Stars from the show 'The Real Housewives of Durban,' Sorisha Naidoo and Jojo Robinson, came to support the Springboks team during the National Championship match. The team secured a convincing victory over Wales with a score of 43:0 at the Kings Park Stadium in Durban on Saturday, July 18th.
Businesswoman and philanthropist Sorisha Naidoo, as well as show participant Jojo Robinson, were among the notable fans enjoying the atmosphere at the event with their families. Naidoo shared a series of photos on Instagram where she was dressed in green and gold Springbok attire next to her loved ones. In the caption, she thanked the organizers for hosting them.
Jojo Robinson also shared her impressions of the match day with her followers, posting a series of pictures with her husband Calven Robinson as they soaked up the atmosphere at the packed stadium. She expressed admiration for the team, writing that nothing unites them as strongly as their favorite rugby team.
In another post, Robinson noted the unparalleled energy of South African fans, stating that the South African atmosphere is unique. She congratulated the team and emphasized that watching the game was unforgettable.
Kings Park Stadium was full of dedicated Springboks fans as South Africa demonstrated another dominant performance in the debut National Championship. The 2026 tournament is a new biennial international rugby union competition designed to consolidate the global rugby calendar into one competitive league. The tournament includes six Six Nations teams, four Rugby Championship teams, as well as Fiji and Japan.
The Springboks had an impressive home campaign, achieving clear triumphs over Northern Hemisphere rivals. Their winning streak began with a 45:21 triumph over England at Ellis Park on July 4th, followed by a 42:28 victory over Scotland at Loftus Versfeld on July 11th, and concluded with a confident 43:0 win over Wales in Durban on July 18th.
The Springboks team confidently defeated Wales with a score of 43-0 at the Hollywoodbets Kings Park stadium in Durban on Saturday. The match was marked by Wales' sloppy play, which involved numerous handling errors due to the slippery pitch.
The Springboks quickly took the lead, scoring in both halves within the first 14 minutes of the match. The score first became 7-0 after number eight Jasper Wiese made a powerful break, and debutant Wusi Moyo converted the kick. The hosts then doubled their advantage: scrumhalf Kobus Reinach, playing his 52nd test match, scored his 20th test try by breaking through the dominant Springboks scrum machine. Moyo maintained his perfect kicking record, bringing the score to 14-0.
Despite territorial superiority, the Springboks faced challenges, including handling errors, and were unable to increase the score for the next twenty minutes. Hooker Jesse Kriel eventually scored in the final minutes of the first half, increasing South Africa's lead to 19-0 at halftime. In the second half, the Springboks demonstrated stronger play, scoring four more tries and once again preventing Wales from scoring.
The 43-0 result secured an overwhelming victory for South Africa and marked the second consecutive test match where Wales failed to score against the Springboks. Argentina will be the team's next opponent.
The Springboks team concluded the traditional Friday captain's run at Kings Park in Durban the day before the meeting with Wales as part of the Nations Cup, which will take place on Saturday.
Springboks assistant coach Mzwandile Stik stated that the team aims to add a new trophy to its extensive collection after an impressive start in the debut Nations Cup. Although coach Rassie Erasmus was initially skeptical about this intercontinental competition, his attitude towards the tournament changed after successful victories over England and Scotland.
The Springboks will host the home leg of the tournament in Durban, where they will face Wales. Stik emphasized that despite long-term plans, including the World Cup in Australia next year, the team always focuses on the upcoming game. He noted that participation in the final weekend of the Nations Cup in Twickenham at the end of November is an important goal, but the priority remains the game here and now.
Stik refuted public opinion that the match against Wales would be easy. He pointed out that Wales ranks 12th in the world rankings, while the Springboks are ranked first. According to Stik, the Saturday game promises to be difficult because Wales is in better form, and the team views Wales as a very close style opponent who prides itself on its rugby.
The Springboks' respect for Wales is reflected in the squad selected by Erasmus. Stik noted that the squad demonstrates great experience, including players who have been two-time world champions. He warned that if the team does not prepare properly, it risks losing, as the Welsh players possess world-class class.
Stik compared the current Welsh team to the state of the Springboks during Erasmus's first year (2018). He recalled that at the beginning of this coaching era, the Springboks often lost to Wales. After several unsuccessful years (2016 and 2017), when the team experienced losses, gaining major victories and regaining confidence led to a winning streak. Now, Wales, in Stik's opinion, has overcome a period of defeats and is improving in every game.
Despite public questions regarding the inclusion of young players such as Wusi Moyo (20) and Jaco Williams (21), Stik assured that they have established themselves in the Springboks camp. He explained that although they have only played one or two games in the United Rugby Championship, they spent seven weeks in the most demanding environment, handled the workload, and Erasmus encouraged them.
In the second round of the Nations Cup, which will take place on Saturday afternoon at the Loftus Versfeld stadium, the Springboks and Scotland are preparing for a highly anticipated match. Although the home team changed its squad after the victory against England last week, Scotland made only minor adjustments to its starting lineup for the game at Loftus Versfeld, which starts at 17:40. It has been twelve years since their last meeting on South African soil, and many tense duels are expected.
Analysts have focused on five specific confrontations that are expected to be very exciting. Among them is the meeting between Springboks flyhalf Handre Pollard and Scottish player Finn Russell, considered one of the most contrasting duels in this match. Pollard brings stability and kicking mastery to the Boks team, but his attacking play will be tested by Russell, who, despite having a good kick, prefers to operate in attack and knows how to create chances out of nothing.
An interesting interaction is expected in the scrum battle between Vilko Louw and Pierre Schaman, two players who previously played together for the Pretoria team. Louw is known for effectively neutralizing tight forwards in close contact, while Schaman is a strong ball carrier who likes to provoke opponents. Whoever wins the scrum battle will provide their team with a powerful foundation for attack.
Physical power and accuracy will be determining factors for the two players in the number 8 position—Evan Roos and Jack Dempsey. Winning the battle for dominance through carries and tackles will provide the team with a good attacking and defensive platform. Both players are familiar with each other's playing style as they have faced each other in the URC, but the match will be a clash of experience versus youth.
A fierce confrontation is expected between the Springboks' hooker and the Scottish tighthead, Boan Winter and Zander Ferguson. Winter has experience playing in Edinburgh, and Ferguson is a Glasgow veteran, and the South African player has faced him many times in Scottish derbies. Ferguson is a strong scrummager and likes to carry the ball, so Winter has the task of neutralizing this Scottish weapon and allowing his tighthead to drive the scrum for Boks penalties.
Damian Willemse is undergoing a new trial period in the number 12 position for the Springboks in the absence of Damian de Allende and Andre Esterhuizen, and he will face one of the toughest opponents. Nevertheless, Willemse's versatility is a big plus for the world champions. He will have to physically match the unstoppable Tuipulotu, who loves fast runs in the midfield. Furthermore, Willemse must be vigilant in defense, as the Scottish captain likes to create space for his wing defenders through direct running and soft passes.
The Springboks starting lineup includes: 15 Apelele Fassie, 14 Edwin van der Merwe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian Willemse, 11 Canaan Moody, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Ambrose Papier, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit (captain), 6 Paul de Villiers, 5 Roan Northe, 4 Kobus Wieße, 3 Vilko Louw, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Boan Winter. Reserves: 16 Jan-Hendrik Vessels, 17 Ntutuko Mchunu, 18 Zacharie Porten, 19 Ben-Jason Dixon, 20 Vincent Tsituka, 21 Elraig Louw, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Quan Horn.
Scotland's squad consists of: 15 Kyle Roe, 14 Kyle Stain, 13 Rory Hutchinson, 12 Sion Tuipulotu (captain), 11 Jamie Dobie, 10 Finn Russell, 9 Ben White, 8 Jack Dempsey, 7 Rory Darge, 6 Matt Ferguson, 5 Scott Cummings, 4 Gregor Brown, 3 Zander Ferguson, 2 Yoan Ashman, 1 Pierre Schaman. Reserves: 16 Gregor Hiddleston, 17 Rory Sutherland, 18 Will Hurd, 19 Alex Samuel, 20 Josh Bayliss, 21 Magnus Bradbury, 22 Tom Jordan, 23 Stafford McDowell.
