Wales target more history

Wales coach Wayne Pivac was right when he said his team was ‘‘written off’’ before a pass was thrown or a tackle made in the three-test series in South Africa.

That lasted only about 35 minutes into the first test, when Wales surged into an 18-3 lead and the Springboks realised it wasn’t going to be the walkover most – if not all – pundits in South Africa predicted.

But Springboks coach Jacques Nienaber’s response to a narrow, fortunate win by his team in that first test was to take a huge gamble: He made 14 changes to his starting 15, threw six uncapped players into the second test, and Wales levelled the series in Bloemfontein with their first win over the Boks on South African soil.

That leaves a decider in Cape Town early tomorrow (NZ time) and Wales, judging by their resilient performances over the first two games, are in with a chance of a big upset over the world champions.

‘‘We had an honest discussion with the players telling them what we require from them this weekend,’’ said Nienaber, who has faced some stinging criticism for his second-test selection experiment.

‘‘You’re not a national coach to learn lessons,’’ South Africa’s 2007 World Cup-winning coach Jake White wrote in a column.

‘‘You learn that at age-grade or club level – I mean that sincerely –

there’s a reason people go through a system to become a national coach.’’

White noted that Nienaber faces ‘‘massive amounts of pressure’’ at Cape Town Stadium.

Nienaber’s selection policy has implications for the series finale because he’s now been pushed into making another swathe of changes to his team – 11 this time in the starting 15 – to bring back his front-liners in an effort to save the series.

That’s 25 changes just to the

Springboks starters over the last two tests.

Wales have made two and appear far more comfortable ahead of the final reckoning in Cape Town. No-one saw that at the start of the tour, save maybe Pivac.

‘‘Most people had written us off before we left Wales and to be in this position with an opportunity to win this series, it’s a great position for us to be in,’’ Pivac said.

‘‘It’s fantastic that there’s something to play for in this test match.’’

While Wales have already made history with their 13-12 win in Bloemfontein, a series win in South Africa, and over the reigning world champions, would be momentous stuff. A dire Six Nations for the Welsh, who lost to Italy, would be forgotten.

Pivac said his team was ‘‘a bit banged’’ up after the first two tests, but nothing serious.

Only wing Alex Cuthbert is out of the third test. Josh Adams replaces him but that switch will be smooth after Adams started the first test and came on as a replacement in the second test and scored the matchwinning try.

Nienaber is hoping the stack of World Cup winners he has called back have had enough preparation to save the day given that the first test of the series was their first this year, and they all then sat out the second test.