Warren Gatland has turned Wales into a consistent force in Europe since taking over as head coach in 2007 but he has been unable to improve a dismal record against the major southern hemisphere nations in the professional era which stands at two wins and a draw in 53 Tests.
Since beating Australia six years ago in his first crack against a Sanzar side, Gatland’s Wales have lost 23 matches to the Wallabies, New Zealand and South Africa. They have come close to victory on several occasions, but this was their heaviest defeat to the Springboks since their tour here in 2008 and their one salvation was not conceding a point in the final 29 minutes.
“We did not match them physically at times and we did not learn our lessons from the defeat to them in Cardiff last November,” said the Wales captain, Alun Wyn Jones. “When we had opportunities, we did not take them and while we will bank the positives at the end when we held them out, we have lots to work on, especially in attack.”
Wales were energised when their three backs on the bench, Gareth Davies, James Hook and Matthew Morgan, came on and started to look for gaps rather than bodies. Gatland has kept faith with his scrum-half Mike Phillips over the years but Davies, who had a try ruled out for a forward pass after his break from a line-out on halfway, provided the opportunism that had been so grievously lacking.
“We did not look fit enough,” said Gatland, most of whose players had only had a trial match in the previous six weeks with Wales’s four regions failing to reach the latter stages of any of the tournaments they took part in. “We were very poor in the first half when South Africa dominated the breakdown and won the collisions. We sent some fresh legs on and Gareth looked dangerous, but we paid for a poor first-half performance.”
Another concern for Gatland is Wales’s form on the road. They have lost their last four matches away from Cardiff, starting with a reverse in Japan last summer, and failed to come close to Ireland, England or South Africa who dealt with a blitz defence by chipping into space. The ploy produced two tries for Bryan Habana and Willie Le Roux, who was the game’s outstanding performer.
“Willie is probably the best full-back in the world at the moment,” said the South Africa head coach Heyneke Meyer. “He is playing with a lot of confidence and has a licence to express himself. He started on the wing last season and I challenged him to improve his aerial skills and defence, which he has done.”
Le Roux gave South Africa a decisive advantage behind. Wales had a three-quarter line of Lions Test players while the Springboks had a Test debutant on the wing and a wing in the midfield partnering a 21-year-old making his first international start, but Le Roux gave his side a clinical edge and was involved in four of their five tries.
“We have only ever beaten South Africa once and that is the biggest challenge for us in the second Test on Saturday,” said Gatland. “We have to improve on a few things, be more aggressive and take our chances in attack.” With the World Cup 15 months away, he also has to look at his options and tweak a gameplan that does not inject opponents with doubt.
South Africa Le Roux (Mvovo, 70); Hendricks, Pietersen, Serfontein, Habana; M Steyn (Goosen, 70, Pienaar, 73), Du Preez; Steenkamp (Mtawarira, 44), B du Plessis (Brits, 70), J du Plessis (Oosthuizen, 58), Botha (De Jager, ht), Matfield (capt), Alberts (Burger, 58), Louw, Vermeulen.
Tries Habana 2, Vermeulen, Le Roux, Hendricks. Cons Steyn 5. Pen Steyn.
Wales L Williams (Morgan, 55); Cuthbert, J Davies, Roberts, North; Biggar (Hook, 64), Phillips (G Davies, 55); Jenkins (James, 58), Owens (Rees, 58), A Jones (Lee, 31), Charteris (Evans, 55), AW Jones (capt), Lydiate, Shingler (Turnbull, 55), Faletau.
Try Cuthbert. Con: Hook. Pen Biggar. Drops: Biggar 2. Sin-bin Roberts 12.
Referee R Poite (Fr). Att 18,788.
