Springboks beat Wales 43-0, stay atop Nations standings

South Africa’s national rugby team, the Springboks, extended their perfect start to the inaugural Nations Championship with a commanding 43-0 victory over Wales at Kings Park Stadium in Durban on Saturday, July 18, 2026. The bonus-point win, achieved with seven tries, solidifies the world champions' place atop the tournament standings alongside New Zealand.

Despite making ten changes to the lineup that defeated Scotland the previous week and fielding four debutants, the Springboks established early dominance. Number eight Jasper Wiese opened the scoring in the fifth minute. A powerful scrum soon after allowed scrum-half Cobus Reinach to add a second try, giving the hosts a 14-0 lead within the first quarter. The Springboks’ third score came from center Jesse Kriel on the stroke of halftime, capitalizing on a cross-kick from debutant fly-half Vusi Moyo for a 19-0 advantage.

Any remaining Welsh resistance was quickly extinguished just seconds into the second half as another debutant, wing Jaco Williams, scored the bonus-point try. Replacement scrum-half Herschel Jantjies, playing his first test since 2023, added a fifth. Wales’s challenge was further hampered when replacement prop...