South Africa vs Wales - 18/07/2026

[saulan]

Monday team sheet out yet again:

Interesting team which is another mix of starters and fringe:
Players usually first team starters/bench at: 2,7,8,9 , 11,12,13,15 (debatable - I'd say Willemse, but putting it there for ease of understanding),20, 22, 23
Young players: 6, 10, 14
Second team/fringe: 1, 3, 4, 5, 16, 17 (maybe a bit debatable where he is now), 18 (same), 19, 21

 

[Welsh Exile]

You’re going down. All will tremble before the power of Beard and Mann.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

You’re going down. All will tremble before the power of Beard and Mann.

You just need to fill your team with the manliest names. Mann, Beard, Ball, Cox etc. I'm sure a team of 23 can be made which will guarantee victory

 

[wombles]

You cannot help but credit South Africa that they can put 3 teams out that will take on all-comers.

Lots of changes for the Springboks again, & I think we will some periods of inaccuracy from them. But overall this will be a training run for them as they cast their eyes ahead to the NZ tour.

Wales will do their upmost, but I think they need to ignore the result & try to get away with no injuries, this is not their battle.

 

[Demfad]

You cannot help but credit South Africa that they can put 3 teams out that will take on all-comers.

Lots of changes for the Springboks again, & I think we will some periods of inaccuracy from them. But overall this will be a training run for them as they cast their eyes ahead to the NZ tour.

Wales will do their upmost, but I think they need to ignore the result & try to get away with no injuries, this is not their battle.

The team against England could only be described as possibly beating all comers although France would have something to say about that.
The team against Scotland was most esperimental and I think SA got away with murder for that one.

 

[Demfad]

Wales might get a chance to compete here.
In possession changing the point of contact and forcing SA to spread out and not attack rucks is the name of the game.
Keep them guessing, keep them moving.
Its not at altitude so a BOk defensive collapse not easily forced as in the Scotland match

 

[Welsh Exile]

I’m waiting for the team announcement tomorrow before I predict how many points we’ll win by.

 

[Welsh Exile]

I think everyone, other than Sherratt, is now finally onboard with James being moved to 12. I think this is a good game to put aside the cohesion stuff Tandy has been banging on about and experiment a little. When we lose we can just say we were messing around and we’ll get them next time.

As well as moving James to 12, I’d like us to try the experiment of not having Beard in the matchday 23. I appreciate we only have 3 locks and this won’t happen but a man can wish.

Play Mason Grady at 10. That would be funny.

 

[Welsh Exile]

My team, and therefore the best team, is as follows:

Carre Lake Lewis
Carter Williams
James Wainwright Morgan

Williams
Hawkins
Murray
James
Llewellyn
LRZ
Mee

Bench: Elias, Smith, Warren, Plumtree, Reffell, Botham, Hardy, Grady

 

[Welsh Exile]

Kill me. Not only do I see Beard and Mann in the starting line up I see James dropped and none other than Ben Thomas in the starting line up. Sherratt needs to go.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Dropping James is actually madness.

 

[Welsh Exile]

Dropping James is actually madness.

It’s a joke. His target was to start all 3 matches and we string him along. Picked him in the squad just to cap him all the while we give wasters like Mann try after try after try.

 

[Welsh Exile]

Dropping both James’ that is

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Yeah I meant Eddie James, but Kane too now you mention it.

 

[Welsh Exile]

Yeah I meant Eddie James, but Kane too now you mention it.

just so frustrating that he’s not even being considered as a 12. Tandy banging on about physicality and then plays Thomas at 12 over James.

Kane James is also a lot more explosive than Mann but we’ve given about 10mins of rugby to Kane James.

 

[dullonien]

He's trolling you now @Welsh Exile, Tandy that is.

 

[wombles]

Just survive Wales, forget the result, try to keep it under 50 (avoid a thwacking) & no injuries.

 

[dirty harry]

Might give this one a miss, LRZ and Murray are going to get hammered out wide.

Tight 5 are in for a day, at least Mann is in the back row, Botham had his chance last week and again proved lacking.

I cant see anything but SA running riot down the 10 channell, and Llewellyn and LRZ getting draggednin over and over all due to Thomas inability to defend, his boot is just not worth the rest of him.

I want to see Hawkins and James just play everygame together between now and the RWC, theyre flawed but theres potential enough, and Llewellyn can deputise in and out. Id also like to see a James Hawkins look too.

Best case for Wales, its tight on 55 mins, but the bench gives SA a 20nl point cushion going into the final minutes

 

[Welsh Exile]

Yeah, sure, let’s persist with playing James, our most promising back, out of position. Literally no one other than Sherratt thinks this. I don’t even reckon Tandy wants to do it but Sherratt clearly has some sex tape of him or something.

 

[Quel Carreleur]

Same prediction as the England match, for me.

South Africa - lots
Wales - not many

 

[dirty harry]

Yeah, sure, let’s persist with playing James, our most promising back, out of position. Literally no one other than Sherratt thinks this. I don’t even reckon Tandy wants to do it but Sherratt clearly has some sex tape of him or something.

Who would you play 13? Hawkins isnt a 10 but a cracking all round 12, he hasnt the gas for 13, and weve seen Llewellyn melt there over and over...

Would you play joe rhe turnstyle Roverts?

 

[Welsh Exile]

Who would you play 13? Hawkins isnt a 10 but a cracking all round 12, he hasnt the gas for 13, and weve seen Llewellyn melt there over and over...

Would you play joe rhe turnstyle Roverts?

In this tour it would be Llewellyn but I would be getting Hennessey in there ASAP. Personally I would’ve started this process last 6N.

I’d also be getting Macs Page involved in the set up with a view to taking him as a bolter for the WC.

 

[dirty harry]

In this tour it would be Llewellyn but I would be getting Hennessey in there ASAP. Personally I would’ve started this process last 6N.

I’d also be getting Macs Page involved in the set up with a view to taking him as a bolter for the WC.

I dont think Hennessey is going to make the standard for this world cup, and 16 losses in a row going into that Italy game ****** to blooding youngsters!

I think Hawkins James is as good as it gets for the next 12 months, I like Llewellyn and Page but international 13s i dont think they have the potential to stand out. I think both are bit part, both cocer wing, Llewellyn 13.

People kept questioning Davies at 13 originally, i think James has similar attributes tbh.

 

[dirty harry]

Again there... holding not given, forward pass not given, scottish knock on given as a Scottish scrum...

Every 50/50 going Scotlands way