Right, that’s yer lot for 2017. Paul Rees’s match report will be here shortly. Bye!
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And 66,000 people inside the Principality Stadium erupt as the whistle goes. Wales had to hang on at times, but the defence stood firm in the closing stages to give Gatland’s charges the most character-building of victories. Hadleigh Parkes, who scored two tries on his debut, says it “was a dream come true”. Alun Wyn Jones adds: “It’s been an interesting autumn from our point of view and we needed to cap it off today. It’s great to finish on a high. We are feeling positive going forward.”
Full-time: Wales 24-22 South Africa
And Warren Gatland’s exhausted side round off 2017 with victory.
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79 min: South Africa win a lineout, it’s played quick. Soon we will be in overtime ...
78 min: Wales are counting down the seconds ...
77 min: Rhys Webb kicks a wonderful ball downfield from the scrum. That is what I believe they call great game management. Wales gain significant territory deep inside the South Africa 22.
75 min: Josh Navidi is replaced by Dan Lydiate. He, and Wales, have a two-point lead to protect.
73 min: Off comes Handre Pollard and on comes the lightning fast Elton Jantjies.
72 min: Patchell does well to wrestle back at a flying Gelant. The home supporters really up the decibel levels to get Wales out of a hole inside their own 22.
70 min: Coetzee and then Pollard run into trouble in the shape of Rhys Webb. Kolisi, the acting captain, then runs down the flank on the charge. For a second, a try seems inevitable but Wales steer him away from the try line. Wyn Jones with a brilliant turnover to grab the ball, just as the pressure was rising. A Wales lineout at halfway, then.
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Penalty! Wales 24-22 South Africa (Halfpenny, 69)
And Warren Gatland’s side are back in the box-seat. For now, at least.
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67 min: Leigh Halfpenny is stood over the ball in front of the posts. Can he?
65 min: It’s throw after throw for Wales, but they look a little lost on ideas. Can they get Amos or Navidi back in charge?
63 min: Allister Coetzee looks a nervous wreck up in the gods. South Africa earn a put in at the scrum. Meanwhile, Alun Wyn Jones claims he was unfairly taken out a moment go. He’s not a happy bunny.
62 min: Shingler sets off on his own mission but it’s over before it begins. Meanwhile, Elliot Dee is on at hooker and Wales earn a penalty from 50m. Will Halfpenny have a go at it from the boot?
60 min: Wales have found the jump leads, as though it’s suddenly dawned on them that they are now trailing. They are not yet out of the woods yet, though. Parkes is forced to make a meaty recovery challenge, as South Africa enjoy another dose of possession.
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59 min: And now Wales turn it over ...
58 min: Mohoje easily wins the lineout. The momentum has swung forcibly in South Africa’s favour though. After a shaky start, the Springboks are determined to finish the tour with a good result.
57 min: And, just like that, South Africa lead 22-21.
Try! Wales 21-20 South Africa (Kriel, 56 min)
It’s direct but so simple, with Jesse Kriel powering past Leigh Halfpenny on the overlap.
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52 min: It’s all got a bit scrappy out there, with Wales on the wrong end of a knock-on. They have had some neat, patient buildup play with Navidi and Amos the most likely suspects to cause the Springboks further trouble.
48 min: Mohoje is a handful out there for the Springboks. His counterrucking is halting Wales’s groove. Amos catches brilliantly, and then explodes into life but Pollard clears it up. The Cardiff crowd stir. And Dan Biggar is off ... replaced by Rhys Patchell.
47 min: Handre Pollard rattles the post, failing to make it two conversions to his name.
Try! Wales 21-15 South Africa (Pollard, 46 min)
And the Springboks get their deserved reward. Marx throws in and goes straight in after it. Biggar tackles Kolisi but South Africa were queuing up after winning the penalty from a loose kick. They’re vey much back in it ...
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43 min: South Africa have made a much bigger impression here in this second half, they’re on the front foot at least. Marx has stood out for them this afternoon.
42 min: Oupa Mohojé is on for Etzebeth. Kolisi takes over as Springboks skipper.
41 min: South Africa get us back started in Cardiff, where both teams exchange territory kicks early on.
Half-time: Wales 21-10 South Africa
Well, that was good fun.
39 min: Dan Biggar jumps and claims a high ball. Halfpenny tells Davies he wants it early but that’s it.
39 min: Wales 21-10, after Gelant’s try is comfortably converted by Pollard.
Try! Wales 21-8 South Africa (Gelant, 38)
A brilliant try brings a smile to Coetzee’s face. He puts on the afterburners to latch onto a kick and Davies has no chance in beating him to it.
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35 min: South Africa have given a masterclass in kamikaze rugby in Cardiff thus far.
34 min: And Wales make it 21-3 after Halfpenny converts.
Try! Wales 19-3 South Africa (Parkes, 33)
And Hadleigh Parkes helps himself to his second try, reaping the rewards of brilliant work by Faletau, who charged the ball down before offloading.
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Penalty! Wales 14-3 South Africa, (Pollard, 32)
No problem.
29 min: South Africa are enjoying a mini resurgence, with Kolisi’s magical run opening up the Wales defence. Wales’ Josh Navidi is then penalised for a high tackle on Pollard, and South Africa kick over the penalty.
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25 min: Wales buy a scrum in front of the posts.
24 min: Shingler ups the ante for Wales, with Cory Hill, too, pouring forward. Parkes again is influential as Wales break down the right flank. Every time Wales have surged forward, South Africa have looked frail.
22 min: South Africa win advantage at the scrummage, Marx driving in at Scott Andrews, allowing the Springboks to kick downfield in search of territory from a penalty kick. It comes to nothing, though, owing to a breakdown in communications – again – for South Africa. Dan Biggar’s mammoth kick then sets the tone ...
20 min: For a moment, Steff Evans is away after breaking from inside his own 22 after clever play by Scott Williams. South Africa have no choice but to retreat. Fortunately for the Springboks, Evans’s kick and run ends up in South Africa hands, with Marcell Coetzee.
18 min: Not given. There will be a 5m scrum, after it was deemed the ball was held up.
17 min: South Africa drive forward from the maul. A one-man Malcolm Marx mission may have resulted in a try. To the TMO ...
14 min: Amos slips on the halfway but Halfpenny helps him out. Evan Etzebeth steals in to seize the ball before we go to a scrum, which at least provides a little light relief for a rather uneasy looking Allister Coetzee.
13 min: It has been a breathless start for Wales, who have dominated possession. It’s 80-20 kind of stuff in Wales’s favour in Cardiff. South Africa look shell-shocked.
11 min: Again South Africa turnover just as it reaches critical inside their own 22 ...
10 min: Hallam Amos is playing like a man possessed. He was brilliant against Australia last time out and he drives forward before laying off for Faletau here. He’s within a few metres of the try line. Wales then circumvent the South Africa defence once more, before the Springboks eventually force them out.
9 min: And Halfpenny does the honours again in front of the posts. Wales lead 14-0 in Cardiff. Gatland will be laughing in a minute ...
Try! Wales 12-0 South Africa (Parkes, 8 min)
Hadleigh Parkes, the 30-year-old on debut, scores on his first game for Wales. It’s oh so easy for them, though. Where were the Springboks?
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6 min: And Leigh Halfpenny kicks over from 23m to make it 7-0. That was simple. For the try, it was a lovely little cross-kick by Biggar to supply Amos. Before Williams did the rest.
Try! Wales 5-0 South Africa (Williams, 5 min)
Wales go wide and it pays dividends. Amos does brilliantly, before Scott Williams gets over the line to open the scoring.
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3 min: Wales earn an early scrum. Davies feeds it but it spins around in South Africa. A sharp intake of breath before Gatland takes in a few sips from his bottle of water.
2 min: Impressive start by Wales, with Hadleigh Parkes breaking out of two tackles. Biggar has been everywhere too.
1 min: Wales enjoy some early territory, with Biggar launching the ball high. The Springboks make a mess of it, succumbing to pressure inside their own 22. More aerial warfare is on the way, no doubt.
Kick-off!
Peeeeeep, and we’re under way in Cardiff. Wales’ Dan Biggar, who today wins his 60th cap, boots the ball downfield.
The teams out of the tunnel at the Principality Stadium. Once the anthems are out of the way, kick-off will be upon us.
South Africa give full debuts to wing Warrick Gelant and back row Dan du Preez. They have won just 11 of coach Allister Coetzee’s 24 matches in charge. “It is another opportunity for this side to develop and grow,” Coetzee says.
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Wales head coach Warren Gatland speaks. “Saturday is an opportunity to continue to build on what we have done so far and round off the autumn campaign with a big performance,” he says. “We have spoken about exposing the squad to Test match rugby and this weekend is a great opportunity for Hadleigh [Parkes] to earn his first cap and for Aled [Davies] to make his first start of the campaign.”
Some pre-match reading courtesy of the Breakdown, by Paul Rees:
Team news!
Wales: Halfpenny, Amos, S Williams, Parkes, S Evans; Biggar, A Davies; R Evans, Dacey, Andrews; Hill, A W Jones; Shingler, Navidi, Faletau
Replacements: Dee, W Jones, R Jones, S Davies, Lydiate, Webb, Patchell, Watkin
South Africa: Coetzee, Leyds, Kriel, Venter, Gelant; Pollard, Cronje; Kitshoff, Marx, Louw, Etzebeth, De Jager, Kolisi, Du Toit, Du Preez.
Replacements: Mbonambi, Nyakane, Dreyer, Mohoje, Cassiem, Schreuder, Jantjies, Am
Referee: Jerome Garces
Assistants: Wayne Barnes and Frank Murphy
TMO: Rowan Kitt
Preamble
Welcome to arguably the most unloved fixture in the rugby calendar. Another year, another fourth autumn international, where confusing small print dictates player availability outside of World Rugby’s Test window. It’s a particular headache for those who ply their trade for English clubs (see Bath’s Taulupe Faletau, with his club facing a potential fine from Premiership Rugby). As well as problems over personnel, four Tests, against southern superpowers, are hard on the legs – unforgiving in fact. Jonathan Davies and Jake Ball are among those facing lengthy lay-offs with foot and shoulder damage respectively, and in a few hours time, there’s an almost inevitable prospect of realising further damage. It comes at a cost.
For the Welsh rugby union (WRU), it injects a healthy bit of cash – around £2.5m – for the coffers. “The fourth international generates a lot of money,” Gatland said. “But it’s also the opportunity to play against some of the best teams in the world.” Gatland cited a heart-to-heart with Steff Evans after defeat by New Zealand, in which the Scarlets winger beamed about how much he learned playing against the imperious All Blacks. It is not only the WRU’s finances that benefit, with funds trickling down through the domestic game in Wales.
It is going to be a tough ask for Wales, who will be desperate to avoid a second successive defeat after a 29-21 loss to Australia. Only eight players who faced the Wallabies will take on the Springboks.
Kick-off: 2.30pm
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