The South Africa reserve team from the URC they reckon would beat Wales

“There can be no more thrilling experience for the Springbok rugby player than to oppose Wales in an international. It is more than just a grimly fought game. It is a searching trial of emotion, nerves and physical courage.”

So said legendary South African captain from the 1930s, Bennie Osler.

The words appeared in the matchday programme for the Springboks v Wales game in Pretoria in 1998. They didn’t age well. By full time this writer recalls rising from his seat and making his way out of the press box at Loftus Versfeld, en route spotting one of the aforementioned programmes turned to the page that carried Osler’s words. South Africa had just beaten Wales 96-13. How far had Welsh rugby fallen? The mockery around the ground that evening answered that question.

Wales have come a long way since, beating the men in myrtle green six times, with five wins arriving over the past eight meetings.

But it would be an understatement to say that in South Africa their challenge over the upcoming three-Test series isn’t expected to be a major one. Headlines have appeared branding the Welsh class of ’22 ‘limp’ amid predictions of a ‘drubbing’, while there have also been arrows fired at Alun Wyn Jones.

Now, a respected scribe, Mike Greenaway, writing for IOL Sport, has picked a team solely from South Africa’s United Rugby Championship players that he feels could lower Wales’ colours.

“I reckon a Springbok team picked solely from South Africa’s URC players would beat Wales,” writes Greenaway.

He then picks a side in the hypothetical situation of the overseas Springboks not being available, adding: “My team is picked on form not reputation, so some World Cup heroes don’t make it.”

The selection contains 10 uncapped players.

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