It gets worse for South Africa

Justin Tipuric capped an outstanding individual performance with a late try to give Wales a 27-13 victory over South Africa on Saturday and condemn the Springboks to their worst ever year.

Wales scored two tries and Leigh Halfpenny added 17 points with the boot to secure only the third Welsh win over South Africa in more than a century of tests.

Flanker Tipuric ran the perfect line to burst through the visitors’ defence for a 77th-minute try just as South Africa were mounting a late bid to get back into the game.

Ken Owens scored Wales’s opening try while debutant loose forward Uzair Cassiem crossed the line late on for the beleaguered Springboks.

South Africa kicked the first penalty through Elton Jantjies after seven minutes but frequent infringements in the maul and lineout handed Wales a succession of penalties which Halfpenny slotted to open up a 9-3 lead.

Jantjies and Halfpenny traded one more each to put the home 12-6 ahead at halftime.

Straight after the break, Springbok halfback Faf de Klerk was yellow-carded for knocking down a Dan Bigger pass and Halfpenny made it 15-6. The extra man advantage gave Wales the incentive to turn down another penalty attempt and go for touch instead, from which a driving maul set up Owens to claim the first try in the 46th minute.

South Africa’s reply came with 10 minutes left in similar circumstances – a penalty kick into touch and a lineout turned into a driving maul before the Boks drove over for a try from Cassiem to reduce the Welsh lead to 20-13.

But just when South Africa’s attack looked to be sparking to life, Tipuric put the result beyond the toothless tourists with three minutes left.