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Wales and South Africa will face off in the second semi-final of the Rugby World Cup 2019 on Sunday, October 27 at Yokohama Stadium.
The winner will go on to face either England or New Zealand in the final on Saturday, 2 November.
South Africa has been a dominant force at this edition of the tournament, losing only to the All Blacks in the Pool stages. The Springboks steamrolled host nation Japan in their quarter final last Sunday. The Cherry Blossoms had stunned Ireland and Scotland on their way to the last eight.
Wales have had somewhat of an underwhelming tournament despite winning all of their Pool games.They seemed destined to lose to France in their quarter-final last week before the tide turned when France's Sebastien Vahaamahina was sent off for foul play. The match went down to the wire with Wales only just edging past the French with a 74th minute try from Ross Moriarty. The game ended 20-19 to Wales.
While Wales will need to be ready for a war of attrition against the Springboks, Rassie Erasmus must also be aware that the Welsh may have been duped by the enigmatic nature of the French in their previous match.Warren Gatland may be able to prepare his team better for this semi-final match against an all too familiar opponent.
Key Talking Points: Wales
- Contradictory to what the bookies are predicting for this fixture, Wales have enjoyed the better run of form against South Africa in recent times. The Welsh have won their last four matches against the Springboks.
- Back-rower Josh Navidi has been ruled out for the remainder of the tournament with a hamstring industry. This is likely to be a big blow for Gatland.
- The Welsh are likely to play a kicking game against the Springboks putting Gareth Davies’ precision into good use.
Key Talking Points: South Africa
- Makazole Mapimpi has been a lethal weapon for the Springboks so far. He crossed for two tries against Japan and has shown lightning quick speed throughout the tournament.
- Discipline was an issue for Rassie Erasmus’s men in the quarter-final. They conceded a total of eight penalties and received one yellow card.
- South Africa has been characterised by their physicality at the Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan. A key tactic has been to wear teams down and sap the endurance of their opponents and capitalising on their lapses.
