucial characteristic aside, only the colour of their jerseys marked them apart.
While Wales matched South Africa physically, their decision-making, especially under pressure, was suspect. Their kicking game in the first half should have been modified to allow for the two defenders positioned deep, but it took an interval team-talk for the ball to be put into space. When Wales did break the line they were unable to make the telling pass.
Gatland was unable to disguise his fury and told his players to be angry at an opportunity lost. Wales have only twice beaten a major Southern Hemisphere nation in the last 21 years and, for all the advances they have made in strength and durability, on Saturday the Springboks had the mental fortitude to absorb pressure and take most of their few chances.
They led by 10 points after eight minutes and 20-3 in the third quarter, but again showed the fallibility at the breakdown that undermined their Tri-Nations campaign.
The referee, Ireland's Alain Rolland, eventually lost patience and the final nine penalties of the game were awarded to Wales.
The International Rugby Board, in their meddlesome way, had reminded officials to observe the summer directive for zero-tolerance at the breakdown. The effect on Saturday, as it has been in club rugby, was to turn a large part of the game into a dreary punt exchange, like two football sides playing a long-ball game, apprehensive of taking risks in their half and conceding a penalty at the breakdown. The ambition Wales showed when they won the 2005 grand slam, running the ball from everywhere, has been replaced by caution; South Africa's back play has become disjointed. Their most dangerous man, Bryan Habana, is a virtual spectator. And all this is in the name of entertainment?
South Africa's first try, five minutes in, followed a Garryowen which JP Pietersen claimed from Williams, and their second came from James Hook's first touch of the ball. Wales had worked space on the right but the secondrow Ian Evans found himself at scrumhalf and took a step too many before passing. Hook carried on with the move and his pass floated into the hands of Jean de Villiers.
• Guardian Service
WALES: Byrne (Ospreys); Halfpenny, Shanklin, Roberts (all Cardiff Blues), S Williams (Ospreys); S Jones (Scarlets; Hook, Ospreys, 52), Cooper (Gloucester; Peel, Sale, 52); Jenkins (Blues), Rees (Scarlets), A Jones, A-W Jones (both Ospreys), Evans (Ospreys; Gough, Ospreys, 66), R Jones (Ospreys, capt), M Williams, Powell (both Blues).
SOUTH AFRICA: Jantjes (Western Province); Pietersen (Sharks), Jacobs (Sharks; Steyn, Sharks, 60), De Villiers (WP), Habana (Blue Bulls; Fourie, Lions, 62); Pienaar (Sharks), Du Preez (Blue Bulls; Januarie, WP, 62); Mtawarira (Sharks; Steenkamp, Blue Bulls, 79), Du Plessis (Sharks), Smit (Sharks; Mujati, WP, 71), Botha (Blue Bulls; Bekker, WP, h-t), Matfield (Blue Bulls), Burger (WP), Smith (Free State), Spies (Blue Bulls; Kankowski, Sharks, 51). Sinbin: Fourie 64.
Referee: A Rolland(Ireland).
