Springboks Claim Dominant Victory Over Wales In Season Opener

The Springboks secured a convincing 41-13 victory against Wales in the Qatar Airways Cup at Twickenham Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The win marks a strong start to their season.
The Boks crossed the try line five times, with tries from Jesse Kriel, Makazole Mapimpi, a penalty try, Bongi Mbonambi, and Edwill van der Merwe. Wales managed only a single try in the first half.
This game marked Vincent Koch’s 50th Test cap for the Boks, a significant achievement. Pieter-Steph du Toit captained the side, with coach Rassie Erasmus opting to give other players opportunities.
The Boks established an early lead through a Kriel try in the fourth minute. They pressed Wales throughout the first half, earning a penalty try and a yellow card for Aaron Wainwright. However, a yellow card to Aphelele Fassi and a subsequent try by Wales’ Dew Lake shifted momentum. The Boks still held a narrow 14-13 lead at halftime.

The Springboks maintained pressure in the second half, with Mapimpi scoring his try assisted by Kriel. Captain Siya Kolisi was unavailable due to the match falling outside the World Rugby calendar.
The second half saw numerous substitutions, impacting the flow of the game. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu extended the lead with a penalty, followed by tries from Mbonambi (through a driving maul) and van der Merwe. Coach Erasmus and his staff visibly celebrated these scores.
Van der Merwe’s try capped off a dominant performance by the Boks and won him the Man of the Match. This victory serves as a strong statement for the upcoming season. The Boks next host Ireland in two blockbuster matches in South Africa, starting on 6 July in Pretoria and the second will be played on 13 July in Durban.
2 Comments
[…] to action South Africa for the first time since their back-to-back World Cup wins when they beat Wales few weeks ago. They’ll face the world number two team, Ireland, in a sold-out two-test series […]
[…] is the Boks’ second Test of the season, following their dominant 41-13 victory over Wales at Twickenham. It also kicks off the Castle Lager Incoming Series at a packed […]