Wayne Pivac urges Wales to show ‘a lot more discipline’ against South Africa

Wayne Pivac accepts that Wales need to show “a lot more discipline” when they target a Test series-levelling victory over South Africa on Saturday.

Wales face the Springboks in Bloemfontein after a pulsating first Test that world champions South Africa won 32-29 following Damian Willemse’s penalty with the game’s final kick.

While Wales went toe to toe with South Africa and produced arguably their finest performance of Pivac’s coaching reign, they were also punished by referee Nika Amashukeli.

The Georgian official yellow-carded four Wales players – Dan Biggar, Alun Wyn Jones, Louis Rees-Zammit and Rhys Carre – with the tourists briefly reduced to 12 men during a frantic finale.

Wales also conceded 15 penalties to the Springboks’ seven, plus three free-kicks, with a cumulative effect of that indiscipline ultimately costing them.

Pivac said: “It is really a matter of focusing on what we can bring to the game, and hopefully that is going to be a lot more discipline than last week, because we let ourselves down clearly in that area of the game.

“To hold South Africa as close as we did for as long as we did, with the penalty count as it was, is a testament to some of the good work we did do.”

Pivac, who confirmed that Wales had sought and received feedback from World Rugby, underlined his disappointment with Rees-Zammit’s sin-binning, which came seven minutes from time.

The Gloucester wing was penalised after a try-saving tackle on Springboks replacement Willie Le Roux, having been adjudged to have intentionally slowed play down.

“I think that was the most unlucky play in the match,” Pivac added. “Clearly, from our point of view we thought it was an excellent play.

“That was a big moment in the game for us and very