Friday 28 November 2014

Wales vs. South Africa: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info and Rugby Preview

Wales hope to channel some of the spirit shown against New Zealand when they welcome South Africa to the Millennium Stadium on Saturday, as the curtain comes down on their autumn international series.

Since succumbing to Ireland in their first tour fixture, the Springboks have embarked on a European rampage, dishing defeats to England and Italy in successive weeks.

Both Warren Gatland and Heyneke Meyer will be expecting a flourish from their teams as they head toward a Rugby World Cup year in 2015, with Cardiff set to host a most promising calendar climax.

 

Date: Saturday, Nov. 29

Time: 2:30 p.m. GMT/9:30 a.m. ET

Live Stream: BBC Sport website (UK), SuperSport stream (SA)

TV Info: BBC One (UK), SuperSport 1 (SA)

 

Springboks' Overseas Switch-Up Showcases Superb Depth

Both Welsh and South African squads have been hit by absences this week as the fixture falls outside the Test window, restricting some overseas-based players from participating.

Most notable among the absences is the Springboks' back three of Bryan Habana (Toulon), Johan Goosen (Racing Metro) and JP Pietersen (White Knights).

However, it speaks volumes of the depth among Meyer's squad that the coach can call upon recruits as talented as Cornal Hendricks, Willie le Roux and Lwazi Mvovo to fill in.

Speaking of his team's opposition this weekend and the shift in personnel, Meyer was quoted by ESPN Scrum as saying:

This tour has been a good test of our depth and we're looking forward to see what the team can do on Saturday.

We will face a fired-up Welsh side this weekend. They played very well against New Zealand and it will be a tough end to our season, but we want to finish on a high and the focus this week has been on ensuring we keep on building on what we've done thus far this year.

All the players coming into the team have been part of our squad for most of the season. They know our plans and structures and now it's about execution on Saturday.

The Sharks' Mvovo will be particularly intriguing to keep an eye on, given that his chances haven't been as regular in the international setup, but by no means are any of the back-three reinforcements a drop in pedigree.

Gatland is fortunate that his back line isn't affected as badly, with George North, Jamie Roberts, Jonathan Davies and Leigh Halfpenny each possessing international release clauses in their overseas contracts.

 

Key Battle

Jamie Roberts vs. Jean de Villiers

Last Saturday's 34-16 defeat to the All Blacks was a terribly hard one for most Welsh stars to swallow, especially given that up until the final 18 minutes, they were in a position with a chance of winning the tie.

And few will have been left feeling more bitter than inside centre Roberts, who had a terrific game in managing to restrain Sonny Bill Williams and showed on Twitter that he picked up his share of scrapes:

However, from one match-deciding battle to the next, Roberts' job gets no easier this weekend with the prospect of facing Jean de Villiers for dominance in the midfield channel.

South Africa's veteran centre has had a tremendously busy 2014 schedule and managed to stave off injury for the international calendar.

His influence on the Springboks' back line is a massive one, and while other cogs in the machine might change, he remains a consistent setter of pace and tempo.

In Roberts, however, he faces a foe with the potential to upset that momentum and test his defensive attributes, with Davies running off-shoulder just to add further concern for the visiting midfielders.

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2282023-wales-vs-south-africa-date-time-live-stream-tv-info-and-rugby-preview

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