South Africa v Wales LIVE rugby: Result and reaction as Springboks win the series in Cape Town

Reaction from Cape Town as Wales lose to the Springboks in the series decider

(Getty Images)

South Africa won a decisive third Test 30-14 versus Wales to secure the series 2-1 and halt a run of northern hemisphere victories after success for Ireland and England earlier in the day.

Fly-half Handre Polland scored 20 points, including the first try, as the world champions outscored the tourists three tries to one.

Bongi Mbonambi and captain Siya Kolisi added the other Springbok tries with Pollard kicking three conversions and three penalties.

Tommy Reffell went over for the Welsh try and skipper Dan Bigger added three penalties for the tourists, who upset the hosts in last week’s second Test in Bloemfontein to set up a series decider.

Follow all the action from South Africa vs Wales below with our live blog:

South Africa vs Wales - deciding Test

• Springboks beat Wales in Cape Town to take the series victory 2-1
• FULL-TIME! South Africa 30-14 Wales
• 78’ - PENALTY! Pollard seals the victory ofr Springboks (SA 27-14)
• 53’ - TRY! Kolisi forces his way over(SA 24-14 Wal)
• 48’ - PENALTY! A third Biggar penalty of the day tightens the game further (SA 17-14 Wal)
• 38’ - TRY! Mbonambi scores a try on his 50th cap (SA 17-8 Wal)
• 19’ - TRY! Adams offloads to Reffell for the score (SA 10-5 Wal)
• 15’ - TRY! Pollard crash over after sustained Springbok pressure (SA 10-0 Wal)

[16 July 2022 17:27 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

South Africa 17-14 Wales, 49 minutes

Delightful counter-attacking from Willie Le Roux, rolling back the years as he peels up the right touchline, chipping deftly beyond. Liam Williams hurries across to prevent his fellow full-back from completing a fine solo score.

Charged down! Eben Etzebeth gets his huge forearms in front of Kieran Hardy’s clearance and then drives Dan Biggar over his own line. Biggar somehow smuggles the ball away to a teammate, but back comes Le Roux.

[16 July 2022 17:26 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

PENALTY! South Africa 17-14 WALES (Dan Biggar penalty, 48 minutes)

40 out, but bang in front - nothing to particularly trouble Dan Biggar.

[16 July 2022 17:25 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

South Africa 17-11 Wales, 47 minutes

This is sloppy stuff from the Springboks. They first close the gap at the lineout and are free-kicked, before making a mess of their catch of Dan Biggar’s high bomb. To compound the error, a South African defender is offside. A broad grin spreads across the face of Alun Wyn Jones as Biggar lines up a shot at three more points.

[16 July 2022 17:23 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

South Africa 17-11 Wales, 45 minutes

A scrum penalty to Wales! Another feather in the cap of Sam Wainwright, who forces Trevor Nyakane to infringe...

And from the field. The entirety of the South African front row is going off, in fact, as the so-called “Bomb Squad” are introduced: on come messrs Marx, Kitshoff and Koch for Bongi Mbonambi, Nyakane and Frans Malherbe.

[16 July 2022 17:19 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

No try! South Africa 17-11 Wales, 44 minutes

Sharp interplay from South Africa and they strike back immediately!

Or do they? There’s a forward pass in the build-up, surely?...

Yes, there is. Brett Cronan has spotted it, as has Dan Biggar, and both the TMO and the Welsh captain make sure that Matthew Carley is aware of it - one rather more forcefully than the other.

A bit of a shame, because that was a lovely variation from South Africa - Lukhanyo Am had stepped in at scrum-half with Jaden Hendrikse hiding on the right wing. Am drove a lovely flat pass out to his scrum-half, who jinked by a defender and then popped back to his teammate - but Hendrikse’s hands rather pushed the ball forwards to Am, and the try is rightly chalked off.

[16 July 2022 17:18 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

PENALTY! South Africa 17-11 WALES (Dan Biggar penalty, 42 minutes)

Biggar duly knocks the penalty between the posts.

[16 July 2022 17:17 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

South Africa 17-8 Wales, 41 minutes

Immediate joy for Wales - Pieter-Steph du Toit holds on and squirms away from a Welsh jackaler on the floor, and Dan Biggar will have a chance to narrow the gap to six.

[16 July 2022 17:16 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

The second half is underway!

Forty minutes left in the series.

[16 July 2022 17:15 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

Second half

A pair of half-time changes for Wales: Dewi Lake and Sam Wainwright are on as Wayne Pivac looks to steady the front row, with Ryan Elias and Dillon Lewis not re-emerging.

Can they make an impact? It’ll be require a huge effort from Wales if they are to haul themselves back into this one.

[16 July 2022 17:12 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

H/T: South Africa 17-8 Wales

Neither side has been helped by the pitch: for it to churn up at scrum time is one thing, but a number of players have also looked unsure of their footing in the open field. It’s not helping things at the ruck, either - the breakdowns have been particularly messy at times. It isn’t a great look.