It must be like a boxer taking on Sugar Ray Leonard in his pomp and then going toe-to-toe with Marvin Hagler a week later.
Seven days on from facing New Zealand, Wales match themselves world champions South Africa in Cardiff.
Masochists Anonymous would doubtless have signed off such a schedule.
By any standard, it’s a demanding opening to the autumn for Wayne Pivac’s side, who'll battle with Fiji and Australia later this month.
MARK ORDERS runs the rule over the head-to-head player ratings for Saturday’s clash with the Springboks.
Johnny McNicholl 7 v 6 Damian Willemse
Quietly, amid all the focus on events at the other end of the field, McNicholl was Wales’ best attacker against New Zealand. If his defence can sometimes be exposed and he can get a dot over-exuberant on the counter, he adds X-factor to the Welsh backline.
Willemse is a strong runner who has a decent boot but he is also prone to the odd mistake - in his last Test start, against Argentina in August, he made a batch of errors. There is also a debate about whether he’s a 10, 12 or 15. If Wales give him space he has the ability to hurt them, but if they pressure him they could earn reward.
Louis Rees-Zammit 7 v 7 Makazole Mapimipi
An intriguing clash here between two natural born finishers.
Rees-Zammit runs like the wind and is developing his all-round game. The Lions tour showed he still has scope to improve in defence, but he’s a player with limitless potential.
Mapimpi is similarly lethal with ball in hand. Rees-Zammit will need to stay wide awake for the whole 80 minutes; there again, much the same applies the other way.
Jonathan Davies 7 v 8 Lukhanyo Am
Wales have to stop South Africa’s centres from bossing the show but it’s a difficult challenge with Am in the form of his life. He has always been a rock in defence but he’s added to his attacking game, underlined by his around-the-back pass against New Zealand recently.
The challenge for Davies is to recapture his best form. There was the odd encouraging sign going forward against the All Blacks, but he’ll know more is needed.
Nick Tompkins 6 v 8 Damian de Allende
Tompkins has been holding down a place at Saracens, which tells you all you need to know about how well he’s been playing, but he has yet to consistently deliver for Wales.
He’ll need to do so this weekend because he’s up against a player who rarely has an off game. De Allende will look to assert himself and more often than not he succeeds. It’ll be a good effort if Wales manage to keep him in check.
Josh Adams 7 v 6 Jesse Kriel
Adams worked hard against New Zealand but couldn’t come up with any game-changing moments, even if his try-scoring ability and all-round qualities are not in doubt. The good news for the Cardiff wing is that Cheslin Kolbe isn’t around this weekend.
He’ll hope to pressure Kriel, a quality centre who’s playing out of position on the wing.
Dan Biggar 7 v 7 Handre Pollard
Wales will look to Biggar to provide a lead.
South Africa will respect him.
Wayne Pivac needs him to marshal play astutely and galvanise those around him.
It may be Bonfire Night weekend, but don’t expect fireworks from Pollard. His modus operandi involves dictating play, mostly without bells and whistles. If he manages to put a major imprint on the game it won’t be good news for the hosts.
Tomos Williams 7 v 7 Herschel Jantjies
When he lines up against the Boks, Williams will become the first scrum-half to play in three consecutive Tests in the Wayne Pivac era. Clearly he is shaping up as Pivac’s number one No. 9, but he has yet to consistently dominate games at this level. Maybe this weekend will be the game he ignites proceedings.
Jantjies is a livewire who’ll cause problems if he’s given space.
Rhys Carre 6 v 7 Trevor Nyakane
If there’s an area Wales will be concerned about over the 80 minutes — and there very definitely is — it’s potentially the front row.
Carre is developing into a decent player around the field but the Boks will look to test him at the set-piece.
Wyn Jones handled Nyakane well in South Africa but he’s on the bench this time, presumably to try to defuse the Springboks’ bomb squad. Nyakane is generally a solid scrummager, helped by packing down alongside Bongi Mbonambi. Against New Zealand recently, Nyakane was considered ‘immovable’.
Ryan Elias 6 v 8 Bongi Mbonambi
There’s nothing flash about Mbonambi, but he’s a tough nut who is ultra-solid in the scrums — a sort of Garin Jenkins in a myrtle green jersey.
The Springboks have a largely reliable lineout, too.
Elias is capable around the field, but so far at Test level he has yet to demonstrate that he’s a master at finding his man at the setpiece. He’ll know that he has to find rugby’s treble 20 bed unerringly if Wales are to make a fight of this one.
Tomas Francis 7 v 7 Ox Niche
Francis does what it says on the tin, anchoring the Welsh scrum and defending stoutly. He also tries to do a bit at the breakdown. When he’s not around he’s badly missed.
Niche performed well in an on-top front row against New Zealand last month.
Will Rowlands 6 v 9 Eben Etzebeth
Rowlands wasn’t the worst against the All Blacks but is still a novice at this level.
Etzebeth, by contrast, is a 94-cap warrior who has taken on all-comers over the years and rarely been bested. He looks to exploit weakness, has immense power and is technically good in most areas. The advice for opponents, generally, is not to get on the wrong side of him.
Adam Beard 7 v 8 Lood de Jager
Two of the best maul defenders in the game.
Beard performed well on the Lions tour and Wales will hope he can point the way in the engine room in the absence of Alun Wyn Jones. This weekend, the 6ft 8in Ospreys will find himself in the unusual position of having to crane his neck and look up to a bigger opponent, with de Jager 6ft 9in in his stockinged feet.
At 28 and with 53 caps, the Springbok has the edge in experience and is no slouch around the field. If Beard is at his best it will be a good contest.
Ellis Jenkins 7 v 8 Siya Kolisi
Generations of Welsh players played out their careers without tasting victory over South Africa in a Wales shirt. Jenkins has only won 11 caps but he’s achieved the honour twice.
His comeback to the Test arena, three years after he suffered a career-threatening injury, is a feel-good story to match most. The Cardiff man is an all-court player, too, who can tackle, achieve turnovers and carry.
But Kolisi is a top-drawer player who leads from the front and never backs down.
Taine Basham 7 v 7 Kwagga Smith
“He didn’t go there to grind it out. He showed that his X-factor is able to trouble the best team in the world."
So said Taine Basham’s agent Gareth Maule after the youngster’s eye-popping display against New Zealand.
What particularly impressed about him was that he was unfazed by the opposition.
His goal this week will be to tighten his defence.
He’s up against a player with a sevens background and a range of skills, including the ability to peel off turnovers.
Aaron Wainwright 7 v 9 Duane Vermeulen
The supreme test for Wainwright, in opposition to a powerhouse performer who may once have failed to achieve go-forward in a Test — we cannot be sure. Vermeulen puts a stamp on every game and menaces opponents with his physicality.
At least Wainwright has some form to take into the game, though, with his effort against New Zealand one of his best in a Welsh shirt so far.
Totals
Wales 101, South Africa 112
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