Former England boss Clive Woodward says Wales will be “full of beans” going into the series decider against the Springboks in Cape Town after scoring a historic victory in Bloemfontein.
A Bok lineup featuring 14 changes and six uncapped players dominated the tourists in the first half, and most of the second, but the world champions couldn’t convert the advantage into points.
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Inaccuracy and a high penalty count from the hosts in the final quarter at Free State Stadium allowed the tourists back into the contest before they overturned a six-point deficit to claim a 13-12 victory – Wales’ first in the Republic – and set up a series decider in Cape Town this Saturday.
Writing in his Daily Mail column, Woodward said: “Wales have produced an astonishing turnaround. They were very poor in the Six Nations and lost at home to Italy for the first time, so to beat the world champions in their own backyard is a remarkable feat.
“I think Wayne Pivac should get a pat on the back. He had a lot of confidence going to South Africa and spoke openly about that. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one to think that confidence was misplaced, but Pivac and his team have delivered. They should have won the first Test and then claimed the second.
“Some will point out South Africa’s 14 changes and say Wales were given a chance, but that was still a very strong Springboks side, with Eben Etzebeth and Handre Pollard. Any team that can bring in the best player in the Premiership in Andre Esterhuizen has serious quality. Well done Wales. Now, go and finish the job.”
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Wales’ victory came on the same day that England beat the Wallabies in Australia for the first time since 2016, while Ireland got their very first win over the All Blacks in New Zealand and Scotland completed the northern clean sweep with a win over Argentina.
“It immediately adds extra spice to next year’s World Cup,” writes Woodward.
“To win the World Cup it is vital you have no fear of taking on the best on the planet. You have to have confidence you can beat teams like New Zealand and South Africa because if you don’t, you are almost defeated before you set foot on the field.
“That’s why Saturday’s results were so important, especially because the wins were away from home. England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland will be full of beans and all four countries now have series deciders on the cards this weekend.”
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Photo: Shaun Roy/BackpagePix
