Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Dewi Lake both played in the 2023 World Cup
ByGareth GriffithsBBC Sport Wales, AtDurban, South Africa- Published11 minutes ago
The long season is almost over.
After a 10-month campaign that started for most players last August, one more challenge awaits Wales after they arrived this week in the South African coastal city of Durban.
Steve Tandy's side face the ultimate test, with the daunting challenge of meeting the double world champions on their own turf.
Hardly anybody will give Wales a chance.
They are now ranked 12th in the world following the 35-21 defeat to Argentina and they lost 73-0 to the Springboks in Cardiff last autumn.
But captain Dewi Lake is fit after limping off against Argentina and will lead his country for one final time in this campaign.
After his Lazarus-style comeback, Wales will be hoping for a minor miracle.
It will be a case of hope rather than expectation for the tourists as they look to defy overwhelming odds.
Swapping Argentina for South Africa
Image source, Huw Evans Picture AgencyImage caption, Kings Park is home of the Sharks, who play in the United Rugby Championship
The Nations Championship journey is not for the faint-hearted.
Any Welsh fans travelling from San Juan to Durban faced a journey of more than 30 hours with three flights which crossed five time zones.
The team took slightly less time but it was still the best part of a day, which is not ideal for professional athletes.
After eventually arriving in Durban, on the seaboard of the eastern side of South Africa, you are greeted by the warmth of the Indian Ocean in which the locals and tourists can witness the dolphins, whales and sharks.
The location means the city has a subtropical climate and delightfully warm water temperatures year-round. It is winter here, with air temperatures reaching the very pleasant 25C.
The coastal city, like other places in South Africa, has a mixture of the old, wealthy and the poor.
The vibrant and more affluent seaside suburb of Umhlanga is where both sides are staying.
Nearby, the old colonial City Hall government buildings sit in the city centre alongside the tranquility of the botanical gardens.
A short drive away, communities of makeshift shacks have popped up housing thousands of people. The washing hanging in the central reservation of the main road outside these settlements provides a stark reminder of the class divide that exists.
The Springboks do not visit Durban every year now and have a mixed recent record at Kings Park, with five wins and five defeats in the previous 10 internationals.
A statistic for Wales to hang on to, perhaps.
Whether the iconic stadium, which stands next to the larger venue built for the 2010 football World Cup, is full to its 52,000 capacity remains to be seen.
There has been controversy about ticket prices set by the South Africa authorities, which they say will be reviewed, though they are hoping for a full house.
There will be a party atmosphere at Kings Park with a water slide, swimming pool and man-made beach inside the ground.
Wales will hope to spoil the celebration somehow.
Can history replace itself?
Image source, Huw Evans Picture AgencyImage caption, Gareth Anscombe and Josh Adams, who have both played in two World Cups, celebrate a Wales win in South Africa in 2022
Wales have won only eight of 44 matches against the Springboks, with 35 defeats and a draw.
Only one of those successes came on South African soil, on their most recent visit to these parts in 2022.
That touring squad, led by head coach Wayne Pivac and captain Dan Biggar, won the second Test in Bloemfontein 13-12, thanks to replacements Josh Adams and Gareth Anscombe.
The first Test in Pretoria was thrilling, with Wales on the verge of a famous victory before a late Damian Willemse penalty secured a 32-29 win for the Springboks.
Seven days later came one of the most famous nights in Welsh rugby.
Granted, South Africa had made 14 changes to their side, with only lock Eben Etzebeth surviving from the first Test.
But Wales would take any win and following a gutsy performance, replacement wing Adams popped up with a late try and fly-half Anscombe slotted over a majestic touchline conversion.
Wales lost the series 2-1 with defeat in Cape Town but still managed to create a little bit of history.
Ten players who were in that matchday squad are in the touring party four years on. It would be one of rugby's greatest recent shocks should Wales' 2022 win be replicated this weekend.
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Springbok swagger and confidence
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The confidence is evident with Rassie Erasmus naming his team on Monday, making 10 changes to his starting side.
South Africa include four uncapped players, one of whom, 20-year-old fly-half Vusi Moyo, is the headline act.
Sharks duo Moyo and winger Jaco Williams make debuts at their home stadium, alongside Montpellier lock Ruben van Heerden and Bordeaux tight-head prop Carlu Sadie, who has battled back from breaking his neck in January 2025.
Moyo, who becomes South Africa's youngest fly-half and has played just one game for his club, can be brought in with confidence because of the experience around him.
He is flanked either side by centres Damian de Allende and Jessie Kriel and scrum-half Cobus Reinach.
The strength in depth is frightening, with Etzebeth, Franco Mostert, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Andre Esterhuizen, Canan Moodie, Handre Pollard and Ox Nche unavailable because of injury.
Lock is the main concern with Etzebeth and Mostert joined on the casualty list by Lood de Jager, RG Snyman, Jean Kleyn, Salmaan Moerat and Riley Norton, but the Springboks can still cope.
Flanker Pieter-Steph du Toit again captains the side in the absence of Siya Kolisi, while the bench is packed with quality such as Manie Libbok, Willemse and Herschel Jantjies.
Erasmus has promised to rotate and only du Toit, flanker Paul de Villiers and Kriel have started all three games for the Springboks in this campaign as South Africa look to build on wins against England and Scotland.
The policy, which relies on a deep player pool, works as Erasmus' side are aiming for an 11th straight Test win.
He is the master planner, with the four-Test series against New Zealand in August and September and next year's World Cup looming on the horizon.
Despite the gap between South Africa and Wales, the attitude towards the tourists this week has been one of respect.
The home coach and players have lined up to highlight the character of their opponents and Welsh improvements under Tandy.
Trying to combat South African power
You could see how relaxed the Springboks were at Friday's traditional team photo, with pictures taken in front of families, while some of the local monkeys also briefly interrupted proceedings.
You could also see how huge the South African players are. The thighs of the two tight-head props forced some cameras to zoom out to capture the players' images.
Wales lost the physical battle against the Pumas and Lake warned of the grave consequences if there is a repeat this weekend.
“Physicality is going to be a massive challenge for us,“ said Lake.
"We were not physical enough against Argentina and didn't win those encounters.
"This weekend we have to. If we are not at the races physically, it could get out of hand."
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What will be success for Wales in Durban?
Image source, Huw Evans Picture AgencyImage caption, The Wales squad are preparing for the final game of the 2025-26 season
So, what would constitute success for Wales in South Africa? After all, they shipped 11 tries in a record home defeat just eight months ago.
"You want to test yourselves against the best and we are going to do that,” said Lake.
"It's the final Test match [of the season] and we have things to prove still on this tour and things to put right.”
This fixture will complete Tandy's first season in charge, with his record currently standing at won three and lost eight Test matches.
The teams Wales have beaten are Italy, Japan and Fiji, who are directly above them in the rankings.
Tandy is still striving to know his best side and has made six more changes this weekend, including at fly-half and both centres.
But he remains upbeat.
"I've loved the year and it's been awesome," said Tandy.
"We're developing as a team and finishing off our season with a game against the world champions is outstanding.
"It is another opportunity to experience different things."
What that Saturday night experience in Durban will be remains to be seen.
