Despite facing a mammoth challenge against the World Champion Springboks, a heavily depleted Wales squad remains upbeat and ready to rumble. Coach Steve Tandy is dealing with a severe player shortage, missing 13 players due to the game falling outside the test window. To add insult to injury, winger/fullback Josh Adams is suspended, and last weekend’s hat-trick hero, Tom Rogers, is sidelined with an injury.
While the Springboks are also missing a chunk of players due to club commitments, the perceived gap in depth and current form has led many to predict a comfortable victory for the Boks. Tandy even brought forward the team announcement, stating that with so many England and France-based players departing, there were few secrets left to keep.
The Welsh side is remarkably inexperienced, boasting only 267 caps across the entire starting line-up, with a mere three players exceeding 25 caps. Last weekend's 52-26 defeat to the All Blacks further compounded their woes, followed by the departure of key players such as Louis Rees-Zammit, Max Llewellyn, Tomos Williams, and Freddie Thomas, all heading back to their respective clubs.
Kieran Hardy steps in at scrumhalf, Joe Roberts takes the outside centre position, and Ellis Mee and Rio Dyer will be on the wings. Ben Carter and Rhys Davies form a new lock partnership, while Gareth Thomas starts at loosehead prop. Aaron Wainwright returns from injury at No 8, with Taine Plumtree shifting to blindside flanker and Alex Mann taking the openside role. Cardiff loosehead prop Danny Southworth is poised to make his debut from the bench.
Can this underdog Welsh team defy the odds and pull off a stunning upset against the mighty Springboks? Only time will tell. Stay tuned for all the action!
Wales Team Announcement
Find the full team list on Wales Rugby official channels.