The Springboks will play Wales in Cardiff on August 19, 2023, as part of their preparation for defending the Rugby World Cup, which starts a few weeks later.
In their other Rugby World Cup games in France, coach Nienaber’s team will play against Romania, Ireland, and Tonga.
According to The Citizen, Wales is one of their regular opponents from the Northern Hemisphere, and they are currently ranked seventh in the world. This will give Nienaber’s team a good chance to see how they stack up before the global event.
This year, the Springboks beat Wales 2-1 in the Incoming Series, which was played on South African soil. However, between 2016 and 2018, South Africa lost four straight games to Wales, except for a 23-18 win in their first match of the 2021 Outgoing Tour in Cardiff and a 19-16 win in a close Rugby World Cup quarterfinal in Yokohama in 2019. (three times in Cardiff and once in Washington DC).
Nienaber thinks that the Springboks would benefit from playing in Cardiff because of how well they did in their last few games.
“Wales have always been tough competition for us, and the results we’ve had against them in the last few years show how good a team they are,” Nienaber said.
“The Rugby World Cup is one of the toughest tournaments in the world. To get to the final, you have to be at your best every week, so it’s important that we play against good teams before the tournament.
“Wales is in the top 10 in the world and has done well against us in Cardiff over the past few seasons, so we know this will be a great test of our character and great preparation for the World Cup.”
The Springboks are on a short break right now, but some of the players are already playing for their clubs and franchises. At the end of October, they will get together for the last tour of the year.
The Boks will play Ireland on November 5, France on November 12, Italy on November 19, and England on November 26. They will also play Munster (10 November) and the Bristol Bears in the middle of the week (17 November).
