Cardiff witnessed carnage. Wales, battered and broken, suffered their heaviest-ever home defeat as South Africa ran riot in a 0 – 73 demolition that leaves Welsh rugby staring into the abyss.
Eleven tries, a red card for Eben Etzebeth and a scoreboard that will haunt the Principality Stadium for years to come – rather like the 96 -13 drubbing suffered in South Africa in 1998 still does, coming as it did after the notorious 0 – 51 loss at Wembley to France.
Blasted away by the Boks’ power
Steve Tandy’s under-strength side were simply powerless against the Springboks’ relentless power game. From the first scrum, the gulf was obvious: Gerhard Steenekamp over inside minutes, Ethan Hooker slicing through soft tackles, Jasper Wiese bullying his way across the line, and Morne van der Berg finishing a half that ended 28-0.
The second half was worse. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu – once a pupil at Llandovery College – tormented his former hosts with two tries and 18 points from the boot. Wilco Louw, Canan Moodie, Andre Esterhuizen, Ruan Nortje and Etzebeth all joined the party as South Africa’s bench alone outshone Wales’ entire squad in experience.
Nilled for the second time in 2025
This wasn’t just defeat. It was humiliation. Wales were “nilled” for the second time in 2025, following their 43-0 Six Nations collapse against France. The question now is stark: how can a side this fragile hope to survive the furnace of the Six Nations in February?
The Welsh Rugby Union will face scrutiny for scheduling this fixture outside the Test window, forcing Wales to field a weakened team without 13 England and France-based players. Yet excuses ring hollow. South Africa also lost stars to club duty, but still unleashed a squad brimming with world-class talent.
By the final whistle, Wales had spent 20 minutes down to 14 men after yellow cards for Taine Plumtree and Aaron Wainwright. The Springboks showed no mercy. Esterhuizen stormed through again, Feinberg-Mngomezulu doubled up, Nortje powered over and Etzebeth – before his red card for gouging Alex Mann – added insult to injury.
The verdict: 2025 – the year the Welsh dragon lost its fire
This was more than a record defeat. It was a warning. Welsh rugby is drifting, and the Six Nations will expose every weakness unless urgent answers are found. Can Wales rediscover its pride, resilience and identity, or will 2025 be remembered as the year the dragon lost its fire?
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