South Africa vs Wales LIVE Rugby: Latest results and updates from the crucial Cape Town test

On Gareth Anscombe’s late retirement: “Disappointed for Gareth. He failed a fitness test but Rhys Patchell has worked really hard on this tour and is getting a chance. Dan Biggar should be fine.

On a Newlands surface that can roil under the crush: “We’ve spoken to the on-field officials about understanding that the ground is giving way so we’ll just see what happens.

And the goals today? “For us, we came here to win a series and nothing has changed. We’ve got that opportunity now and we’re back after a great 80 minutes. Our discipline has to be there.”

Incidentally, Wales were so lacking in fully toned bodies that Wayne Pivac had to call Jamie Roberts into training this week to even the numbers – a day before the former Wales center announced his retirement from rugby.

Just a quick word on Roberts, such a consistent performer for so many years in Welsh midfield, who always had so much more to his game than his apparent carrying capacity.

Ireland and England earlier sealed series wins away – can Wales follow them? It’s a formidable challenge for Wayne Pivac’s side in Cape Town and it has you wondering how much this group of forwards will have left in the tank. But they really did manage to disrupt South Africa during this series and there’s little reason they couldn’t do it again.

A long season, a long streak, and yet Wayne Pivac trusts his veterans still have enough in the tank to get the job done. Again the Welsh head coach makes just one change, Josh Adams starting in place of the injured Alex Cuthbert in a 15 identical to the one that started in Pretoria two weeks ago. Both Dan Biggar and Dillon Lewis are fit after injury concerns.

So the rest is as it was, including the back row of Dan Lydiate, Tommy Reffell and Taulupe Faletau, who combined so well in this series. With Cuthbert from the 23, Owen Watkin joins the bench, which now includes Rhys Patchell – Gareth Anscombe, match-winner seven days ago, was forced to retire with a rib injury.

Wales XV: Thomas, Elias, Lewis; Rowlands, Bart; Lydiate, Refell, Ballets; Hardy, Biggar (c); Adams, Tompkins, North, Rees-Zammit; L Williams.

Substitute: Lake, W. Jones, Wainwright, AW Jones, Navidi; T Williams, Patchell, Watkin.

Another week, another batch of changes for South Africa as the Springboks are back to full strength for game number three. A streak is omnipresent: Eben Etzebeth is starting for the third week in a row, becoming the seventh South African to have won 100 caps and apparently still has enough in the tank.

The four others left behind from the starting team that was beaten last week are Handre Pollard, Trevor Nyakane, Pieter-Steph du Toit and most importantly Jaden Hendrikse, who gets the nod in the scrum half ahead of Faf de Klerk, who was mixed newer Shape.

De Klerk adds experience to a typically fearsome 6-2 bench. Siya Kolisi is back captain of the side and is joined in the back row by du Toit and Jasper Wiese, while loosehead Nyakane is the only member of the tight five not to start in the series opener.

South Africa XV: Nyakane, Mbonambi, Malherbe; Etzebeth, De Jäger; Kolisi (c), du Toit, Meadow; Hendrikse, Pollard; Mapimpi, De Allende, Am, Kolbe, Willemse.

Replacements: Marx, Kitshoff, Koch, Mostert, Smith, Louw; The clerk, Le Roux.

Dan Biggar | says Wales will “do absolutely everything” to achieve a Test series triumph over world champions South Africa that seemed unthinkable three weeks ago.

Biggar admits that Wales “would probably have been laughed out of town” if such a thing had perhaps even been suggested before the start of the series.

But after the narrow opening defeat to South Africa and the rebound to equalize last weekend, a titanic Test trilogy reaches its climax.

The DHL Stadium in Cape Town and an expected capacity of 55,000 spectators will witness Wales attempt to shred international rugby’s textbook beyond recognition 14 months before the World Cup.

It has been just 17 weeks since Wayne Pivac’s side lost at home to regular Six Nations spoon-winners Italy, while before leaving Heathrow they had won just four out of 12 games – against Canada, Fiji, Australia and Scotland.

Test series glory is at stake for Wales and South Africa when they meet in Cape Town today.

Wales clinched a dramatic 13-12 win over the world champions last weekend – his first against the springbok in South Africa – after narrowly losing in Pretoria seven days earlier.

Here we look at how rival fly halves and tactical geniuses – Springboks World Cup winners Handre Pollard and Captain of Wales Dan Biggar | – match.

Wales made history as they recorded a stunning 13-12 second Test win South Africa last weekend in Bloemfontein. It was Wales’ first win against them springbok on South African soil, ending 58 years of injury and arriving on 12th try.

After an agonizing three-point loss in the series opener, Wayne Pivac’s team cleaned their second time out and set up a playoff against Cape Town.

Springboks coach Jacques Nienaber’s decision to make 14 changes backfired – resting World Cup winners like Siya Kolisi, Faf de Klerk and Cheslin Kolbe – as Wales triumphed Josh AdamsTry that in the 78th minute Gareth Anscombe converted from the sidelines.

Captain of Anscombe and Wales Dan Biggar | previous penalty kicked while Handre Pollard shoots four penalties for the Springboks. Alun Wyn Jones was booked for the second game in a row – although it looked like a tough call for hands in the ruck – and it looked like it could be a frustrating defeat for Wales, but they ended in style there Anscombe kept his nerve.

South Africa captain He is a college believes cup final experiences build character springbok are preparing for their test series decision-makers against it Wales.

Cape Town’s DHL Stadium hosts a third all-win game following South Africa’s victory in Pretoria. The 13-12 win marked Wales’ first win over world champions Springboks in South Africa and set in motion a riveting final.

“We’ve been in situations like this before and it builds character,” Kolisi said. “The coaches want us to get into those kinds of situations, so it’s nothing new for us. But I’m sure Wales have been in those situations too.

“Wales are a strong team – they don’t stop playing 80 minutes – but we’re looking forward to this weekend. We looked at last week’s game and where they were strong and we worked on that and improved our game.”

The man in the middle is the focus

Eddie Jones is often divided in the rugby world, but few will disagree with his plans to convene a group of senior coaches, players and referees to eliminate repeated stoppages in play caused by the televised game’s overuse of official, draconian policing by high tackles and difficult set pieces.

Wales received four yellow cards from Nika Amashukeli, the first Georgia Test official, and Australia’s Angus Gardner, who trapped Alun Wyn Jones last weekend in a stunning decision by the officiating team.

England’s Matthew Carley, outstanding when Wales and France played a titanic Six Nations encounter earlier this year, takes the helm of the series and he will be firmly in the spotlight.