'He has a massive heart!' Springboks stars pick the Wales players they really rate

Wales are being widely written off ahead of their three-Test series against the Springboks this summer, but the world champions are paying their visitors some respect.

The two countries have had some extremely tight battles in recent years. Wales have won four out of the last six, with the two defeats coming in the last two encounters, though both games were decided by less than a score.

Despite the regions’ trials and tribulations in the URC this season, particularly when playing on South African soil, the hosts are aware that Wales will provide stiffer opposition than the domestic outfits.

Here is what those in South Africa make of Wales, including the Welsh players who are most-respected here...

“The Welsh are really good players. I’ve watched a lot of URC games and they’re really good at fetching the ball and getting turnovers for their teams.

“Basham and Navidi are really good. I rate them really well. It’s going to be a battle for us at the breakdown, it’s never going to be easy against a team like that. It’s a good challenge for us and it’s good for us to measure ourselves against those guys.

“I think you need to look at form this year in the URC and Basham has really played well. He’s a good player and he played well at the end of last year as well. I think he’s a good player and he’s the one that I’ve recognised.”

“Liam [William] played his 100th game for the Scarlets when we were there and just to see how much it meant to not only him but the fans as well.

“He’s a big player, who has a lot of experience at Test level. He’s known throughout the world. I got to work with him at Saracens and he’s a top man, a great rugby player and I’m excited about the challenge of playing against him this weekend.

“The