South Africa vs. Wales: Preview, Live Stream, TV Info for Rugby World Cup QF

Wales face the Springboks at Twickenham on Saturday afternoon with the World Cup semi-final just 80 minutes away for the winner.

The pair met in the 2011 tournament in the pool phase and South Africa escaped with a 17-16 win that saw them snatch the group.

That year, it turned out to be something of a poisoned chalice, pushing the Boks into a quarter-final with Australia, which they lost, while Wales went on to beat Ireland before the agony of a narrow defeat to France in the last four.

Four years on, South Africa arrive having been on the wrong end of the greatest shock rugby has ever seen in losing to Japan, while Wales have been losing key men to injury on what has often seemed a daily basis.

They at least have the knowledge that they put one over Heyneke Meyer’s men in Cardiff less than a year ago.

This clash, however, will hinge on whether a patched-up Welsh back line can cope with the heavy artillery coming their way, and whether their scrum, which has creaked and groaned at times in this competition, can front up to the two-time world champion pack.

As Adrian Warner of rugbyworldcup.com pointed out, history, as well as that lengthy injury list, is not on Wales’ side.

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Wales have beaten the Springboks only twice since 1906 and have a disappointing record against the big three southern hemisphere teams at the World Cup, recording a single victory against Australia in 1987. Throw in the worst set of injuries that any team has suffered at England 2015 and most neutrals think the Springboks are more likely to reach the last four.

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Welsh coach Warren Gatland also articulated the challenge as he sees it for his players, who, prior to their win in Cardiff last November, had lost by a single point to the Boks in the second Test of their 2014 summer tour:

"They are an incredibly physical team up front. We have got to match them at scrum time and in the driving lineout.They have got over the shock of losing to Japan and that has galvanised them as a team and a squad."

Match details

Date: Saturday, October 17

Time: 4 p.m. BST/11 a.m. EST

Venue: Twickenham

TV Info: UK, ITV1; Australia, Fox SPORTS; NZ, SkySports; South Africa, SuperSports

Live Stream:ITV Player (UK only), Universal Sports (US only)

Last five matches

Wales beat Italy in that costly final warm-up game that lost them the services of Leigh Halfpenny and Rhys Webb.

They comfortably saw off Uruguay, but added to their injury woes with the loss of Corey Allen and a number of other knocks. England were hit by a smash and grab raid as yet more Welsh bodies were carted to the treatment table, with Scott Williams ruled out and Liam Williams concussed.

The team backed up with a hard-fought win over Fiji, and it was all they could do to get 15 bodies out on the field for the Pool A decider with Australia.

A brutal 15-6 defeat was the result, despite hammering away at a 13-man defence without scoring a point for an eight-minute spell in the second half.

That defeat meant it would be South Africa, and not the far less daunting challenge of Scotland, for Gatland’s staggered troops.

South Africa endured a miserable build up, finishing bottom of the Rugby Championship with three defeats, but atoned in some way with a final warm-up win over Argentina.

They then opened their Pool B campaign with that dramatic loss to Japan. But their reaction has been impressive, with large margins of victory over Samoa, Scotland and the USA.

The Springboks have not entirely escaped the injury blight, losing captain Jean de Villiers to a broken jaw, but they have absorbed that blow and are looking like the powerful Bok machine of old.

October 10	Australia 15-6 Wales
October 1	Wales 23-13 Fiji
September 26	England 25-28 Wales
September 20	Wales 54-9 Uruguay
September 5	Wales 23-19 Italy

October 7	South Africa 64-0 USA
October 3	South Africa 34-16 Scotland
September 26	South Africa 46-6 Samoa
September 19	Japan 34-32 South Africa
August 15	Argentina 12-26 South Africa

Team lineups

Dan Lydiate, rested against Australia, comes back to add his extra bulk in the Welsh back row, while the decimated back line is supplemented by Tyler Morgan at outside centre, chosen ahead of the more experienced James Hook.

Morgan was called into the squad after the injury to Scott Williams at Twickenham, and he remains the next cab off the rank, despite Hook’s vastly superior experience, Gatland told BBC Sport

"We thought Tyler played very well against Fiji for a young 20-year-old and we're putting that faith in him to back him again. He's an out and out 13 and he's definitely a player for the future and it's a great opportunity for him. I can't see where the debate is about that selection."

South Africa have named the same lineup that saw off Scotland barring a change at wing, with JP Pietersen coming into the starting lineup.

Wales: Gareth Anscombe, Alex Cuthbert, Tyler Morgan, Jamie Roberts, George North; Dan Biggar, Gareth Davies; Gethin Jenkins, Scott Baldwin, Samson Lee, Luke Charteris, Alun Wyn Jones, Dan Lydiate, Sam Warburton, Taulupe Faletau.

South Africa: Willie le Roux, JP Pietersen, Jesse Kriel, Damian De Allende, Bryan Habana, Handré Pollard, Fourie du Preez; Tendai Mtawarira,  Bismarck du Plessis, Frans Malherbe, Eben Etzebeth, Lood de Jager, Francois Louw, Schalk Burger, Duane Vermeulen

Players to watch

Alun-Wyn Jones

Jones wins his 100th Welsh cap in this match, and he will need all his energy and work rate to match the marauding South African pair of locks, Eben Etzebeth and Lood de Jager. The Ospreys captain has earned plaudits from his captain Sam Warburton this week, per walesonline:

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If people asked me who are some of the handful of the best players I have played with, I would say Gethin Jenkins, Shane Williams, Martyn Williams and Alun Wyn Jones would be in that bracket. We are very fortunate to have a player of his experience and stature and he is not slowing down any time soon.

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Jones has to ensure the Welsh lineout functions under pressure and also that the South African penchant for bringing their big runners onto the ball in waves, phase after phase, does not cause the Welsh fringe defence to cave in.

Damian de Allende

From fringe player to first-choice No. 12, it has been a rapid ascent for Damian de Allende, and Saturday that rise meets Jamie Roberts, head-on.

De Allende has stepped into the shoes of Jean de Villiers and struck up a promising partnership with fellow young gun Jesse Kriel.

SA Rugby's Jon Cardinelli summed up the double-edged sword De Allende and his mate face in this tie, having to deal with the physical assault sure to come from the Lion, but also taking the chance to exploit the inexperienced Morgan outside him.

De Allende and Kriel's success or failure at these two tasks could have a significant bearing on the outcome of this contest.

Prediction

Wales 20-27 South Africa

Odds

Wales 31/10

South Africa 7/16

Draw 33/1

Via Oddschecker