Wales V South Africa Negativity Frustrates Kolisi

Autumn international: Wales v South Africa

Venue: Principality Stadium, Cardiff Date: Saturday, 29 November Kick-off: 15:10 GMT

Coverage: Listen connected BBC Sounds, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru; unrecorded matter commentary connected BBC Sport website & app

Wales and South Africa bring down nan curtain connected nan world's 2025 world programme connected Saturday.

One of nan awesome debates successful nan build-up has been whether they should beryllium playing astatine all.

It is simply a lucifer organised extracurricular World Rugby's world model which has attracted criticism, pinch some squads missing players.

However, South Africa's double World Cup winning skipper Siya Kolisi is successful nary uncertainty astir nan fixture's validity, presenting a passionate defence.

"I cognize a batch of group successful nan Welsh nationalist are saying 'why are they playing this crippled against nan Springboks?'," said Kolisi.

"I don't for illustration it erstwhile group mobility this. Who are they [Wales] expected to play to amended themselves?

"People look astatine this worldly truthful negatively. You only amended pinch playing against nan apical teams, that's really you measurement yourself.

"Rugby group cognize this is only going to make them [Wales] better, nary matter what nan consequence is for them aliases us."

Wales are without 13 players who play successful England and France but Kolisi believes this will springiness opportunities for others.

"I cognize nan first-choice players are not there, but to create squad extent you person to play against nan champion teams," said Kolisi.

"This is bully erstwhile nan different guys are not available. At slightest these guys playing now will person tasted this and had that experience.

"The crippled is bully for some teams this play and nan Welsh Rugby Union tin get bully answers connected their players."

Springbok caput coach Rassie Erasmus has backed his captain's assessment, saying location are merits successful fixtures extracurricular World Rugby's window.

The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) opportunity "challenging yourself against nan champion sides successful nan world boosts subordinate and squad development".

One of nan main motives down nan fixture is to raise money, pinch nan governing assemblage besides saying "the 4th world boosts resources to put straight backmost into Welsh rugby".

Not everybody agrees pinch these sentiments. There are contrasting opinions and erstwhile Wales internationals James Hook and Richie Rees person criticised nan game.

Ospreys coach Mark Jones says he does not for illustration it arsenic it clashes pinch information six of nan United Rugby Championship (URC) which features Welsh and South African home sides successful action.

The 4 Welsh master sides are depleted pinch Ospreys without 12 Wales squad players for nan travel to Edinburgh, including 9 forwards, and Jones forced to section a hooker successful nan backmost row.

Dragons and Cardiff person besides had to motion emergency hookers for nan weekend.

Wales caput coach Steve Tandy admits it is "far from perfect' but says sometimes you tin "find a diamond" successful this situation.

It will beryllium nary astonishment nan strength-in-depth betwixt nan 2 sides contrasts wildly.

Erasmus tin still telephone connected 899 caps successful his matchday squad, while Wales person conscionable 306.

The Springboks' chair has much caps (374) than Wales' full 23-man squad pinch Tandy forced to sanction a weakened broadside to return connected nan world champions.

South Africa are besides without respective high-profile players for illustration world subordinate of nan twelvemonth Malcolm Marx, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Thomas du Toit and Cheslin Kolbe.

The Springboks person sizeable extent pinch Kolisi still captaining a squad including Jasper Wiese, Damian de Allende, Damian Willemse and new fly-half prima Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, pinch Eben Etzebeth and Bongi Mbonambi successful reserve.

Erasmus has opted for 7 forwards connected nan chair pinch scrum-half Cobus Reinach nan only backline replacement.

That intends Wales will look nan afloat unit of 15 Springbok forwards during nan 80 minutes, pinch nan celebrated "Bomb Squad" group to travel connected successful nan 2nd half looking to overpower their hosts.

No surprise, then, Wales person been fixed nary dream of pulling disconnected a daze win.

So if not victory, what tin Wales look to arsenic success?

It mightiness sound unusual but location was a emotion of optimism among immoderate location fans past Saturday erstwhile they near nan Principality Stadium pursuing nan 52-26 nonaccomplishment to New Zealand.

Hard to judge erstwhile Wales had suffered a 10th location conclusion successful 11 games and a 20th nonaccomplishment successful 22 Test matches, while besides shipping a half-century of points successful Cardiff for nan 3rd clip this year.

But fixed nan continual situation Welsh rugby has endured complete nan past mates of years, immoderate glimpses of betterment are pounced upon.

Last weekend, it was nan improved attacking intent to clasp onto, scoring 4 tries against nan All Blacks pinch helping Tom Rogers becoming nan first Welsh subordinate to people a hat-trick against New Zealand.

"We saw what nan Welsh squad tin do against New Zealand and it's going to beryllium tough," said Kolisi.

"They had astonishing moments successful nan game, and only later did New Zealand propulsion away.

"We cognize what it's for illustration to travel present and play, we don't person a awesome grounds against Wales successful Cardiff recently."

Flanker Kolisi, 34, is alluding to 4 successive Wales victories astatine nan Principality Stadium betwixt 2014 and 2018 successful this fixture.

The Springboks person triumphed successful their past 3 games successful nan Welsh superior pinch a 52-16 triumph successful 2023 followed up by nan 45-12 occurrence a twelvemonth later.

Kolisi says Wales will not beryllium underestimated.

"There's truthful overmuch history betwixt nan 2 teams, we respect nan Welsh squad and cognize really reliable they are," he said.

"If we travel successful and beryllium arrogant, we've seen what happens.

"If we thought it was going to beryllium weak, we wouldn't person prepared nan measurement we person this week."

South Africa are aiming to complete a 2nd successive cleanable expanse of victories connected their end-of-the-year tour, having already seen wins against Japan, France, Italy and Ireland.

Whatever nan result, nan Springboks are guaranteed to decorativeness arsenic nan world's apical broadside for a 3rd successive season.

In contrast, Wales are classed 11th successful nan world pinch their only 2 wins this twelvemonth coming against Japan.

Kolisi recalls South Africa recovered itself successful a difficult business astatine nan opening of his Springboks career.

"We've besides been successful this position before, wherever successful 2015 each nan guys retired astatine nan aforesaid clip and we went downhill," said Kolisi.

"When you region truthful overmuch acquisition astatine nan aforesaid time, you time off galore holes.

"We mislaid 57-0 to New Zealand [in 2017]. It sucks, it feels that it's not going to end. Then coach Rassie [Erasmus] came successful and we started to alteration things."

Kolisi believes Wales will emergence again and urged nan Welsh nationalist to support faith.

"I person nary uncertainty they'll get done what they are going done now and travel backmost from this," said Kolisi.

"It's a matter of erstwhile it will change. If you each judge successful nan group, put nan squad first and not constituent fingers.

"People mustn't suffer dream and bosom successful nan team, conscionable support connected supporting them and I emotion really nan Welsh group support connected doing that.

"They will travel good."

Kind words from this Springboks legend. On nan section connected Saurday Kolisi's South Africa are unlikley to beryllium arsenic generous.

Wales: Murray; Mee, Roberts, Hawkins, Dyer; Edwards, Hardy; G Thomas, Lake (capt), Assiratti, Carter, R Davies, Plumtree, Mann, Wainwright.

Replacements: Coghlan, Southworth, Coleman, Ratti, Morse, Morgan-Williams, Sheedy, B Thomas.

South Africa: D Willemse; Hooker, De Allende, Esterhuizen, Moodie; Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Van der Berg; Steenekamp, Grobbelaar, Louw, Kleyn, Nortje, Kolisi (capt), Mostert, Wiese.

Replacements: Mbonambi, Porthen, Ntlabakanye, Etzebeth, Van Staden, Dixon, Smith, Reinach.

Referee: Luc Ramos (France)

Assistant referees: Matthew Carley (England), Pierre Brousset (France)

TMO: Eric Gauzins (France)

FPRO: Andrew Jackson (England).